Balancing Corporate & Homesteading Lifestyles
The 3 Filters and Gossip
Everyone has gotten caught up in gossip at some point. It's easy to do. In reverse, many of us have been on the receiving end as well ... and it hurts.
Reading Socrates might not be for everyone but I love the lessons ... just saying ... a lot can be learned.
In Ancient Greece, Socrates had a great reputation of wisdom. One day, someone came to find the great philosopher and said to him:
Socrates, the great Greek philosopher, was once stopped by an acquaintance as he passed through the markets.
“I’ve something important to tell you,” he said. “It’s about your friend.”
“That’s very kind of you,” Socrates said. “But, don’t tell me just yet.
I run all information through the Three Filters Test to ascertain if I want to know it.”
The man looked somewhat puzzled as Socrates continued, “First is the filter of truth. Whatever you want to tell me, have you seen or witnessed it first-hand?”
“Umm…I actually heard it from someone,” the man said, “and, it is from a trusted source.”
“Alright. But that does not pass my first test,” Socrates added, “since you don’t know whether it’s true.”
“Second is the filter of goodness. Is that a good statement you want to make about my friend?”
“Not really. That’s the reason I wanted—”
Socrates interjected, “So, you want to tell me something bad about someone but don’t know if it’s true.”
“The last is the filter of utility.” He continued, “Your statement about my friend, is that gonna be useful to me?”
“Not really as such. I just wanted to share”
“Well, if the information is not necessarily true, it is not good, and, it is of no use,” Socrates concluded, “please, I don’t want to know about it.”
