Understand the true strength in the hexagram of great power

We are all eager for instant success and quick profits. Think about people who chased Bitcoin when it hit a record high in October 2025, or companies that invested heavily in the metaverse concept a few years ago. At the time of writing, they have suffered huge losses and may regret—if only they had not jumped in too quickly. Hastiness in seizing every emerging opportunity is not true strength.

We have seen similar situations play out multiple times in modern history. So, when everyone is shouting “faster and braver” to chase the latest fad, it is worth pausing to consider: what are the real characteristics of truly great people, companies, or opportunities?

The I Ching offers a profound clue in Hexagram 大壮.

The image is thunder rumbling across the open sky—tremendous, unstoppable power in motion.

壮于趾，征凶，有孚。

“Great power in the toes. Advancing brings misfortune. Maintain sincerity.”

This bottom line shows power first stirring in the toes—the part that propels us forward, like strong feet ready to run.

Yet the I Ching warns: if you charge ahead just because you can, disaster follows. At this early stage, the key is to hold firm to trust and integrity, not impulse.

A striking example is the story of Character.AI. Its founders, Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas, left Google in 2021 after the company reportedly hesitated to release their chatbot prototype over safety concerns. Driven by ambition to capture AI’s emerging explosive growth, they founded Character.AI soon after they left Google.

Trouble followed almost immediately. As of this writing (Dec 2025), the company faces multiple lawsuits from families alleging that its chatbots contributed to teenagers’ suicides and self-harm. The suits claim the platform knowingly exposed minors to addictive, sexually explicit, and emotionally abusive interactions.

One heartbreaking case involves 13-year-old Juliana Peralta, who took her own life in 2023. Her parents discovered she had confided suicidal thoughts to a chatbot named “Hero” over 55 times—conversations the AI did not discourage.

Character.AI embodies the I Ching’s warning on a grand scale. Even in everyday life, the principle holds: when something urgent arises, rushing ahead without grounding in principles often leads to worse outcomes. By adding a moment of reflection, we avoid turning potential power into self-sabotage.

小人用壮，君子用罔，贞厉。羝羊触藩，羸其角。

“A petty person wields great power; a noble person is negated and perplexed. Dangerous. Like a ram butting a fence, its horns get entangled.”

This middle stage depicts power under trial—grinding against obstacles.

Consider Huawei, the Chinese tech giant. From August 2018 onward, the U.S. government imposed escalating sanctions: banning federal use of Huawei equipment, pressuring allies to do the same, adding the company to the Entity List, restricting U.S. business dealings, and even requiring licenses for chip sales using American technology.

Blow after blow crippled Huawei’s operations and eroded its global influence. Many wondered if the company could even survive the onslaught.

贞吉，悔亡。藩决不羸，壮于大舆之輹。

“Good fortune through sincerity. Regrets vanish. The fence breaks open without entanglement. Great power in the spokes of a mighty wagon.”

Here is the hexagram’s core lesson: if you remain true to your principles, obstacles will not hold you. Instead, you burst through stronger, like a wagon with unbreakable spokes rolling forward.

Huawei’s story is well-known today. The sanctions, far from destroying the company, accelerated its push for self-reliance. Analysts note that Huawei ramped up domestic chip production and built an independent ecosystem, including HarmonyOS and innovative products like the world’s first trifold phone. Where U.S. firms lost a key customer, Huawei emerged more resilient.

Another example comes from the early 1990s, when Virgin Atlantic faced dirty tricks from British Airways (BA), the dominant airline at the time. BA staff, with internal approval, impersonated Virgin employees to poach passengers—calling them to falsely claim cancellations and rebook on BA—while spreading rumours to tarnish Virgin’s image.

Virgin was like the ram with horns stuck in the fence. It sued BA, leading to an out-of-court settlement where BA paid hefty damages and covered millions in legal fees. Virgin not only gained compensation but also won public sympathy, solidifying its reputation and ensuring long-term success as a credible rival.

Hexagram 大壮 teaches that true power begins with patience. There will be trials and tribulations, bringing anxiety and pain. As long as we remain trustworthy and stay true to our principles, we will prevail.

This great power is not a “fast” process. In contrast to today’s obsession with quick profits and fame, the I Ching urges us to slow down, recognise the natural rhythms of growth, and avoid self-destruction.

Indeed, that is the meaning of true power.

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