Skip to main content

The Triple Filter Test: Truth, Goodness and Usefulness

In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), 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 Test of Three."

"Test of Three?"

"That's right," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my student let's take a moment to test what you're going to say. The first test 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."

"All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second test, the test 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 though, b ecause there is a third test - 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.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Team Work

Ramo Vigrahavan Dharmah

A great verse from Ramayana: आहार निद्रा भय मैथुनं च  सामान्यमेतत् पशुभिर्नराणाम् । धर्मो हि तेषामधिको विशेष:  धर्मेण हीनाः पशुभिः समानाः ॥ AhAra-nidrA-bhaya-maithunam cha samAnam_etat_pashubhir_narANAm | dharmo hi teShAm adhiko visheSho dharmeNa hInAH pashubhiH samAnAH|| Eating, Sleep, Fear and Sex ; these habits are common between human beings and animals. It is the Dharma which is the special quality of the human beings. Without the Dharma, they are similar to the animals.  Rama is The Embodiment Of Dharma.  Maaricha, while speaking to Ravana- (Aranya Kandam 37-13): रामो विग्रहवान् धर्मः साधुः सत्य पराक्रमः | राजा सर्वस्य लोकस्य देवानाम् इव वासवः || ३-३७-१३|| raamo vigrahavaan dharmaH saadhuH satya paraakramaH | raajaa sarvasya lokasya devaanaam iva vaasavaH || 3-37-13 "Rama is the embodiment of righteousness, he is an equable person with truthfulness as his valour, and as with Indra to all gods he is the king of entire world. [3-37-13] Another great phra

Microsoft moving to Live (Online sofware services)

Microsoft plans to launch Internet-based complements to its core products(Windows and Office), that create opportunities for the company to sell online subscriptions and advertising. Windows Live is a set of Internet-based personal services, such as e-mail, blogging and instant messaging. Office Live will come in both ad-based and subscription versions that augment MS' Office suite. The programs won't replace the paid software but instead seem aimed at capturing its online share. Windows Live at Live.com . From BBC The move to online software services is closely linked to the spread of high-speed access to the internet, as online software services are only as good as a user's access to the web. Mr Gates, who is Microsoft's chairman and chief software architect, said the strategic shift would change his company's approach to doing business: "We are trying to put a 'service plus software' mentality into many of the product groups inside Microsoft."