The Triple Filter Test

Greek philosopher Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom. One day he 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?"

"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 and..."

"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 my student, 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.



Here is a useful lesson that we should apply as often as possible -- especially since human beings have an irrepressible urge to gossip. The Bible itself is full of exhortations about that.

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

"Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth."

"The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly."

Really, what could be more detrimental to a friendship than saying something unfavorable about someone to another person who is not involved? Why not say it straight to the person involved instead? If one doesn't have the guts to directly say what he or she wants to say to the individual in question then what is the purpose of saying it to someone else? Doesn't the Bible say "go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone?" As an experiment, try striking up a conversation with anyone and see how long it takes before something derogatory is said about a common acquaintance. It should be interesting to see if you even get past the fingers of one hand when counting the persons who didn't say anything negative about someone else in one sitting.