49
Hexagram 49, Ge: “Revolution,” literally “the stripped hide.” It is about change in substance, not in form.
The image of the hexagram
Below is the Li trigram (fire), above is Dui (lake). A lake over fire: fire evaporates the water, water puts out the fire — mutual transformation.
General meaning
The answer: change is needed, and a radical one. Ge describes a situation where cosmetic fixes no longer work — the whole setup needs to be different. The classic text sets conditions: the change must be timely and explained, or it will not be accepted. The doubts of those around you are dispelled here not by force but by results.
In love and at work
In relationships: revising the rules of the relationship, or ending it; going back to how things were is impossible. At work: a change of profession, business model or leadership; reform, not optimization. For preserving the status quo, the answer is no.
What to do
Change things in substance and explain to people why. Here, change without explanation fails.