Skip to main content

Triple Filter Test

In ancient Greece, Socrates was known to have great knowledge and was very honorable. One day, a woman met him and said, "Do you know what I just heard about your best friend?"
"Wait a moment," Socrates answered; "Before you tell me anything, I will give you a simple test called the Triple Filter Test."

The first filter is TRUTHFULNESS:
"Are you sure that what you are going to tell me is true?".
"No, actually, I JUST HEARD ISSUES about it," the woman replied.
"Good," said Socrates. "So you're not sure it's true? Ok, now I'll give you the second filter."

The second filter is GOODNESS:
"Is what you are going to say about my friend something good?"
"No, quite the opposite..." answered the woman.
So, Socrates continues, "you will tell something bad about him, but you are not sure whether it is true. Well, you still have one more chance; there is still one more filter, namely the third filter."

The third filter is USEFULNESS:
"Is what you are going to tell me about my friend useful to me?"
"No, absolutely not," said the woman.

So, Socrates concluded: "If you want to tell me something that is NOT NECESSARILY TRUE, NOT ABOUT GOODNESS, and even USELESS, why should you tell it to me?"

Let's use the "Triple Filter Test" every time you hear something about your best friend or someone else. If that is not about truth, kindness, or positive usefulness, then you don't need to accept it. And if you accidentally or have already heard it, then don't share it with other people, and don't hurt other people's feelings.

Pssst... I read this snippet a long time ago in a WhatsApp group. I don't know who the author of this philosophical conversation is or whether it actually happened to Socrates. I just think it would be a good idea to share it on this blog. Are you also tempted to find out about someone's bad things?

The philosophy to filtering out the bad stuff.

Photo by Michael Burrows from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/unrecognizable-person-brewing-aromatic-pour-over-coffee-in-garden-7125644/

Comments

  1. Anonymous14/1/24

    This makes a huge load of sense . . .

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous14/1/24

    Its good learning to have an effective communication👍

    ReplyDelete
  3. great steps to filter anything news come to us.....
    thank you for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great post.
    By the way, the conversation uses woman as object as if woman like to makes gossip.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hmmm... it's just the translation from the source. You can replace it to Mr. X

      Delete
  5. Baik juga ya 3 test filter ini diterapkan, Mas.
    Sering ketika mendengar kabar, langsung saja menelannya. Menerima apa yang disampaikan dengan terbuka.

    Salam,

    ReplyDelete
  6. I remember years ago taking a pretty basic logic course and learing how an argument can be "valid" but not "true." Whether any statement is "useful" would be open to debate, I would think.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Indeed, being logically valid is not necessarily the truth. Likewise, an issue that is useful for one person may not be useful for others. It depends on the context and circumstances.
      Usually, the issue about someone's bad things may be useful in the context of politics, like in the presidential election debate.

      Delete
    2. Nicely put. Perhaps sometimes we have to speak out, while other times it's not helpful.

      Delete
  7. Menyampaikan informasi yang belum tentu kebenarannya, sudah merupakan penyakit menahun bagi segolongan orang. Celakanya, pendengarnya juga siap untuk mendengar. Makin didengar makin, hangat ceritanya. He he

    ReplyDelete
  8. what a great post. It really opens up my mind.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Satu Syawal menjelang tiba,
    Saudara Palestin jangan dilupa,
    Sekiranya ada silap dan dosa,
    Ampun dipinta di hari mulia.

    ReplyDelete
  10. apalagi sekarang eranya video short atau reel
    banyak masyarakat yang terkecoh, antara sekedar konten dan peristiwa sesungguhnya

    ReplyDelete
  11. triple test is absolutely amazing. but sometimes we forget to do that, we are often follow the flow.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thank you, this is very important in daily life. Sometimes we get too excited to share things that we forget they may not be beneficial at all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sometimes I get too excited too, ha... ha...

      Delete

Post a Comment

NOTE: comment moderation is activated due to a lot of spam comments. Comments containing racial hatred, personal attacks, or advertising are strictly prohibited.

POPULAR POSTS LAST 7 DAYS:

Musing Of The Pornography Law

On Thursday, October 30th 2008, People's Representative Council of The Republic of Indonesia (Indonesian: Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Republik Indonesia / DPR RI) has been legalize the draft of anti-pornography law. The definition of pornography in that law are (original text in Indonesian): BAB I, Pasal 1 (1): Pornografi adalah materi seksualitas yang dibuat oleh manusia dalam bentuk gambar, sketsa, ilustrasi, foto, tulisan, suara, bunyi, gambar bergerak, animasi, kartun, syair, percakapan, gerak tubuh, atau bentuk pesan komunikasi lain melalui berbagai bentuk media komunikasi dan/atau pertunjukan di muka umum, yang dapat membangkitkan hasrat seksual dan/atau melanggar nilai-nilai kesusilaan dalam masyarakat. BAB I, Pasal 1 (2): Jasa pornografi adalah segala jenis layanan pornografi yang disediakan oleh orang perseorangan atau korporasi melalui pertunjukan langsung, televisi kabel, televisi teresterial, radio, telepon, internet, dan komunikasi elektronik lainnya serta surat kabar, ma...

Show of force in the game of thrones

Is the world now heading to a good direction? This is a big question that we need to realize together. I am not an analyst who is an expert in the political, economic or military fields, nor a great speaker. So in this post I only present what I hear from the frenzy and uproar that occurs in our world. Of course from the viewpoint of a layman. If you scrutinize the news then the following is its frenzy : 1) USA vs China trade war. The United States is one of the countries that once supported the free market, but is now very protective for the main reason because of the trade deficit. Naturally all countries tend to take protective measures if their economic growth is threatened. Usually this is normal for small and developing countries. I'm just shocked this is done by a country that has the number 1 economic power in the world. This is a kind of anxiety that China will compete with the US economy in the future. The first point demanded by the United States from China is the protec...

Blog Action Day 2008 - Spirit To Fight Poverty

The problem of poverty has become global issue and often was used as main material in various debates and discussions. Thousands of programs have been created to oppose poverty, from the levels of individual, government and internationally. Will poverty end? Today, October 15, 2008, millions blogger around the world, including this blog, creates post about poverty and hope will rise an awareness towards that issue. There are many definitions about poverty, but I gazed at poverty from three points of view : 1) Absolute Poverty. If someone unable to fill up the main needs for food, clothes, residence, health, education. 2) Relative Poverty. Someone that has been at position above from absolute poverty but below the capability of the community around. 3) Cultural Poverty. This tightly related to the attitude of someone or community who did not want to try (lazy) to improve the standard of living although having efforts from others that wanted to help. Below is my view to fight poverty ...