Hold on a minute,” Socrates replied. “Before telling me anything I’d like you to pass a little test. Its 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. Thats why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?
So, Socrates continued, you want to tell me something bad about him, but you’re not certain its 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, the man said, Actually I just heard about it and …
All right, said Socrates. So you don’t really know if its true or not. Now let us try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?
All right, said Socrates. So you don’t really know if its true or not. Now let us 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 its 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?
