Subject: The Triple Filter Test
From: Unicorn (unicorn@indenial.com)
Date: Sun Jan 12 2003 - 09:41:25 EST
"The 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 and
held in such high esteem.
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