Wood CFs are often aware that they can be very forceful people. How they use this force depends on the role they are in. If they are in a leadership role they tend to feel comfortable and often use their power in a positive and benevolent way. For example, a Wood CF who had trained in coaching skills would help people whenever she could. She said, ‘People have come to me and I’ve stepped in and helped them. I can give them a vision then show them how to back it up. I know it’s possible as my strength helps me to facilitate change and so I can impart that ability to others’.

It is often difficult for Wood CFs to be in a situation where they feel constrained. In this case one of the first things they do is check out, ‘what are the rules, structures and boundaries?’ and ‘who holds the power?’ This lets them know who tells them what to do, who can judge them and therefore who affects their welfare. This information is especially important when Wood CFs are in situations where they are not in control. Many find it easier to be the teacher than the student, the employer than the employee. The subtle boundaries defined by the practitioner in the treatment situation may also be challenged.

Sometimes being with strong Wood CFs can be a continual fight, especially if they are excessively forceful people. They may be so assertive and sure of themselves that they lose patience with others, finding it difficult to understand those who are not as assertive, organised or quick to react as they are. They do not ‘suffer fools gladly’.

Adventurousness is a positive aspect of this drive. The progress of the human race over the millennia has been driven by this expansive, innovative and assertive energy. In some Wood CFs it may take the form of having the vision and creativity to initiate change in all manner of stuck situations.

Many Wood CFs naturally assert themselves to generate change and find it hard to stop themselves continually pushing for something new to happen. Working practices, accepted methods of doing particular tasks, observing social niceties, the conventions that most people normally abide by, are all under ‘threat’ from the Wood CF’s drive and assertion. This restless drive is, of course, largely unconscious. Once the person is thwarted, painful feelings may arise that thrust the issue into awareness.

People who have this tendency are, however, destined to struggle with feelings of frustration and exasperation. It is often not possible for a situation to be transformed in the ways they desire. A situation may be at a standstill because it is not yet the time for progress or it may be in conflict with the desires of other people. Some situations, for example, politically or in institutions, are not within the person’s power to change. Everything changes at some stage, but not necessarily when or how a person wants. Unless a person can truly accept this, frustration or feelings of resignation follow. Dissatisfaction with the limitations of life in general, and the person’s life in particular, can become chronic. In this situation the Wood CF may start blaming and complaining. Sometimes this behaviour becomes entrenched and may become a major component of the person’s conversation. Contentment is elusive.

This chronic frustration may reveal itself in the issues patients choose to bring up with their practitioners. They may grumble about world events, their job, boss, partner, children or friends. They express their frustration with less inhibition if they feel that they occupy the moral high ground over an issue or conflict. This allows them to express their frustration with less inhibition than when they doubt whether their anger is justified or appropriate.

In some cases the person suffers the constant pain of bitterness, resentment, depression and hopelessness. With no vision or plan of how to bring about changes in situations their hun becomes clouded and the qi of the Wood Element no longer flows harmoniously.

Everybody has had occasions when they were angry, but took care not to express it. Many Wood CFs continually do this. They may be cautious not to expose their anger, but feel frustrated and angry inside. They may not be aware that they are angry, only that they feel depressed, guilty, upset or tearful. Alternatively they may know that they feel angry but present as charming and pleasant, choosing to deal with a situation of conflict indirectly.

Some Wood CFs who are indirect are unable to ask for what they want and will hint or scheme instead. This does not reveal their true desires. This pattern usually starts in early life. For example, a child feels hungry and goes to the biscuit jar. The mother shouts ‘no’ and the child backs off. The child was being direct but this strategy has not worked. Because the desire is still there, the child decides to steal a biscuit instead. The child has learnt to become indirect in order to get what she or he wants.

Being indirect can take many forms. For instance, people may be extremely pleasant on the surface. If they become angry they may feel unable to express it. Consequently they may continue to be nice on the surface but make snide comments and talk behind the other person’s back. Alternatively a person may decide to get their point across through other people. They might suggest that their friends or colleagues confront a person they are angry with but do not feel able to say anything to the person themselves. This can cause problems in a group situation with the Wood CF stirring others up to rebel but appearing to have nothing to do with the situation.

People who have not expressed their anger over a period of time usually become somewhat depressed. The anger has imploded and is stuck inside and consequently the person’s life seems hopeless and without purpose. They may have no awareness of feeling angry. It may seem too hard to change and they repress any strong desires so that they can’t feel frustrated by their lack of satisfaction. In this situation the anger has turned to passivity and they feel depressed, frustrated, uncreative and become resigned to never getting what they want.

