Hexagram 41.1 — Decrease (First Line)

Original Text & Translation

「已事遄往，無咎。酌損之。」 — Finish the affair and go swiftly; no blame. Consider what to decrease.

The image is of someone who completes a task and departs immediately, without attachment or expectation of reward. The power here is in clean execution and graceful exit. The counsel is to give what is needed, then step back. Great contributions are often made by those who do not linger to claim credit: the work is done, the gift is given, and space is left for others to build upon it.

Core Meaning

Line one sits at the base of the lower trigram, where resources and energy originate. In Decrease, this position represents the willingness to reduce what you hold in order to strengthen what lies above — whether that is a team, a relationship, a principle, or a larger goal. The excellence here is discernment: knowing what to give, how much to give, and when to stop giving.

Practically, this line separates healthy sacrifice from martyrdom. Healthy sacrifice is precise, time-bound, and purposeful; martyrdom is vague, endless, and self-focused. The first line of Decrease teaches that true generosity moves quickly — it does not perform, explain, or demand gratitude. It acts, completes, and withdraws, leaving the recipient free and the giver unburdened.

Symbolism & Imagery

The image of "finish and go" evokes the mountain stream that flows downward to nourish the valley, then disappears into the earth. The water does not announce itself or wait for acknowledgment; it simply moves where it is needed and continues onward. In Decrease, the first line is the source of this flow — the point where personal resources are released to serve collective benefit.

This imagery also addresses ego and identity. The temptation in sacrifice is to make it visible, to ensure others see what you have given up. "Go swiftly" restores dignity to the act: you decrease not to be seen as noble, but because the situation calls for it. The speed protects both the gift and the giver from corruption by expectation.

Action Guidance

Career & Business

• Deliver and detach: complete your contribution to the project, document handoffs clearly, and step back. Do not hover or micromanage the next phase.
• Reduce scope strategically: identify one or two commitments you can gracefully exit to free capacity for higher-leverage work.
• Mentor without claiming: share knowledge, tools, or introductions, then let others run with them. Resist the urge to stay involved for credit.
• Streamline processes: remove one unnecessary meeting, approval layer, or reporting requirement. Make the cut clean and communicate it once.
• Avoid explanation loops: if you are stepping back from a role or responsibility, state it simply and move on. Over-justification creates doubt.

Love & Relationships

• Give without scorekeeping: offer support, time, or resources because the moment calls for it, not to build a ledger of debts.
• Complete old conversations: if there is unfinished business, address it directly and briefly, then let it close. Do not revisit endlessly.
• Create space by stepping back: sometimes the most loving act is to reduce your presence so the other person can grow independently.
• Release small grievances: choose one minor complaint or expectation and consciously let it go. Notice the lightness that follows.
• Avoid performative sacrifice: if you are doing something "for them," check that it is truly needed and that you are not seeking validation through self-denial.

Health & Inner Work

• Subtract before adding: instead of piling on new routines, remove one habit that drains energy — late-night scrolling, reactive snacking, chronic overcommitment.
• Fast from noise: take a day or week off from news, social media, or unnecessary input. Notice what clarity emerges in the silence.
• Finish incomplete cycles: close out a half-read book, a stalled project, or a lingering task. The act of completion frees mental space.
• Practice brief generosity: give time, attention, or help without making it a story. Let the act be small and complete.
• Release identity attachments: notice where you cling to being "the one who always..." and experiment with not being that for a while.

Finance & Strategy

• Cut one position cleanly: if an investment or allocation is underperforming or misaligned, exit fully rather than letting it bleed attention.
• Donate or divest without ceremony: if you are reallocating capital or resources, do it swiftly and move on. Do not second-guess or narrate the decision.
• Reduce fixed costs: identify one subscription, service, or overhead expense that no longer serves you and cancel it immediately.
• Give strategically: if you are supporting a venture, person, or cause, define the scope and timeline clearly, then honor it and step back.
• Avoid sunk-cost theater: do not throw good money after bad to justify past decisions. Decrease what is not working and redirect to what is.

Timing, Signals, and Readiness

How do you know when to act on this line's counsel? Look for clarity of completion: (1) you have fulfilled your obligation or contribution; (2) staying longer would create dependency or dilute the gift; (3) you feel a quiet readiness to let go, not a dramatic urge to flee; and (4) the recipient or situation can stand on its own. When these align, swift departure is both kind and wise.

If you feel resentment or the need to explain your exit at length, you may be leaving prematurely or with unfinished business. If you feel relief and simplicity, you are moving in harmony with Decrease. The line counsels speed not as escape, but as respect — for your gift, for the other, and for the natural rhythm of giving and releasing.

When This Line Moves

A moving first line in Hexagram 41 often signals a shift from personal reduction to collective benefit. The reading suggests that your willingness to decrease below will create strength above — in a team, relationship, or system. The resultant hexagram (consult your divination method for the specific number) will show the new configuration that emerges when you release what you have been holding.

Practical takeaway: do not move from sacrifice to resentment. Move from decrease to clarity — a lighter load, a sharper focus, a cleaner structure. The momentum you release does not disappear; it flows upward and outward, nourishing what you truly care about. Let the movement be swift, the completion be real, and the departure be graceful.

Concise Summary

Hexagram 41.1 is the art of the clean exit and the selfless gift. It asks you to complete what you have begun, give what is needed, and step back without attachment. "Finish quickly and go" protects the integrity of decrease, turning sacrifice into strength. When you release with clarity and speed, you create space for new growth — in yourself and in what you serve.