60. Limitation
Jié — Limitation / Moderation
Trigrams
The Judgment
Limitation. Success. Galling limitation must not be persevered in.
The Image
Water above lake — the lake has defined shores. Without limits, the water would spread everywhere and evaporate. The wise person creates number and measure, and examines the nature of virtue and correct conduct.
Interpretation
Limits are necessary and beneficial — up to a point. A lake without shores is a swamp. But limits that are too severe become galling and should not be maintained. The art is in finding the right measure: enough structure to give your life shape and meaning, not so much that it becomes a prison. Examine what limits you accept and whether they serve your growth or merely constrain it.
Advice
Set appropriate limits and boundaries. Structure serves you, but excessive restriction does not. Find the right measure. Accept necessary limitations gracefully but don't endure limits that are purely galling.