“Wait a moment, before you tell me whatever you want to say, let me ask you three questions. First of all, about truth. Do you know for certain that what you want to tell me is true?” asked Socrates.
“No, I just heard it, and came over to tell you this news,” answered the man.
“Very well, so you don’t even know if what you want to tell me is true. Here is the second question for you: whatever you want to tell me about Diogenes....is this something good?”
“No...on the contrary.....”
Socrates continued, “So, you came to tell me something that is not good, and something that is not even true. Let’s get to the third question then. Do you think that whatever you want to share me with me about Diogenes is of any use to me?”
“I don’t think so!” responded the man.
“So, if you came to tell me something about another person which is not true, not good and of no use to me, why do you want to say it at all?” concluded Socrates. The man of course remained dumbfounded, and he kept the information to himself, and learned a big lesson that day, which we should all keep grafted in our hearts and minds. And that is why Socrates was regarded as one of the wisest men to ever live on earth.
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