Note: I just realised that it’s been so long since I wrote one of these, I actually had to GO BACK and look at my original post “How to Train a Jia 甲 Wood” to remember, what these posts were actually about. Memo to self: gotta get back in the saddle again. 

Important disclosure: I am a Xin. There is every possibility that this article is completely one sided. However, Xins know themselves best. So there must be more than a modicum of truth in this.

So the thing to understand about the Xin Metal is…you do not train the Xin.

Xins, don’t let people tell them what to do. They tell people what to do. (very important secret they never tell anyone). It’s their BaZi-given right on this planet and they sure as heck are not giving it up easily. After all, the classics say that Xin Metal is the one who can raise up a nation, or destroy it. So a little God-Complex is part of the equation shall we say. The Xin Metal is the ringleader, the puppet master, the orchestra conductor – never in a million years would they conceivably imagine allowing someone to train them. Banish the thought!

You might be wondering why. Let’s think about the incarnations of Xin Metal:

It is very difficult to order a Xin Metal to do anything simply because their automatic reaction is to not do it (because it didn’t come from them) or just pretend they didn’t hear it. When you wear a diamond ring, the ring makes the statement for you – you do not make the statement for it. Diamonds in fact, can be displayed to their finest, without even actually being on the wearer. The Crown Jewels anyone?

Xin thus, is a force unto it’s own.

But what if you do have to train a Xin Metal? What if you have a Xin Metal working under you and you desperately need to make them fall in line?

To make Xin do something it does not want do requires a good understanding of the fundamental qualities of the Xin Metal. To do this, we simply need to keep in mind the diamond ring.

A diamond ring can only be found in two places: in the box, within the safe (or in the case of the Crown Jewels, the Tower of London behind bulletproof glass) or out in public, being seen, and wowing everyone.  Which basically means, your Xin Metal will flee at any sign of danger, or turn out in public and wow everyone.  So if you need to train a Xin Metal, you can consider intimidating them into submission (using the 7K star). However,  bear in mind, the likely outcome of the intimidation will simply be a person who possibly then hides behind others – Xins like safety when threatened so chances are they will just fall into do nothing mode or just stop being effective.  Like the diamond, they simply go into the box and wait for the right time to come out.

Doesn’t potentially sound like an effective strategy.

Xin is very receptive to Bing, which is the Direct Officer Star. Xin + Bing is a Combination and also one that produces Water, which Xin particularly likes. Now, this theoretical mathematical equation sounds incomprehensible – the trick is to understand how it all converts into real life action.

The Direct Officer Star relates to rules and regulations. So in theory, this means that Xin can be trained if what you want them to do is the norm. In other words, if it’s already an entrenched aspect of the company or organisation or the SOP, then the Xin will follow it. Give them a manual and they will follow it. Write down the instructions and they will follow it. Spend time explaining logically and rationally to them what you want – they can follow it.

This strategy should work for most low level Xins.

The problem is, most people try to train someone by just giving instructions, sometimes, instructions that are haphazard or last minute or without explanation. Worse, some attempts to train a Xin represent effectively nothing more than whims.  THESE, the Xin will not follow. The Direct Officer also represents fairness and ethical actions – so if your orders or instructions or training to the Xin involve doing something that OTHER PEOPLE are not doing (i.e.: not the standard, but unique to them), or which seem unethical, the Xin won’t follow it either.

For a high level Xin (high level here means a person who is of some seniority or experience or knowledge in their field or within an organisation), here SOP or tradition or company handbook will not cut it. A high level Xin will not follow orders or instructions or do something that is either thankless, mindless or somehow lacking in any intelligence or logic or intellectual value. (caveat: a low level one may also exhibit this behaviour but due to rank, may have no choice but to go along, albeit, begrudgingly).

Which therefore brings me back to my original contention: you simply can’t train a Xin. They won’t do something if they don’t want to do it.

So therein lies the rub. You need to make them WANT TO DO IT.

Back to Bing-Xin combine and produce Water. What Xin wants to do, is to be seen as the leader, who brings about change. The do-er who makes a difference. The Xin will only do something if it makes them look good – preferably smart, or unique or special in some way. After all, their sole purpose and existence, is to be seen, recognised, and gawked at. And they don’t care if this is because of their brains, looks, superior cunning mind, or fuck you attitude. They just want to stand out.

So when you want to try to make a Xin want to do something, you need to find a way to convince them that doing what you want, has benefits in terms of outcomes for them. And no, they are not interested in money as an outcome.

If it doesn’t make them look good, or represent an artistic expression of them, they ain’t gonna do it. If it isn’t special, or unique, or require extraordinary abilities, they probably won’t do it either. And frankly, if it’s menial – well, you should know the answer to that.

So do yourself a favour and don’t try to train a Xin. You’ll be much better off convincing them to do what you want, because it will make them look good somehow. (i.e.: great for CV! Calling card job! You’ll be the only one who can say you did this!)

Oh, and you might want to think about getting them to train people instead of you doing it yourself. Because you know – that’s probably what they think anyway.