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 Test of Three.`
`Test of Three?`
`That`s right,` Socrates continued. `Before you talk to me about my student let`s take a moment to test what you`re going to say. The first test 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 test, the test 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 though, because there is a third test - 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 banging his wife.
`Wait a moment,` Socrates replied. `Before you tell me I`d like you to pass a little test. It`s called the Test of Three.`
`Test of Three?`
`That`s right,` Socrates continued. `Before you talk to me about my student let`s take a moment to test what you`re going to say. The first test 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 test, the test 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 though, because there is a third test - 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 banging his wife.
