Keep this philosophy in mind the next time you either hear, or are about to repeat, a rumour.

In ancient Greece(469 - 399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for hiswisdom.
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 called Plato?""Wait a moment," Socrates
replied. "Before you tell me I'd like you topass a little test.

It's called the Triple Filter Test."" Triple filter?" "That's right,"
Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my student 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 youare 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
"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 the test though, because
there is a third filter - 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.

This is the reason Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem.

It also explains why he never found out that Plato was shagging his wife.