Search Results: say what you have to say

One day, a man came to a philosopher and said:

— "Listen, Philosopher, I must tell you how your friend behaved."
— "I’ll stop you right there. Have you considered filtering what you’re about to tell me? Let’s see, the first filter is truth. Have you verified that what you’re about to say is true?"

— "No, I heard it from someone else and..."
— "Ah, is what you want to tell me at least something good?"

— "No, unfortunately, it’s not something good, quite the opposite..."
— "Hmm. Is it useful for you to tell me what you’re eager to share?"

— "Useful? Not exactly..."
— "Then let’s not speak of it anymore. If what you have to say is neither true, nor good, nor useful, I’d rather not hear it."