A Dialectical Analysis of the Tripartite Qualities of 'Dao' in the Guanzi: Intricacy, Expansion, and Solidity

III. "Arrogance and pride give rise to resentment; melancholy and depression give rise to illness; illness and distress lead to death." (暴傲生怨，忧郁生疾，疾困乃死) — The Theory of Emotionally Induced Illness

These two phrases describe a causal chain from emotion to illness to death: melancholy → illness → distress → death.

This is one of the most insightful summaries of the mind-body relationship in pre-Qin thought. Emotion (melancholy) leads to physical illness—this is not superstition but a conclusion based on clinical experience.

The Zuo Zhuan, first year of Duke Zhao, records Physician He's discussion of illness: "Excess leads to six illnesses. The six Qi are Yin, Yang, wind, rain, darkness, and light. They are divided into four seasons, ordered into five periods, and excess leads to disaster. Excess Yin leads to cold illness; excess Yang leads to heat illness; excess wind leads to limb illness; excess rain leads to abdominal illness; excess darkness leads to confusion illness; excess light leads to heart illness." Excess in the six Qi leads to six illnesses. Among these, "excess darkness leads to confusion illness" and "excess light leads to heart illness" already involve psychological factors causing illness.

Neiye goes further, directly linking emotion (melancholy) with illness—this is a very advanced insight.

Even more noteworthy is the progression of the causal chain: carelessness and arrogance → sorrow → illness → distress → death. Starting from a minor deviation in attitude, it escalates step by step, ultimately leading to death. This is not a sudden disaster but a gradual process—at each step, there is an opportunity for reversal, but if not noted, it leads to an irretrievable abyss.