The Power Of Words

There once was a man who had a great reputation for wisdom. One day, someone came to find him and said,

– Do you know what I just heard about your friend?

– A moment, replied the man. Before you tell me, I would like to test you with three questions.

-Three questions?

– Yes, the man replied. Before telling anything about the others, it’s good to take the time to filter what you mean. I call it the test of the three great questions. The first question is TRUTH. Have you checked if what you’re going to tell me is true?

– No, I just heard it.

– Very good! So, you don’t know if it’s true. We continue with the second question, that of KINDNESS. What you want to tell me about my friend, is it good?

– Oh, no! On the contrary.

– So, questioned the man, you want to tell me bad things about him and you’re not even sure they’re true? Maybe you can still pass the test of the third question, that of UTILITY. Is it useful that I know what you’re going to tell me about this friend?

– No. Not really.

– So, concluded the man, what you were going to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor useful. Why, then, did you want to tell me this?

–

I found this to be a powerful story, which aligns with our Seven Sacred Grandfather Teachings of Love, Respect, Bravery, Truth, Honesty, Humility, and Wisdom. All of which are ubiquitous to the human experience.

The wise man in this powerful story was Socrates.

John Gonzalez
Standing Bear Network