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Re: Socrates' Filter

  • To: <harveyT@prodigy.net>
  • Subject: Re: Socrates' Filter
  • From: "Roy Schestowitz" <sch@danielsorogon.com>
  • Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 19:31:26 -0000
  • Organization: Imaging Science and Biomedical Engineering, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
  • References: <MBBBLDMAFHDNCCKADPKMMEDJDOAA.harveyT@prodigy.net>
  • Reply-to: "Roy Schestowitz" <sch@danielsorogon.com>
You sent this to me about a year ago. Did you know this?

=================================================
   Roy Schestowitz
   Research Student
   Imaging Science and Biomedical Engineering
   Stopford Building
   University of Manchester
   Oxford Road
   Manchester M13 9PT
   United Kingdom
   Telephone: +44 (0) 161 275 5570
   Fax: +44 (0) 161 275 5145
   E-mail: sch@danielsorogon.com
   Web: http://www.danielsorogon.com/Webmaster
=================================================
----- Original Message -----
>From: "Harvey Tobkes" <harveyT@prodigy.net>
To: "Roy "Schesty" Schestowitz" <sch@danielsorogon.com>
Sent: Monday, October 27, 2003 2:54 PM
Subject: Socrates' Filter


>
> In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem.
>  One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said,
> "Socrates, 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. 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 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 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. It also explains why he never found out his best
> friend was having an affair with his wife.
>
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