Joke de Jour - Socrates

[Vankleek Hill Seagull]

In ancient Greece (469-399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom.

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?"

"Wait a moment, "Socrates replied. "Before you tell me I'd like you to pass 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 you are 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 about to tell me about my student something good?"

"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.
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It ALSO explains why he never found out that Plato was banging his wife.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Why would it not have been useful for him to know?

 

[Hoggy]

Why would it not have been useful for him to know?

my thoughts exactly, the joke was set up well, but the punch line was awful!

 

[Easy 10]

Thats what I was wondering.
Surely it would be VERY useful for him to know, as he would then be in a position to rectify matters instantly with a sudden and explosive burst of violence against his dirty missus and Plato.

 

[Barnet Seagull]

I always prefered Popeye anyway

 

[Questions]

Thats what I was wondering.
Surely it would be VERY useful for him to know, as he would then be in a position to rectify matters instantly with a sudden and explosive burst of violence against his dirty missus and Plato.

I agree it would have been useful for him to know but surely not to respond in a violent nature but to have looked at the abeit difficult matter in a philosophical light.

I think he would have accepted the fact that his wife was unhappy in their relationship to have betrayed him with another and so would have sought some comfort that there was nothing he could have done after the event that would ever make matters better. Also he would have known that Plato had a small willie and could have laughed about that.

 

[Grendel]

Also he would have known that Plato had a small willie and could have laughed about that.

What if Plato was rather well endowed, though? Poor Socrates would spend the rest of his days knowing that he was inadequate in the sack.

 

[Questions]

What if Plato was rather well endowed, though? Poor Socrates would spend the rest of his days knowing that he was inadequate in the sack.

But it was common knowledge in the Philosophers Arms at the time that Plato was hung like a baby carrot.

Mind you rumour has it he could lick his own eyebrows.