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In ancient Greece, Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom.

One day the great philosopher 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 Test?"

"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 shagging his wife.


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[Contributed by Peter]

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; 
teach him to use the Net and he won't bother you for weeks!