> 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.