In response to last weeks T4D, Kept Free by the Truth, a few of you sent me Socrates “Test of Three” principle, which I had never seen before but love!  THANK YOU!

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 Test of Three.”

“Test of Three?”

“That’s right,” Socrates continued. “Before you talk to me about my student let’s take a moment to test what you’re going to say. The first test 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.”

“All right,” said Socrates. “So you don’t really know if it’s true or not. Now let’s try the second test, the test 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 though, b ecause there is a third test - 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?”

 If you didn’t read last weeks T4D Kept Free by the Truth I have included it below.

Kept Free by the Truth

…. and the truth shall set you free”.  

My wife Rebecca was asked to teach a class on honesty and used a cool quote that I will share later… but the source of her  quote led me to do more reading and to this conclusion.  The truth may indeed set us free… but it more accurately keeps us from being trapped in the first place.  There is power in truth…and the scarcity of it in our lives today makes it an ever more rare and valuable treasure.

If it is not right, do not do it; if it is not true, do not say it.  - Marcus Aurelius

It is a greater compliment to be trusted than to be loved.  - George Macdonald If any man seeks for greatness, let him forget greatness and ask for truth, and he will find both.  - Horace Mann

Truth often suffers more by the heat of its defenders than from the arguments of its opposers.  - William Penn

Tell the truth.  Live the truth.  Live so that you don’t have to remember what you said.  - Richard L. Evans

People cannot change truth, but truth can change people.  - Unknown

Honesty is more than not lying.   It is truth telling, truth speaking, truth living and truth loving. 

~James E. Faust

“Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great minds rise above them.”

Washington Irving 1783-1859, Author

We’ve all heard the expression, ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away.’ Well, I’ve got a good question for you: What if it’s true? Wouldn’t that be easy to do - to eat an apple a day? Here’s the problem: It’s also easy not to do.

Neglect starts out as an infection then becomes a disease.

Cardiovascular problems alone in America create over a thousand funerals a day… and 90% of the problem is neglect.

One of the reasons many people don’t have what they want is neglect.

Dear friend Bill Carlisle shared this with me years ago.  I suspect many of you would have a different view of this list.   If you care to share it, and I hope you will, I invite you to do so where we can all see your important words at www.kirkweisler.com/t4d as a blog response.

The six most important words: I admit that I was wrong.  

The five most important words: You did a great job.  

The four most important words: What do you think?  

The three most important words: Could you please. . .  

The two most important words: Thank you.  

The most important word: We.  

The least important word: I.  

–Author Unknown 

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.  If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”   -Dalai Lama

Let’s practice compassion!  Below are some thoughts to help get us started.  Remember practice makes permanent…. perfect practice makes perfect.  ~Kirk

Who helped me when I needed it most desperately? How did it make me feel?

>– I help others every chance I get

>– I feel better helping someone than I do at any other time

>– I believe what goes around comes around

>– I become more and receive more every time I help someone

…. and the truth shall set you free”.  

My wife Rebecca was asked to teach a class on honest and used a cool quote that I will share later… but the source of her  quote led me to do more reading and to this conclusion.  The truth may indeed set us free… but it more accurately keeps us from being trapped in the first place.  There is power in truth…and the scarcity of it in our lives today makes it an ever more rare and valuable treasure.

If it is not right, do not do it; if it is not true, do not say it.  - Marcus Aurelius

It is a greater compliment to be trusted than to be loved.  - George Macdonald

If any man seeks for greatness, let him forget greatness and ask for truth, and he will find both.  - Horace Mann

Truth often suffers more by the heat of its defenders than from the arguments of its opposers.  - William Penn

Tell the truth.  Live the truth.  Live so that you don’t have to remember what you said.  - Richard L. Evans

People cannot change truth, but truth can change people.  - Unknown

Honesty is more than not lying. 

It is truth telling, truth speaking, truth living and truth loving. 

~James E. Faust

A few years ago my remarkable wife Rebecca, a true life long learner, announced to our family that she was no longer a human being!  After the family had some fun speculating about what she was… one of the children asked her what she meant, and what she was now.  Her response was simple.  She said, “I am a human becoming.”

She then led a family discussion on the differences between the state of just being and that of becoming.

Needless to say after that discussion our entire family had decided to give up the state of being in favor of the state of becoming.  People in a state of growth, development, and learning are certainly more attractive in a myriad of ways than those sad beings who say lame and self limiting things like “What you see is what you get” or “It’s just the way I am”.  The phrase that pays in our home has become…. “The State of Becoming is a very becoming state.

Say it with me now… “I am a Human Becoming” 

Kirk Out

On a flight home from Colorado Springs last night I was blessed to be seated next to a most delightful woman.  She was just returning home from visiting children and grandchildren.  During the course of our conversation I noticed that her language was filled with words like “refreshing”, “nurture”, “encouragement”, and “potential”.  She was a most delightful person.   At one point she said the following…. and I thought ….hey, that’s a good T4D!

“Listening is so close to loving that you can barely tell the difference. “  ~ Lynne Delta Flight 662 from Colorado Springs to Atlanta on Oct 8^th,, 2008

Today I will listen… Kirk

Today’s T4D is an e-mail I recieved from a friend in the UK…it is a wonderfully concise and personal illustration of a very simple and profound(if applied) Principle.  Hope you enjoy it!  ~Kirk

Hi Kirk,

I’ve had this idea for some time but haven’t been able to really put it together.  It’s about the power of the individual to initiate change.  Most of the people I come across have no idea how much power they have to make a difference, the problems always seem too big for them to takle. Anyway, here’s a story and my reflections. Perhaps you’ll find some material you can use for a T4D.    Kindest regards as always, Lynne    

My husband, not usually known for deep meaningful insights, made a comment just recently that’s really given me food for thought. While driving round and round a very busy car park we came across a car parked across two spaces instead of one. My husband stopped for a moment and I thought he was about to start ranting about ‘the trouble with people today…’ but instead he said, “You know, it’s not the big things that cause problems in our society, it’s the little things. Whoever parked that car had no consideration for anyone else and that’s the problem.”   When you break it down like that it places responsiility squarely on our individual shoulders. Instead of hidng behind “They Should…” it becomes “I Can…”   I can make sure I park considerately. I can make sure I put my litter in the bin.  I can make sure I say please and thank-you. In a hundred small ways every day each individual can make a difference.  

The same can apply to an organisation. So often I hear help desk people complaining that their second line has no concept of customer service, don’t see themselves as part of the whole support team, etc. They have all raised this with their manager who of course either hasn’t done anything about it or doesn’t have enough clout to make things change.  But ask them what they can do about it personally and they don’t have a clue.  How about asking someone from second line to join you for coffee? Start by forging a single relationship and inluencing just one person. If communications in your team/department/oganisation are poor don’t wait for ’someone’ to do something about it. Take it on as a personal challenge and change your organisation one person at a time.  

Remember: Every day, every minute, there is a choice, always a choice. Make this moment count! 

Thank you Lynne …. we will!

Last night as I was talking to my Mom she shared this with me…and with you.

If we kicked the person responsible for most of our troubles, we wouldn’t be able to sit down for six months.  

~Gordon Grey