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(Confucius, Chinese Philosopher, 551-478 BC)

Confucius was doing his "office hours." A disciple came in to ask a question.

"Sir, when I come up with a good idea, should I act upon it right away?"

"Of course not!" answered the master, looking rather dismayed. "You have parents, you have family -- you should discuss your ideas with them first."

"Thank you, sir." And the student withdrew.

Another young man came in to ask a question.

"Sir, when I come up with a good idea, should I act upon it right away?"

"By all means, yes!" enthused the master. "If no action is taken, what's the good of an idea?"

"Thank you, sir." And the student withdrew.

"I know, I know," said Confucius, turning to another disciple who had sat there with him through the two interviews and who now was about to raise his own question.

"I contradicted myself in my replies, but for a good reason," continued Confucius. "I know both of these two students well. The first is passionate, confident, even reckless, so I want to slow him down. The second is doubtful, hesitant, even timid, so I want to speed him up. Two conflicting answers to the same question are not necessarily wrong: it is not just what we teach but also whom we're teaching."