Often Wood CFs who are trapped in this kind of depression feel better for physical activity. This is because the stagnant qi temporarily moves when they are active. Some Wood CFs find that if they exercise regularly they can stave off the depression for a period of time. If they stop being active, however, they relapse back into the depression because the underlying cause of the problem, which lies in the stagnation of the Liver and Gall Bladder, has not been dealt with.

Sometimes Wood CFs swing between two extremes – they may push and assert themselves but if they think their efforts are being frustrated or a different idea is put forward they may decide to stubbornly resist it. In this case they may blame others for not letting the changes they wanted to occur happen. The middle way on this issue is best described by Lao Tse. While describing the ‘sensible man’, he says that ‘He has his yes, he has his no’ (translation from Bynner, 1962, Chapter 12).

Another trait of assertive Wood CFs is that they are often the first to act if they see an injustice taking place. Their sense of fairness is very strong and it is fuelled by a strong need to make change happen. Even if they find it difficult to assert themselves in relation to their own needs, it is often easy for them to fight for the rights of others and the chance to make the world a better place. Unconsciously or consciously their values might be those expressed by Henry Ward Beecher, the nineteenth-century preacher: ‘A man that does not know how to be angry does not know how to be good. Now and then a man should be shaken to the core with indignation over things evil’ (from Proverbs from the Plymouth Pulpit, 1887).

Historically, many important reforms have been brought about by Wood CFs who were fighting for justice for humanity. We can speculate that many of the people involved in reform movements such as the civil rights movement, for example, Martin Luther King, the early Trade Union Movement and also in the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa were Wood CFs. Change comes about by challenging authority and many Wood CFs feel compelled to make that challenge. This doesn’t mean that all activists are Wood CFs. People of all CFs have seen the importance of making improvements in people’s lives but Wood CFs are often at the forefront of these philanthropic organisations and movements and are willing to put their time and effort into the ‘battle’ for justice.

Fighting for justice is often acted out by lobbying politicians, by protesting at marches or by giving speeches at rallies and meetings. In the 1960s the protest song emerged with Bob Dylan and others singing songs such as Masters of War, The Times They Are A-Changin’ and Blowin’ in the Wind. Wood CFs have always found innovative and interesting ways to fight against injustice. Currently the internet has made protesting more global and there are many internet sites which reflect people’s anger and righteous indignation in the movement towards justice.

In recent years different issues such as ‘ban the bomb’, women’s rights, animal rights, gender issues or environmental issues have been important. Although the issues have changed, the Wood qi that has been channelled into them is the same.

Not all Wood CFs join groups in order to fight for justice. Many quietly get on with seeking justice for the sick, needy or the oppressed by direct contact. They may visit people in hospitals or prisons, and support those they see as downtrodden, oppressed or suffering from injustice in other ways. Others are busy with other enterprises but are nonetheless moved to jump in whenever they see something unfair. They may stand up to a boss, become active in their trade union, or stand up for a family member if there is a whiff of unjust treatment. Whatever the issue, whenever there is a large-scale fight for justice taking place, a Wood CF is likely to be involved.

Sometimes a Wood CF who is fighting for justice can be mistaken for an Earth CF who has the desire to give support to others. Both may have similar external behaviour but the motivation will be different for each.

At the opposite extreme, some Wood CFs find it almost impossible to stand up for themselves or others. Politically active people often despair and fail to understand why others seem so apathetic about causes that seem to them to be of self-evident importance and rightness. Whereas some Wood CFs have clear opinions and think they are right, others struggle to find any certainties in their life. Even when they think they know their views on an issue, they rapidly start to doubt them when confronted by an opposing opinion. The philosophy ‘Better to live a day as a tiger than a lifetime as a sheep’ expressed by Tippo Sahib, the warrior ruler of Mysore, is definitely not theirs. Their ‘anything for a quiet life’ mentality means that they become a pushover for anybody more determined, self-righteous or assertive.

This attitude inevitably leads to the mentality of the ‘yes man’ or ‘yes woman’, people who shirk conflict for fear of the painful feelings it produces in them. Their reluctance to stand up and be counted may be confused with fear or vulnerability, but in the case of Wood CFs it is predominantly because of their inability or reluctance to strongly assert themselves in the world.

Other Wood CFs can appear apathetic because their hun may be unable to envision a viable strategy to initiate growth. Alternatively their hun may have a vision and a sense of purpose, but they lack the determination or ability to be flexible to bring about change for themselves or others. At the extreme they seem to look for a rut and make themselves at home in it. In the language of the I Ching, they find it easier to be receptive (yin) than creative (yang). Contentment can be less difficult for these Wood CFs but their lives may lack dynamism. Boredom, apathy and a life lacking in richness can be the result.

