THINK FIRST, ACT LATER

Too many times, great relationships are destroyed as a result of acting on hearsay. Anger and impatience tend to make people jump to conclusions without bothering to sit back and wonder at the motive of the news bearer.

Perhaps if people asked themselves how the unconfirmed report would affect their relationship as a result of any wrong action taken, they would not be in a hurry to react to rumours.

In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem.
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One day one fellow met the great philosopher and said, "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?"

"Hold on a minute," Socrates replied. "Before telling me anything 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 friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you're going to say. That's why I call it the triple filter test.

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 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 friend something good?"

"No, on the contrary..."

"So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him, but you're not certain it's true. You may still pass the test though, because there's one filter left: the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend 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?"

This is why Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem. Please, use this triple filter each time you hear loose talk about any of your near and dear friends. And you too, talebearer, make absolutely sure that your story can pass this test before you tell it. Do not spread rumours, malicious or not. There is too much acrimony in the world already. Spread the message of peace and reconciliation, not war and destruction!