The Socrates test

[Thag]

Just got this in my e-mail, and it doesn't look like it's been posted yet:

Keep this philosophy in mind the next time you either hear or are about to repeat a rumor.

In ancient Greece (469-399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom. One day the great philosopher came upon an acquaintance that 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 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 banging his wife.

[The Aliens]

Truth: Confirmed after the fact. Should have found out at some point if the story was corroborrated by at least one other person.

Goodness: It's not good about the student, but it's certainly a good thing for Socrates to know now, isn't it?

Usefullness: If someone was banging my wife, it'd be rather useful to know who to kill now, wouldn't it.

Oh well, quite funny at any rate- I thought it was some moral thing until the last line. Impressive.

[CDiehl]

Did Aliens just criticize an outright joke? That is up there with Spock in STV, commenting that life is not a dream after hearing Row Row Row Your Boat.