Hexagram 41: Decrease
By Wendy Zhang, Founder of Solacely · Updated
損 · Sǔn
Decrease. With sincerity, supreme good fortune and no blame. You can persist, and it is favorable to go forward. How should this be expressed? Two simple bowls are enough for the offering.
The judgment
有孚，元吉。无咎，可貞，利有攸往。曷之用？二簋可用享。
Decrease. With sincerity, supreme good fortune and no blame. You can persist, and it is favorable to go forward. How should this be expressed? Two simple bowls are enough for the offering.
The image
山下有澤，損；君子以懲忿窒欲。
A lake beneath the mountain: the image of Decrease. The noble person curbs anger and restrains desire.
The lake below gives up its moisture to nourish the mountain above. What is taken from below enriches what is above, a picture of willing, purposeful reduction.
What Decrease means
Decrease describes a time of having less: fewer resources, less energy, or a need to cut back. The judgment surprisingly calls this supremely fortunate, on one condition: sincerity. When reduction is honest and done for good reasons, it brings no blame and can open the way forward. The two simple bowls of the offering show that small, heartfelt gestures are enough; elaborate displays are not needed. The Image turns decrease inward: restrain anger and curb excessive desire. Simplifying your inner life frees energy. Commentators note that decrease must suit the time; cutting what is excess is wise, but cutting what is essential is harmful. Concretely, this may mean budgeting, trimming commitments, giving generously, or letting go of a habit. Avoid resentment about what you lack, and avoid stinginess disguised as discipline. Done well, decrease makes room for the increase that follows in the next hexagram.
In love and relationships
Love asks for simplicity now. Fewer grand gestures, more honest presence. You may need to let go of unrealistic expectations or some independence to make space for the relationship. Small, sincere acts of care matter more than expensive ones. Be careful not to give up so much that you lose yourself.
At work
Work may involve tighter budgets, reduced resources, or a need to focus. Cut what is unnecessary and invest in what truly matters. Contribute willingly to shared goals without keeping score. Managing frustration calmly will serve you better than complaining about constraints. Lean operations now can build a strong foundation.
The six lines
Read a line when it is a changing line in your cast (a 6 or a 9).
祀事遄往，无咎，酌損之。
Finishing your own work, go quickly to help. No blame. Consider how much to take on.
Once your own tasks are done, you can assist others promptly. Yet the line asks you to weigh how much you can give without depleting yourself or overwhelming the other person. Generosity works best when it is measured. Offer what is useful and sustainable, not what makes you look selfless.
利貞，征凶，弗損益之。
Persistence is favorable; setting out brings misfortune. Without decreasing yourself, you can increase others.
This strong central line can help best by staying true to itself. Giving up your integrity or core stability would not truly help anyone. Hold steady. Your example and consistency are the gift. Do not sacrifice your essential self for others’ approval; supporting them from strength serves everyone better.
三人行，則損一人；一人行，則得其友。
When three travel together, one is lost. When one travels alone, he finds a companion.
Groups of three tend to leave someone out, while a person alone naturally seeks a partner. This line points to the clarity of pairs: focused, mutual connection. If a relationship or project has too many parties, simplifying may help. If you feel alone, the right companion is likely to appear.
損其疾，使遄有喜，无咎。
Decrease your ailment; act quickly and there is joy. No blame.
This yielding line in the outer trigram reduces its own faults with help from the strong line below. A bad habit, weakness, or stuck pattern can be released now, and quickly. Accept support from others. The relief will be noticeable, and nothing about it is shameful.
或益之，十朋之龜弗克違，元吉。
Someone increases it; ten pairs of tortoise shells cannot oppose it. Supreme good fortune.
In the ruler’s place, this open, yielding line receives blessings it did not demand. The tortoise shells represent costly divination, and even they cannot contradict this good fortune. Your humility invites support. Benefits may come from unexpected sources. Stay open, receive gratefully, and do not doubt what is being offered.
弗損益之，无咎，貞吉，利有攸往，得臣无家。
Without decreasing yourself, increase others. No blame. Persistence brings good fortune. Going forward is favorable. You gain helpers who serve beyond their own household.
At the top, decrease turns into giving that costs you nothing essential. Your resources or influence benefit many, and people gather to help because they believe in the shared good, not personal gain. This line favors generous leadership and broad public service. Keep going; your work has reach.
Advice
Cut back on excess with a sincere heart, and let small, genuine offerings speak for you. Restrain anger and desire to free your energy.
A question to reflect on
What could I let go of that would make my life simpler and more honest?