Physical rigidity can most easily be diagnosed by examining the muscles, tendons and ligaments for tension. Wood CFs may develop stiff necks, tight shoulders, sore lower backs and/or hips and they may also have tight ligaments in their feet. They often find it difficult to relax physically. Sometimes tics or tremors may develop. The effect on the Organs is often more serious but this is less easy to perceive from a surface examination.

The effect of excess rigidity can more easily be recognised at the level of the mind and spirit. It affects a person’s behaviour, attitudes and values. For example, the world of some Wood CFs is very black and white. They can be oblivious to many nuances of colouring in situations. Their internal rigidity means that they are unbending in their opinions about right or wrong or how other people should behave. They may be convinced that they are right. This can make some of their relationships difficult and they tend to ‘take up a position’ about something rather than look for common ground or compromise. Wood CFs can be so convinced about the rightness of their position that it may be a challenge for them to be tolerant of others. Often they are as hard on themselves as they are on others when they feel that they have not lived up to their own expectations of themselves.

They may also have a marked tendency to be excessively rigid in relation to matters of detail, especially in regard to time. Punctuality is often regarded as being of extreme importance. Wood CFs commonly become irritable if others are late for a meeting. The fear of not being on time themselves can also be a significant source of anxiety. They can also be often very precise in remembering dates and times of events. This tendency towards attention to detail can also show in other ways, such as coming to the initial consultation with a detailed list of all their medication and health history. As the Liver is responsible for planning and organising, precision and orderliness becomes a way of keeping the chaos of day-to-day life relatively under control.

If people are excessively rigid their spirits can become limited and impoverished. For example, if their life does not go according to plan, some Wood CFs find it difficult to reconsider and adapt their plans to the reality of the situation. This can also be a problem when Wood CFs grow old. There comes a time when it is appropriate and necessary to come to a gracious acceptance of the limitations of the mind and body. Many Wood CFs stubbornly continue behaving as though they are still young and consequently become depressed, frustrated and rage against their diminished capacity. It is not that they should become old before their time, rather that they have the flexibility to adjust their expectations where necessary. Rigid planning is particularly evident in the elderly but can often be seen in younger people whose need for planning has become excessive.

Rigidity affects many people’s relationships. For example, marriages and long-term relationships can be diminished by the rigidity of one or more of the partners. Inflexibility on the part of parents towards their children can also have a detrimental effect and lead to conflict and estrangement. Asking patients about their relationships with work colleagues or family members often reveals the rigidity of a person’s spirit.

At the opposite end of the spectrum a person may be over-flexible. Physically this can take the form of flaccid musculature, loose tendons and ligaments and hyper-mobile joints.

At the level of the mind and spirit this resonates with the concept of ‘lack of anger’ or unassertive behaviour. In this case people can find themselves unable to stand their ground. When in a group, these Wood CFs may go along with what anybody else suggests rather than stick up for their preference. Very often they don’t even have a preference. In a marriage they may prefer to concede to their spouse or children. They may not have the determination to stand up for themselves if they imagine that there will be a conflict and they may have sensitive antennae for any possible conflict that may arise.

Flexibility of this kind is often initially attractive as the Wood CF usually gives way to the demands of other people. There are drawbacks, however. The over-pliable nature of their behaviour means that they often fail to assert their personality. This means that they often seem bland and as a result relating to them can be curiously unsatisfying.

In time the person may adopt passive aggressive behaviour in an attempt to avoid having to go along with other people’s wishes. On the surface they appear to be flexible and compliant. Inside, however, they may be rigidly digging their heels in so that nothing changes. Passive aggression may cause them to become devious, agreeing to the person’s face but secretly following a different course of action.

If the Wood Element is healthy the Liver can make plans and the Gall Bladder can make decisions. A person can effectively organise and structure their life on a daily basis as well as being able to create a larger overview or ‘life plan’. Daily plans may involve deciding what to eat, what to wear, when to sleep, when to exercise or how to set about many of life’s daily tasks such as shopping, travelling or relaxing. Organising and structuring are activities that are carried out with relative ease by most people and generally go unnoticed.

A larger overview is more concerned about the direction of a person’s life. It will involves issues such as what relationships to have, whether to have children or what career options to pursue.

