Those playful Greeks...

[Dan]

Keep this philosophy in mind the next time you either hear, or are about
to repeat a rumor.
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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. It also explains why he never found out that Plato was
banging his wife.