In ancient Greece, Socrates became famous for his wisdom and the great respect he displayed for all. One day, a philosopher came to meet him, a man he knew, who said to him:
- Do you know what they told me about your friend?
"Wait a minute," Socrates answered. Before you tell me anything, I want you to go through a little examination. I call it the triple filter exam.
- Triple filter?
"That's right," Socrates continued. Before you tell me about my friend, it might be a good idea to filter out three times what you're going to tell me. That's why I call it the triple filter exam.
The first filter is the truth. Are you pretty sure what you are telling me is true?
"No," said the man. Really just heard about it and ...
- Good! said Socrates. So in reality, you don't know if it's true or false.
Now let me apply the second filter, the kindness filter. What are you going to tell me about my friend, is that a good thing?
- No. On the contrary ...
"So you want to tell me something bad and you're not sure it's true." But I can still hear you, because a filter is missing, that of utility. Will it help me anything to know what you're going to tell me about my friend?
- No. Not really ...
"Well," Socrates concluded. If what you mean to me may not even be true, not good, and not useful to me, what did you want to know?
Use this triple filter every time you hear comments about any of your friends, especially the closest and dearest ...
