Hexagram 6: Dispute
By Wendy Zhang, Founder of Solacely · Updated
訟 · Sòng
You are in the right, but blocked. Be careful. Stopping halfway brings good fortune; pushing it to the end brings misfortune. It is favorable to see the great person. It is not favorable to cross the great river.
The judgment
有孚，窒，惕，中吉，終凶。利見大人，不利涉大川。
You are in the right, but blocked. Be careful. Stopping halfway brings good fortune; pushing it to the end brings misfortune. It is favorable to see the great person. It is not favorable to cross the great river.
The image
天與水違行，訟；君子以作事謀始。
Heaven and water move in opposite directions: dispute. The noble person, in any undertaking, plans carefully at the start.
Heaven rises above while Water flows downward, so the two move apart. It pictures inner tension meeting outer force: someone feeling wronged facing someone unwilling to bend.
What Dispute means
Song describes conflict: a lawsuit, an argument, a standoff. The judgment acknowledges that you may be sincere and even right, yet it warns that pushing the dispute to the bitter end brings misfortune. The wise course is to stop halfway, seek a fair mediator or authority, and avoid big risky moves while the conflict is live. The Image goes to the root: disputes arise when people’s directions diverge, so the noble person plans carefully at the beginning, clarifying terms and expectations before trouble starts. For you, this hexagram may point to a disagreement that is costing more than it is worth. Being right does not guarantee a good outcome. Ask what you truly need, consider compromise, and look for neutral counsel. Avoid escalating, dragging others in, or treating winning as the only goal.
In love and relationships
Tension or disagreement is in the air. If you are partnered, a recurring argument may need calm discussion or outside help rather than another round of point-scoring. If you are single, a conflict around a past relationship may still be pulling at you. Choose resolution over victory.
At work
A dispute over roles, terms or credit may be developing. Document clearly, seek a fair arbiter and settle early if you reasonably can. Avoid launching major ventures while the conflict is unresolved. In new agreements, spell out expectations at the start to prevent future clashes.
The six lines
Read a line when it is a changing line in your cast (a 6 or a 9).
不永所事，小有言，終吉。
Not dragging the matter out. There is a little gossip, but in the end good fortune.
The conflict is just starting, and you are in a weak position to pursue it. Let it drop early. There may be some talk or minor friction, but backing off now prevents a much bigger problem. Saying less and moving on is the wiser course.
不克訟，歸而逋，其邑人三百戶无眚。
Unable to win the dispute, he returns home and withdraws. The people of his town, three hundred households, come to no harm.
You may be strong and central, but you are contending with the ruling line above, and you cannot win this. Retreating is not defeat; it protects you and those who depend on you. Withdraw gracefully, cut your losses and spare the people around you from the fallout.
食舊德，貞厲，終吉。或從王事，无成。
Living on the virtue of the past. Persistence amid danger, and in the end good fortune. If you serve in the king’s affairs, do not seek credit.
Rely on what you already have, your established position and earned reputation, rather than fighting for more. This weak line in a strong place does well by staying modest. If you work under someone else, do your part without seeking recognition. Contentment keeps you safe in a tense climate.
不克訟，復即命渝，安貞吉。
Unable to win the dispute, he turns back, accepts what is right and changes his mind. Calm persistence brings good fortune.
You have strength, but you are not in a position to win, and on reflection you may see that you were not entirely right. Change course. Accepting a fair outcome and adjusting your attitude brings peace and good fortune. This is wisdom, not surrender, and it frees your energy for better things.
訟，元吉。
Dispute: supreme good fortune.
This is the ruling line, strong and central: the fair judge or wise authority. If you hold this role, decide impartially and you will bring the conflict to a good end. If you are a party to the dispute, seek out someone like this. Fair judgment, honestly given, resolves what force could not.
或錫之鞶帶，終朝三褫之。
Someone may be awarded a leather belt of honor, but by the end of the morning it is taken away three times.
A victory won through relentless conflict does not last. You may get what you fought for, yet the cost is constant challenge, resentment and insecurity. Ask whether winning this way is worth it. Recognition earned through fairness holds; recognition seized through combat keeps being stripped away.
Advice
Stop short of fighting to the end. Seek fair counsel, settle what can be settled and clarify agreements early next time.
A question to reflect on
In this conflict, what do I actually need, and what am I fighting for only to be proven right?