It has happened to all of us at some point in our lives: we have been victims of gossip, either at work, among our friends or in the family itself. Something so trivial can be very harmful and we can fall into disgrace, because of it and without being able to remedy it, in our workplace, among acquaintances or other social circles. It is essential to combat these negative comments, the product of envy, rivalry or gossipy people who want to hurt us.
We are going to tell you how to use a tool that the Greek philosopher Socrates left us inherited to protect ourselves from being overcome by the temptation of gossip or being attacked by it. This tool calls itself the “triple filter “.
In ancient Greece, Socrates was famous for practicing his knowledge and respect for human dignity. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said to him:
Do you know what I heard about your friend?
- Wait a minute, replied Socrates. Before you tell me anything I want you to pass a little test. Is called the Triple Filter Test.?
- Triple filter? asked the acquaintance.
- Correct, continued Socrates. Before you tell me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. That’s why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is the TRUTH. Are you absolutely sure that what you are going to tell me is true??
- No, said the man, I really only heard about it and…
- Very well, said Socrates. so, you do not really know if is true or not? Now let me apply the second filter, GOODNESS. Is what you are going to tell me about my friend something good?
- No, on the contrary…
- So, Socrates continued, you want to tell me something bad about him, but you’re not sure it’s true. However, you can still pass the test, because one filter remains: The UTILITY filter. Will what you are going to tell me about my friend be useful to me?
- No not really.
- Well, concluded Socrates, if what you want to tell me is not true, nor is it good and even not useful, why tell me?
- Using this triple filter in our daily lives, every time you hear comments about one of your close and dear friends, can help you make fewer mistakes in your life and be fair and consistent with others.
We end with the question “what is gossip?…something that nobody asked you and that you act as a repeater of the antenna signal”. If they did not ask you, it is surely because they would not have much interest in the subject, and if you are not sure of the veracity of what you are going to tell them, because it has not passed the test of the three filters, it is best to leave the subject in the drawer of oblivion.