loquitur

Keep this philosophy in mind the next time you hear, or are out 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.

KellyC

I think the 3rd test ought to be a pass.

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Him: Ok, I have to ask, what do you believe?
Me: Shit happens.

Ilow

I'd file wife banging under "useful" but maybe that's just me...

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"Religion is the one area of our discourse in which it is considered noble to pretend to be certain about things no human being could possibly be certain about"
--Sam Harris

Plan9

*rimshot*

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Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

uncle phil

logic...

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"We were wrong, terribly wrong. (We) should not have tried to fight a guerrilla war with conventional military tactics against a foe willing to absorb enormous casualties...in a country lacking the fundamental political stability necessary to conduct effective military and pacification operations. It could not be done and it was not done."
- Robert S. McNamara
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"We will take our napalm and flame throwers out of the land that scarcely knows the use of matches...
We will leave you your small joys and smaller troubles."
- Eugene McCarthy in "Vietnam Message"
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never wrestle with a pig.
you both get dirty;
the pig likes it.

Jetée

I understand why it is not useful to know this (as Plato, in the story), but logic contradicts this quandry for some

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As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world (that is the myth of the Atomic Age) as in being able to remake ourselves.

—Mohandas K. Gandhi