Socrates' Triple Filter Test
Next time, If someone starts to spread gossip, please think of this:
In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his
wisdom. One day the great philosopher came upon an acquaintance who ran
up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates, do you know what I just heard
about one of your students?"
Wait a moment," Socrates replied. "Before you tell me I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test."
"Triple
filter?" "That's right," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me
about my student let's take a moment to filter what you're going to say.
The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you
are about to tell me is true?"..."No," the man said, "actually I just
heard about it and..."
"All right," said Socrates. "So you don't
really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the
second filter, the
filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my student
something good?"
"No, on the contrary..."..."So," Socrates
continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him, even though
you're not certain it's true?"
The man shrugged, a little
embarrassed. Socrates continued. "You may still pass the test though,
because there is a
third filter - the filter of Usefulness. Is what you
want to tell me about my student going to be useful to me?"
"No,
not really..."..."Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell
me is neither true nor good nor even Useful, why tell it to me at all?"
The man was defeated and ashamed. This is the reason Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem.