Moral Story — Socrates’s Test

In Ancient Greece, Socrates was recognized as the holder of truly valuable knowledge. One day, the great philosopher met with a known person, and the latter said:

-Do you know what I just heard about your friend?

Wait a minute, says Socrates. Before you say something to me, you have to pass a little test. It’s called the three-filter test.

-Three filters?

Exactly! Socrates said. Before you talk about my friend, it would be a good idea to sit a little and filter what you’re going to say. That’s why it’s called the three-filter test. The first Filter is Truth. Are you sure that what you’re going to tell me is real?

-No, said the man. In fact, it’s something I’ve heard …

All right, Socrates said. So you do not know whether it’s true or not. Now let’s get to the next filter, the Goodness Filter. Is there anything good about what you’re going to tell me about my friend?

-No, on the contrary.

So, continues Socrates, you want to tell me something bad about him, but you’re not sure it’s true. However, you can pass the test because there is a filter left: the Utility Filter. What will you tell me about my friend will useful for me?

-No, not necessarily.

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Moral of the Story
In conclusion, Socrates asks his interlocutor:»Then if what you want to say is neither true nor good, not even useful, why should you tell me?»