"The preponderance of the small. Success. Perseverance is advantageous. Small things may be accomplished, great ones should not be attempted. The bird in flight brings the message: it is not good to ascend, it is good to descend. Great fortune."
The inverse of hexagram 28. Here, the weak lines (Yin) are on the outside, the strong ones at the center. The epoch does not permit grand heroic actions. A bird should not challenge the sun lest it singe its wings (Icarus); it must descend back to its nest. Be exceedingly meticulous, modest, and focus on the pragmatic details of daily life. Lower your head.
"On the mountain is the thunder: the image of the preponderance of the small. Thus the noble man, in his conduct, gives preponderance to deference. In funerals, he gives preponderance to grief. In his expenditures, he gives preponderance to economy."
Modesty is not weakness; it is the vital adaptation to a restrictive reality.