Son of Wealth Sits Not Under the Eaves
Updated 2026-08-10
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
A maxim from the classical Chinese tradition stating that a person worth a thousand gold does not sit beneath the eaves, because the value at stake makes the small probability of injury not worth accepting. The reasoning is explicitly calculative: the strategist weighs benefit against harm and declines the position whose downside is unlimited while its upside is capped. The key qualification is that the calculation applies to asymmetric exposures, not to risk in general. The same logic extends to intangible assets such as reputation, which behave like core holdings.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Exposure mapping: identify which of your positions have capped gains and uncapped losses. - Not-to-do list: write down the actions you will never take now that your position has weight. - Reputation accounting: treat reputation as a core asset that the same rule protects.
Anchor fast decisions
Positions with bounded upside and unbounded downside have negative expected value once the potential loss is large enough, so a rational calculation excludes them regardless of how small the probability looks. The reason the rule needs to be written down is that such exposures usually arrive disguised as small opportunities, and the calculation is only made after the loss. A pre-committed list of prohibitions substitutes for the judgment that is unavailable under pressure.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- zdic.nethttps://zdic.net/hans/%E5%8D%83%E9%87%91%E4%B9%8B%E5%AD%90verified
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