Bilip goýmaly zat

Gadymy Ýunanystanda Sokrat çuň bilimli adam hasaplanypdyr. Günleriň bir güni beýik akyldara bir aşnasy duşup şeý diýen: “Meniň seň dostuň barada ýap-ýaňyja eşiden zadymy bilýäňmi?” Sokrat ondan biraz säginmegini sorap, şeý diýen: “Sen hiç zat aýtmakaň men seni kiçijik bir synagdan geçireýin. Muňa Üç gat süzgüçli synag diýilýär.” “Üç gat süzgüçli synag?” “Hawa, hut şeýle” diýip, Sokrat sözüni dowam eden. “Sen maňa dostum hakynda aýtmazyňdan öň aýtmakçy bolýan zadyňy süzgüçden geçirsek gowy bolar öýdýärin. Şu sebäpden men ony Üç gat süzgüçli synag diýip atlandyrýaryn. Birinji süzgüç Hakykat. Sen öz aýtjak bolýan zadyň dogrudygyna mazaly göz ýetirdiňmi?” “Ýok, hakykatda men ony ýaňyja eşitdim we...” diýip, ol adam jogap beren. “Bolýar, onda sen öz aýtjak bolýan zadyň çyndygyny ýa däldigini bileňok” diýip, Sokrat sözüni dowam eden. “Gel indi ikinji süzgüji, Haýyr süzgüjini synaly. Seniň meň dostum hakynda aýtjak bolýan zadyň gowy zatmy?” “Ýok, tersine...” “Onda sen maňa ol hakda bir ýaramaz zat aýtmakçy bolýaň, ýöne sen şol zadyň çyndygyna ýetik däl. Ýöne seň entegem synagdan geçip bilmegiň mümkin, sebäbi ýene bir süzgüç galdy. Ol süzgüjiň ady Peýdalylyk. Dostum hakynda aýtjak bolýan zadyňdan maňa bir peýda bolmagy mümkinmi?” “Ýok, beýle däl.” Sokrat netije çykaran: “Hoş, eger seniň aýtjak bolýan zadyň ne çyn, ne gowy, ne-de peýdaly bolsa, onda ony maňa aýtmagyň nämä geregi bar?”

***

In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day one fellow met the great philosopher and said, "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?" "Hold on a minute," Socrates replied. "Before telling me anything 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 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 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 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 friend something good?" "No, on the contrary..." "So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him, but you’re not certain it’s true. You may still pass the test though, because there’s one filter left: the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend 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?"