I just loved this little diddy that appeared on Google+ today:
One day the great philosopher, Socrates, 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 minute,” Socrates replied. “Before you tell me, take this little test:“
T- is it true?
H- is it helpful?
I- is it inspiring?
N- is it necessary?
K- is it kind?
This may be the best test ever. How often do we say things out of emotion, spite or just stupidity? And sure enough, we wind up regretting what we say almost before the last word has left our mouth.
Our words ring especially superficial and shallow at a time when storms like Sandy leave people in such desperate shape. Or conflicts in Africa and the Middle East lead to human tragedies. Or we watch our politicians fight like children when the stakes, such as the “Fiscal Cliff,” are so enormous and have such long-term implications for our nation’s future. We are so lucky to be living in this country and at this time in history. Things are always going to be crazy in this world, sometimes too crazy for us to take on a daily basis. Too many people are angry—at government, their employers, friends and family. You name it. It is a huge waste of time and energy. After all, we all want the same thing—happiness. I’m a huge believer in the power of positive thinking. It is time to remember what we have in life rather what we don’t have, or our neighbor does. So, I for one, pledge to remember this attitude and pause before I say anything that doesn’t meet the principles of the T-H-I-N-K test.