On-going daily plans should fit in a person’s overall life plan. For example, if a person decides that they want to change career they need to take small steps in order to set this in motion. This may involve finding out more about potential careers, deciding if they are really making the right choice, discovering how to re-train and if necessary going back to college and getting further qualifications. There may be many other steps to take, but the larger life plan of changing career cannot be fulfilled without the smaller plans being put into effect.

Of course, not all plans come to fruition. If the Wood Element is reasonably healthy and a plan does not work out, a person has the flexibility to move on to another option.

For some Wood CFs organisation can be more problematic. Their weakened Liver causes them to have less sense of an underlying pattern or structure in their lives and less ability to make plans. Their Gall Bladder is unable to make sound judgements, make appropriate decisions or give them the determination to initiate change. Wood CFs may compensate by spending time creating structures and over-planning in the hope that this will make up for their lack and cover all eventualities.

Alternatively they feel chaotic and unable to organise themselves. In this case if a plan doesn’t work out they may feel they have no other options and become frustrated and confused. Many Wood CFs alternate between these two states.

If a Wood CF over-plans this may manifest in a number of different ways. For example, Wood CFs who tend to be over-assertive may try to control their environment by managing and structuring whatever and whoever is around them. This means that many Wood CFs become brilliant organisers as they devote time to producing rules, structures and boundaries for others to follow.

Many of this type of Wood CF can be found in administrative and managerial roles and they can become good leaders. A Wood CF who is a good organiser knows that a well-structured organisation appears to run itself. It runs smoothly and efficiently in the same way that Liver qi should flow smoothly without causing any stagnation. When an organisation is badly run it will lurch from crisis to crisis. In this case there is usually a poor internal structure keeping it together. Being in a situation that lacks structure can be very unsettling for many Wood CFs who like to follow ‘the rules’ and have things carried out ‘by the book’. They may become insecure, frustrated and angry in these situations and try to eliminate the chaos.

In a work situation it can be especially onerous if the boss is not running a tight organisation. The Wood CF may then jump in and try to organise the boss – usually creating friction and more frustration. Alternatively they may become resigned and depressed by the boss’s lack of responsiveness. All people have their own different individual requirements for structure and some people need less than others. A lack of structure in others may be hard for some Wood CFs to tolerate. A Wood CF mother whose child is disorganised, a teacher whose pupils will not hand in their work on time or a disorganised work colleague can create much frustration and resentment.

Instead of organising everything so that it runs smoothly some Wood CFs tend to force their will on situations. They then appear to be insensitive to the needs of others within the structure. If this happens the rules and structures seem to become more important than the people concerned. This can cause others in the organisation to rebel against the draconian measures and against the Wood CF who is putting them in their place. Lacking the perception to see how they are behaving to others, they may feel that they are the ‘victim’ and that others are pushing them around. This can be especially upsetting for the Wood CF who knows that the structures have been made for the ‘good’ and effectiveness of those other people.

At the other end of the spectrum many Wood CFs lack a vision for their life and find organising their day-to-day lives difficult. Their lives lack direction and they may just fumble along as best they can. This can be worsened by smoking cannabis, which tends to particularly affect these aspects of the Liver and Gall Bladder. ‘Going with the flow’ sounds like an admirable Daoist way of living but in this case it just masks a person’s inability to organise their life in a nourishing and meaningful way. Their Wood Element may fail to generate sufficient dynamism for them to move forward. Resignation, hopelessness and depression become familiar feelings to them. Many people like this are ‘living lives of quiet desperation’ and restoring their Wood Element to a better state of health is a crucial step to improved well-being.

Some Wood CFs deal with their internal disorganisation by joining a group that organises and provides rules for them. For example, they might join one of the armed forces or civil service or any organisation that provides people with a strong structure and discipline. Alternatively they might gain structure from joining a cult or religious organisation. This might provide strong rules and regulations and has the added bonus of also providing a life purpose. Some people choose life partners who are decisive and organised to compensate for their lack of ability to plan or make decisions.

It is important to remember that it is not the external behaviour which shapes the person’s CF but the underlying reason for it. For example, people from all CFs may choose to join a religious community – but for different reasons. A Metal CF may want to connect to a higher source, an Earth CF to feel a part of the community, a Water CF to feel safe and a Fire CF to connect with other people. They all have the same outward behaviour but their individual motives are different.

Sometimes taking on the outward form of a group may be enough to provide structure and support for the Wood CF. At other times the person’s own lack of internal organisation makes it difficult for them to feel settled in their chosen environment. Although they appreciate the structure they may also feel frustrated by it and waver between loving and hating it.

