The Three Filters Of Socrates

The three filters of Socrates refer to an anecdote of the great Greek philosopher that has survived to this day. This story is considered a great life lesson, which applies particularly to those situations in which gossip and rumor prevail.

It tells the story of the three filters of Socrates that on one occasion one of his disciples arrived in a great state of agitation. He told the philosopher that he had met one of his friends and that he had spoken to him about Socrates with great malevolence.

Hearing this, Socrates asked him to calm down. After thinking about it for a moment, he asked her to wait a minute. Before hearing what he had to tell you, the message had to go through three necessary filters. If he did not overcome them, the message was not worthy of being heard.

The three filters of Socrates

As was his custom, the Greek sage asked his eager disciple a question. This question was: “ Are you absolutely sure that what you are going to tell me is true ? The disciple thought for a moment. In fact, he could not be sure if what he had heard could be classified as malevolence. It was all a matter of perspective. ” So you don’t know if everything is true or not, ” said the philosopher. The disciple had to admit that he did not.

Then the great Greek teacher asked a second question: “ Is what you are going to tell me good or not? The disciple replied that, of course, it was not good. Quite the opposite. What he had to tell her were words that, in his judgment, would cause him discomfort and distress. Then Socrates pointed out: ” You are going to tell me something bad, but you are not entirely sure that it is true .” The disciple admitted that it was so.

Finally, Socrates had to raise a third question, and he did. He said: “ Is what you have to tell me about my friend going to do me any good ? ”The disciple hesitated. He didn’t really know if that information would be of use to him or not. Perhaps it would only distance him from that friend, but considering that it was not known whether it was true or not, perhaps knowing it was not helpful.

Truth, goodness and usefulness

The anecdote of the three filters of Socrates tells that in the end the philosopher refused to listen to what his disciple wanted to tell him. “ If what you want to tell me is not true, not good and even not useful, why would I want to know ? he said in conclusion.

Truth, goodness, and usefulness are Socrates’ three filters. In the philosopher’s opinion, these are the questions that every person should ask before saying something. The first: Am I sure that what I am going to say is true? The second: Is what I’m going to say good? And the third: Is it necessary to say it?

This triple filter is an excellent guide, both for what we are going to say, and for what we are going to listen to. It represents a set of parameters around what is healthy and constructive communication. That is why this story continues despite the passing of the centuries.

How to apply the three filters of Socrates

In everyday life it is not easy to define what is true, what is good and what is necessary. They are abstract concepts that are sometimes difficult to apply. That is why there are also some additional questions that help to apply the three filters of Socrates.

These questions are :

• Faced with the true: Do I know? I can try it? Would you be able to hold it before anyone? Would I be willing to risk my reputation for this?

• Facing the good: Does it benefit or make the other person or myself feel better? Will it arouse positive emotions? Will the situation for the people involved improve?
• In front of what is necessary or useful: By knowing that message, will that person’s life or my life improve? Will that person be able to take any practical action with that information or message? How does not knowing it hurt or affect you?

As we pointed out at the beginning, the three filters of Socrates are particularly geared towards rumors or gossip. Applying them is able to stop those annoying gossip in time. However, all this is also valid for other types of messages: those we receive through the media and social networks. Much of the information that circulates there is also doubtful and insane.