Lost Horse, Do Not Chase
Updated 2026-08-10
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
A line from the I Ching's Divergence hexagram advising that a lost horse need not be chased because it returns of its own accord. Its core proposition is that when a separation stems from a mismatch of circumstances rather than a defect in the underlying value, an anxious pursuit raises the cost and lowers the odds, while holding position and maintaining your quality creates the conditions for return. The qualifier is that restraint applies only when the underlying fit is genuine.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Fit assessment: ask whether the departed party left over circumstances or over the value you offer. - Chase costing: compare the cost of pursuit against the probability that pursuit succeeds. - Position holding: improve what you offer rather than chasing, so return becomes attractive.
Anchor fast decisions
Pursuit signals that the relationship matters more to you than to the other party, which shifts the terms against you and raises the price of return. Holding position keeps the value proposition intact, so if the departure was driven by circumstance rather than by a poor fit, the original advantage reasserts itself once the circumstances change.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- zh.wikisource.orghttps://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E5%91%A8%E6%98%93/%E7%9D%BDverified
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