Socrates and his Three Rules...!

One day, one of the aborigines came running to (the Great Greek Philosopher) Socrates and said,

"Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of your students ?

SOCRATES—Wait a minute, before you tell me, I’d like to conduct a little test.

It is called the TRIPLE FILTER TEST.

MAN—Triple Filter Test ?

SOCRATES—Yes. Before you talk to me about my student, let us take a moment to filter what you are going to say.

MAN—That is right.

SOCRATES—The first filter is TRUTH. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true ?

MAN. – No. (Drawling) Acutally I heard it about and……

SOCRATES—Alright, so you don’t really know if it is true or not.

Now let us try the Second Filter, of GOODNESS. Are you about to tell me something good about my student?

MAN—No. On the contrary…..

SOCRATES—So, you want to tell me something bad about him, even through you are not certain if it is

true ?

(The aborigine shrugged, a little embarrassed.)

SOCRATES—(continues) You may still pass the test though, because there is a Third Filter—of USEFULNESS. Is what you want to tell me about my student going to be useful to me?

MAN—No, not really- - -,,,

SOCRATES—Well, ( concluding ) –If what you want to tell me is neither TRUE nor GOOD nor USEFUL , why tell me at all ?

Thus Socrates taught the man that one should not talk ill of others and should not spread rumors.