In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), Socrates (US voters/taxpayers) was widely lauded for his wisdom.
One day the great philosopher came upon an acquaintance (The Swamp), who ran up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of your students (The President)...?"
"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?" asked The Swamp.
"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 acquaintance 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..." the acquaintance stated.
"So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him even
though you're not certain it's true?"
The acquaintance 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 acquaintance was defeated and somewhat ashamed and said little 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 (The Swamp) was banging his wife (The taxpayer's checkbook).
One day the great philosopher came upon an acquaintance (The Swamp), who ran up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of your students (The President)...?"
"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?" asked The Swamp.
"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 acquaintance 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..." the acquaintance stated.
"So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him even
though you're not certain it's true?"
The acquaintance 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 acquaintance was defeated and somewhat ashamed and said little 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 (The Swamp) was banging his wife (The taxpayer's checkbook).
