In Ancient Greece, Socrates had a great reputation for wisdom. One day, someone came to find the great philosopher and said to him:
“Do you know what I just heard about your friend?”
“A moment,” replied Socrates. “Before you tell me, I would like to test it with the three sieves.”
“Yes,” continued Socrates. “Before you speak about others, it’s important to take the time to filter what you mean. I call it the test of the three sieves. The first sieve is TRUTH. Have you checked if what you’re going to tell me is true?”
“Very well! So, you don’t know if it’s true. Let’s move on to the second sieve, that of KINDNESS. Is what you want to tell me about my friend something good?”
“Oh, no! On the contrary.”
“So,” questioned Socrates, “you want to tell me something negative about him, and you’re not even sure it’s true? Perhaps you can still pass the test of the third sieve, that of UTILITY. Is it useful for me to know what you’re going to tell me about this friend?”
“Therefore,” concluded Socrates, “what you were going to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor useful. Why, then, did you want to tell me this?”
“Gossip is a bad thing. Initially, it may seem enjoyable and fun, but ultimately, it fills our hearts with bitterness and poisons us.” – Pope Francis.
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According to a story in Plato’s dialogues, Socrates was renowned for his wisdom. One famous anecdote involves Socrates talking about the three sieves. He mentions these sieves when someone approached him with gossip or rumors about someone else. Socrates asked if the information had passed through the three sieves: the sieve of truth, the sieve of goodness, and the sieve of usefulness.
The sieve of truth asks whether the information is true or not. The sieve of goodness asks whether the information is good or virtuous. And the sieve of usefulness asks whether the information is useful or beneficial. If what was being said didn’t pass through these three sieves, Socrates would not entertain it.
This story illustrates Socrates’ approach to wisdom and knowledge, emphasizing the importance of truth, goodness, and usefulness in the information we receive and share
