Q0156
“Heaven moves with vigor; the gentleman accordingly strengthens himself without cease.” — The Book of Changes (Yijing, Qian, Commentary on the Images)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Yijing, Qian, Commentary on the Images. Theme: self.
English
Heaven moves with vigor; the gentleman accordingly strengthens himself without cease.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Yijing, Qian, Commentary on the Images and files it under Confucianism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About The Book of Changes
The Book of Changes appears in this archive through verified English quotations associated with the Confucianism tradition. Biographical certainty varies by figure and text; where the “author” is a scripture or school anthology, read the name as a traditional attribution rather than a modern individual biography.
How to read this passage
To ask about the self is to ask what persists through experience, what can be known from the first-person point of view, and how character is formed. Some traditions treat the self as a substantial soul; others as a stream of experience, a social role, or a practical center of agency. This passage enters that discussion through self, desire.
Concepts in this quote
- Self
- Philosophy quotes about self explore identity, responsibility, and the examined life—from Socrates’ unexamined life to modern phenomenology and existential authenticity.
- Desire
- Desire drives action and suffering alike; philosophy asks which desires to educate, restrain, or affirm.
How to cite this quotation
APA: The Book of Changes. (n.d.). Heaven moves with vigor; the gentleman accordingly strengthens himself without cease. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0156
MLA: The Book of Changes. “Heaven moves with vigor; the gentleman accordingly strengthens….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0156.
Chicago: The Book of Changes. “Heaven moves with vigor; the gentleman accordingly strengthens….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0156.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Heaven moves with vigor; the gentleman accordingly strengthens…”?
The passage is attributed to The Book of Changes, Yijing, Qian, Commentary on the Images. The archive attributes this English wording to Yijing, Qian, Commentary on the Images and files it under Confucianism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does The Book of Changes mean by self?
To ask about the self is to ask what persists through experience, what can be known from the first-person point of view, and how character is formed. Some traditions treat the self as a substantial soul; others as a stream of experience, a social role, or a practical center of agency. This passage enters that discussion through self, desire.