Many Wood CFs alternate between the two extremes of being organised or disorganised. They may, for example, be extremely well organised at work but at home they turn into ‘slobs’ who do nothing around the house. They rely on their partner to take charge of all plans and decisions involving household tasks, planning holidays and paying bills.

Other Wood CFs may be able to plan and organise to some extent but then not be able to follow their plans through to completion. For example, earlier in this chapter the small steps were described when a person wants to change career. Some Wood CFs might, for example, do all of the research about the chosen career but find it impossible to make the final push and go and retrain. In this case procrastination may become habitual. Others may enjoy planning and thinking about what they might do but never be able to put their ideas into action. This ability to initiate is a key function of the Wood Element.

There are times when it is appropriate for people to rebel. For instance, anyone who has been oppressed for a period of time might need to rebel. ‘Rebel forces’ in a country might overthrow a dictatorial regime to gain liberty from a tyrant. People who have been oppressed at work, in their personal life or in other relationships might stand up for themselves and gain freedom from their oppressor.

Children and teenagers often rebel. This is a necessary stage for the person to go through in order to assert their independence and grow into adulthood. Many Wood CFs, however, don’t grow out of that rebellion and may tend to show defiance towards authority for many years. Earlier in this chapter we described Wood CFs fighting for justice and someone else’s rights in an unfair situation. Wood CFs who are compulsively defiant, however, kick aside any constraint that lies in their path in the desire to assert themselves. They may appear to fight others for the sake of it and because they don’t know of any other way to react.

Wood CFs who are defiant are often in a quandary. On the one hand boundaries give them more of a sense of who they are and a better awareness of their internal structure, something they often lack. On the other hand they can often find it difficult to fit into other people’s structures and kick and push against them whenever possible. This also gives them a better sense of their own boundaries. One Wood CF admitted that she always thought, ‘I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to do’ and so would compulsively do something a little different when out with her friends. ‘I’ll climb a fence or not pay the train fare, unless I’m asked. For me it’s a way of having an adventure and fulfilling a desire to be free.’

The desire to challenge authority is often subtly tested in the practitioner–patient relationship. It is not an equal relationship and sometimes the patient is driven to defy the practitioner or engage in a struggle for power. For some people this dynamic is so powerful that they rarely seek help from authority figures of any kind, so practitioners rarely see such people as patients. In less extreme cases the patient is often compelled to test the boundaries of the situation, for example, over issues of lifestyle advice. In most cases the practitioner can only win the trust and respect of the patient if they can assert themselves and their role sufficiently and yet with enough skilful flexibility to avoid an outright triumph or humiliation on either side. It is somewhat similar to the way school bullies despise weakness in others and respect others that they perceive as strong.

In order to let go of rebelliousness, a Wood CF may need to learn to cultivate the ‘virtue’ of Wood, ren, benevolence or forgiveness. The habit of continually standing up to authority usually arises at an early age when an adult in authority puts too many constraints on the young Wood CF. Forgiveness is an important step towards letting go of the anger and rebelliousness that have fuelled this behaviour. This in turn may allow Wood CFs to become more flexible in their reactions and have more choices than rebelling.

Some Wood CFs are at the other end of the spectrum and are over-compliant. They may be plagued by self-doubt and be uncertain of their own opinions. Because of this it can be difficult for them to make decisions and may leave them open to being influenced and dominated by others. Their passivity may make it hard for them to say ‘no’ for fear of upsetting another person. In order to avoid showing anger they may give in to other people’s demands – thus avoiding confrontation. Chinese Medicine sometimes describes these people as having a ‘deficient Gall Bladder’. In fact the expression ‘to have a small Gall Bladder’ in Chinese means a person who lacks courage, initiative or who is timid.

Often the main difficulty for such people is shouldering responsibility. This directly threatens their sense of self as it involves making decisions and implementing plans for which they are accountable. The idea of somebody criticising them for a mistaken strategy or poor judgement is abhorrent to them. They would often prefer to earn less in a less stimulating position than run that risk.

Wood CFs who are over-obedient may have such a strong sense of the importance of rules, structures and boundaries that they don’t like to venture beyond any structures that are in place around them. They may be people who never broke the rules at school and are almost compulsively law-abiding as adults. To flout the conventions and customs of society or their own particular subculture is anathema. Because they find it difficult to assert themselves they can end up spending most of their time doing what other people want. Sometimes because of the weakness of their ‘decision-maker’ they may not even know what they want. Instead they always follow other people’s will. For instance, they may stay in a job they don’t enjoy, go into the family business rather than a career of their own choice or only take a job that involves little or no responsibility.