is it true? is it good? is it useful?

how do great minds differ from the fickle variety?

we should understand better from an anecdote from the life of a great thinker of 4th century b.c.

the philosopher was socrates. the great guru of the great plato!

once, some shallow gossip monger came running to socrates, took him aside, and began telling him of the latest that he had heard about plato!

socrates interrupted him and said, "sir, i will of course listen to you, but not before you answer my three questions."

the gossip monger could not wait a moment longer in narrating the juicy stuff, but had to agree, because he knew that socrates would not yield.

socrates asked him,"sir, please tell me if you are convinced that what you are going to tell me about plato, is true."

the gossip monger was dumb-struck for a moment, and then exclaimed,"n...no. i cannot say that for sure! but..."

socrates stopped his 'but', and went on with his next.

"sir, can you tell me if what you are going to tell me is good for poor plato?" he asked.

the gossip monger took a deep, hopeless breath, and said,"hmmm...no. certainly not good for plato! but..."

socrates firmly brushed aside his 'but' once again and fired his third shot.

"tell me, are you sure that what you are going to tell me is going to be useful to me?"

"n...no. not so either. but..."

"than tell me what will you achieve by telling me about plato, that which is not true,  that which is not good, nor that which is useful to anybody?"

the gossip monger made some farewell noises and hurried away...!

i think great man are great because, they give  a self-test on the three substantial points, truth, goodness and utility, before uttering anything.

lesser mortals seek immediate pleasure in babbling what comes to their mind!