bored bored bored
>In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his
>wisdom.
>
>One day the great philosopher 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?" asked the acquaintance.
>
>"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."
>
>"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..."
>
>"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?"
>
>The man was defeated and ashamed. This is the reason Socrates was a
>great philosopher and held in such high esteem. It also explains why he
>never found out that Plato was shagging his wife.
>
