One day, Confucius was asked by his student Zi Lu, "Should I act immediately whenever I hear of a matter of significance?"
Confucius replied, "No. You have a father and elder brother at home who need you."
Later, another student, Ran Qiu, asked, "May I act immediately when I hear of something worth doing?" Confucius answered, "Yes, you should act when you hear of something worth doing."
A third student, Gong Xihua, noticed the contradictory answers and asked for an explanation. Confucius said, "Ran Qiu is modest and cautious by nature, so I encourage him to be bold and advance. Zi Lu is often impulsive and hot-headed, so he should be taught to hesitate and consider before acting."