Questions · Ultimate Questions
Why does change form direction, tendency, and turning points?
Direct answer
Sheng further breaks change down into “Jian” and “Shi”: between two ends is not dead blank space, but tension; when the tension begins to take on direction, it becomes “Shi” (tendency, tension, directional force). Only as Shi keeps accumulating and approaches a critical point does it manifest into specific events, behaviors, or forms. In this way, “change” is no longer merely one random frame following another, but a forming direction that can be observed.
Further explanation
The so-called “return” is likewise not some mysterious reversal of fate, but a reminder: no Shi that has already formed is eternally fixed; conditions, tension, and carriers keep changing, and the original direction may also reach a critical point and turn. The point is to look at the Shi, not to superstitiously fixate on the outcome.
Core concepts
Primary sources
Conclusions that must not be drawn
It must not write “Shi” as a law that can precisely predict the future, nor write “return” as certain good fortune.
Related phrasings
Why do tendencies form?Why do things drift further and further off course?How does tension become direction?Why do turning points appear?
Natural phrasings of the same semantic domain, used for retrieval and understanding; the page does not pile up near-duplicate content.