In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom.
> One day an acquaintance ran up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates,
> do you know what I just heard about Diogenes?"
>
> "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?" asked the acquaintance.
>
>
> "That's right," Socrates continued, "Before you talk to me about
> Diogenes 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."
>
>
> "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 Diogenes something good?"
>
>
> "No, on the contrary..."
>
>
> "So," Socrates continued, "You want to tell me something about
> Diogenes that may be bad, 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 Diogenes 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 or anyone at all?"
>
>
> The man was bewildered and ashamed. This is an example of why Socrates
> was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem.
>
>
> It also explains why Socrates never found out that Diogenes was
> banging his wife.
> One day an acquaintance ran up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates,
> do you know what I just heard about Diogenes?"
>
> "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?" asked the acquaintance.
>
>
> "That's right," Socrates continued, "Before you talk to me about
> Diogenes 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."
>
>
> "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 Diogenes something good?"
>
>
> "No, on the contrary..."
>
>
> "So," Socrates continued, "You want to tell me something about
> Diogenes that may be bad, 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 Diogenes 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 or anyone at all?"
>
>
> The man was bewildered and ashamed. This is an example of why Socrates
> was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem.
>
>
> It also explains why Socrates never found out that Diogenes was
> banging his wife.
