"Socrates: Everyone wants to tell you what to do and what's good for you. They don't want you to find your own answers, they want you to believe theirs.
Disciple:   Let me guess...... you want me to believe yours.
Socrates: No, I want you to stop gathering information from the outside and start gathering it from the inside."

The Virtue Of Contentment

The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates (469-399 BC) believed that the best way for people to live was to focus on self-development rather than the pursuit of material wealth. According to him, if a person is truly wise he will not be obsessed with material possessions. Socrates lived by this virtue and lived an extremely simple life – he even refused to wear shoes.
According to historians, Socrates loved to visit the market place, not to buy things but only to stare at the merchandise on display. He enjoyed visiting the market place because he could see many material things that he was perfectly happy without.
Let us ask ourselves, “What am I truly happy without?” The answers to this question will reveal much about us, our relationship with other human beings, our level of contentment, and our overall outlook in life. Great wealth will not give us contentment. For we brought nothing in this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
“We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.”

(source:internet)

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Triple Filter Test

Keep this philosophy in mind the next time you either hear or are about to repeat a rumour.
In ancient Greece, 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 Triple Filter Test. Triple filter, asked the acquaintance."That's right," Socrates continued.
"Before you talk to me about my student let's take a moment to filter what you're going to say. 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."All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really 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 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 the test though, because there is a third filter - 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?"
The man was defeated and ashamed.
What do you think?
(source:internet)
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