The Triple Filter Test

As you may know, in ancient Greece, there was a great philosopher named Socrates who was held in very high esteem by everyone who knew him.  The following is a story of why those people held him in such high esteem.

One day a friend of the great philosopher met him on the street and said, “Do you know what I just heard about your best friend?”

“Hold on a minute,” Socrates replied.  ”Before telling me anything, I’d like you to pass a little test I have created.  I call it the Triple Filter Test.”

“Triple Filter Test!?” his friend responded.

“That’s right,” Socrates continued.  ”Before you tell me anything about my best friend, it would be a good idea for you to take a moment and filter what you are about to say to me.  That’s why I call it the Triple Filter Test.”

The first of the three filters is TRUTH.  Are you absolutely certain that what you are about to tell me about my best friend is true?”

“Why no!” the friend said, “actually I just heard about it and thought you should know.”

“All right.” said Socrates. “So you don’t really know if what you were about to tell me was true or not?!

Now let’s try the second of the three filters, it is known as the filter of GOODNESS.  Are you absolutely certain that what you are about to tell me about my best friend is something good?”

“Why no, on the contrary, it’s quite bad.”

“All right.” said Socrates, “So you want to tell me something bad about my best friend and don’t even know if it’s true?!

“That’s right.” replied the friend.

Socrates replied, “You may still be able to pass this test my friend because there is still one filter left.  It is the filter of USEFULNESS.”

Socrates asked, “Is what you are about to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?”

“No, not really.” responded his friend.

“Well!” concluded Socrates, “If what you want to tell me about my best friend is neither true, nor good, nor even useful, then why would you want to tell me about it in the first place?!”

Words to live by.