Children are remarkably good at detecting the gap between what adults say and what they do. A parent who announces grand plans—'We'll go to the park every weekend,' 'I'm going to read to you every night'—but fails to follow through teaches the child to distrust promises. Better to quietly begin a new habit and let actions accumulate before speaking of it. Children trust the parent whose deeds precede their words. In a culture of public declarations and social media announcements, Confucius' counsel to act first and speak second is almost revolutionary.