Such a great story belongs up there with the one about Thumper being told that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Or, the one where Chicken Little says the sky is falling in. Or, "The Emperor's New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen.
You know, stories with morals.
This story is so great, it ought to be required reading. Well, maybe let's not go that far, but if people were to take the advice offered in this story, the world would be tenfold better. Don't know who wrote it, but it is wonderful.
And now, our feature attraction:
Socrates, one of the greatest Greek philosophers, who lived from 469 – 399 BC, shunned gossip. It is said that one day he came upon an acquaintance who ran up to him excitedly and said, “Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of your students?”
“Wait a moment,” Socrates replied: “Before you tell me I’d like you to pass a little test. It’s called the Triple Filter Test.”
“Triple filter?” his friend asked.
“That’s right,” Socrates continued. “Before you talk to me about my student let’s take a moment to 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 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 student something good?”
“No, on the contrary… “
“So,” Socrates continued, “you want to tell me something bad about him, even though you’re not certain it’s true?” The man shrugged, a little embarrassed. Socrates continued. “You may still pass the test though, because there is a third filter – the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my student going to be useful to me?”
“No, not really,” the man admitted.
“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?”
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