When the Master was informed of it, he said, "Twice may do."
So what Confucius really taught was to think twice, and twice only, then get to action promptly.
Not many more times. Not even thrice. Everyone knows how important it can be in making the right decisions in life.
It outweighs hardworking.
It can even outweigh luck.
We often make poor decisions either by rushing to a conclusion or by overthinking it.
In China, people used to say “三思而後行” (Better to think many times before you take action.) They attribute this idiom to our ancient Philosopher Confucius, originated from one of the Chinese Classics, Confucian Analects.
I guess Chinese people, at least most of us, have been taking this idiom as the principle of best decision making for centuries, which perhaps renders some of us to appear less decisive than some other ethnic groups.
It turns out that we have read it all wrong all along!
In the original Confucian Analects, Book V, Chapter 19, where this idiom came from, it reads,
季文子三思而後行。子聞之，曰：“再，斯可矣。”
A 19th century Scottish sinologist, James Legge, translated it to the following,
Chî Wan thought thrice, and then acted. Twice.
Of course, not only once either.
You think twice then act.