Subject: Triple Filter Test
From: Unicorn (unicorn@indenial.com)
Date: Sun Jul 27 2003 - 11:28:49 EDT
"Triple Filter Test"
In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold
knowledge in the highest esteem.
One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher
and said, "Socrates, 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.
The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely
sure that what you are about to tell me is absolutely
true?
"No," the man said, "I actually 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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