One day, an acquaintance of Socrates came to him and said: ‘Socrates, I want to tell you what I heard about one your disciples.’

Socrates said: ‘Before you tell me, I want to conduct the triple test.’

Socrates continued to say: ‘The first test is truth.Have you made sure that what you are going to say is true?

The man said: ‘No, I just heard abut it.’

Socrates said: ‘So you do not know if it is true or not. Now let us try the secondd test, which is of goodness. Are you going to tell me something good?’

The man said: ‘No.’

Socrates then commented: ‘So you want to tell me something bad, without being sure about it.’

The man felt embrassed.

Socrates said: ‘Still there is the thrid test of usefulness. Is what you want to say going to be useful to me?’

The man replied: ‘Not, really.’

Then Socrates questioned: If what you are going to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor useful, then why tell me at all?

So if you want to tell something to someone try this Triple Test of Socrates.