Talk

Triple Filter Test

In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold
knowledge in high esteem.

One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, "Do you
know what I just heard about your friend?"
Hold on a minute," Socrates replied. "Before telling
me anything, 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
friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what
you're going to say. That's why I call it the triple filter test.
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
friend something good?"
No, on the contrary..."
So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me
something bad about him, but you're not certain it's
true. You may still pass the test though, because
there's one filter left: the filter of USEFULNESS. Is
what you want to tell me about my friend 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?"

This is why Socrates was a great philosopher & held in such high
esteem. Use this triple filter each time you hear loose talk about any
one you know.

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