Socrates on Gossip

(I didn't write this, someone just sent it to me)

Keep this philosophy in mind the next time you 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 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 correct," 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 replied, "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 because
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 and said no more.

This is the reason Socrates was a great philosopher and
held in such high esteem.

It also explains why Socrates never found out that Plato
was banging his wife.