Xiao Guo · 小过

Judgment (卦辞)

Preponderance of the Small. Perseverance furthers. Small things may be done; great things should not be done. The flying bird brings the message: it is not good to strive upward, it is good to remain below. Great fortune. In times of small preponderance, modest undertakings succeed while ambitious ones fail.

小过：亨利贞，可小事，不可大事。飞鸟遗之音，不宜上宜下，大吉。

Image (象辞)

Thunder on the mountain — the image of Preponderance of the Small. Thus the superior man in his conduct gives priority to modesty and restraint; he reduces his expenditure and behaves with careful simplicity. Thunder on the mountain is brief and passes; modest action in modest circumstances yields safety.

山上有雷，小过；君子以行过乎恭，丧过乎哀，用过乎俭。

Modern Application

Xiao Guo advises modest action over ambitious schemes — small undertakings succeed during constrained times. Essential for lean operations, cautious investment in downturns, and knowing when to scale down.

小过建议谦逊行动优于雄心计划——在受限时期小规模事业才能成功。对精益运营、低迷中的谨慎投资和知道何时缩减至关重要。