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Got this from a friend & had to share it...... 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 correct," 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. Are absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"
"No," the man replied, "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 because 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?"
The man was defeated and ashamed and said no more. This is the reason
Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem. It also
explains why Socrates never found out that Plato was banging his wife.
Tags: Happy
I've been reading the BB. I’m up to chapter 5. It's quite interesting and I'm grateful the Agnostic get's brought into the scope of recovery. As of yet I see no problem with being Agnostic and having a "spiritual awakening"....Thank God, Did I just say that? As far as being powerless, it's indeed baffling that an inanimate substance could so deeply impact the will away from better judgment. We're taught at a young age "quitters never win, & winners never quit". How do you like that cliché!!! I think I'm going to get peeved at the excessive of use of them. Thanks for the help, but try not to scare off a NEWB inadvertently by telling one they're in analysis paralysis. In retrospect I'll try to remember that as I work the steps. A thorough understanding of what one is doing is to me healthy. At any rate, withdrawals are the worst I've experienced. With pot you get crabby, with stimulants you just sleep. The depressants seem to be the most difficult to stop. I just loved it when my body woke from a stupor telling me to hit it again just to pass out once more.In conclusion, ain’t a darn thing wrong in trying to beat it through self determination. Too bad it costs as much as it does for some. So I realize this inanimate substance rendered me powerless. Paul 
Tags: Reflective
I did a member search a while back & screened for Agnostics. I invited them all to be friends but haven't gotten any takers. Perhaps I will eventually. It's making me a bit nervous though...what if all the Agnostics failed? I'm not gonna get hung up over it...just wondered if anyone has some input. Take Care everyone, Farewell till later, Paul 
Tags: Wonderful
Step One We admitted we were powerless over our addiction - that our lives had become unmanageable How It Works The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink. Our so-called willpower becomes practically non-existent. We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago. We are without defense against the first drink.
POWERLESS
1 : devoid of strength or resources 2 : lacking the authority or capacity to act powerless to help> So here's my hang-up..... This is my first day at making an attempt to actually work the steps. I've been aware of the first step for quite some time and have always taken issue with the term "powerless". Now I truly wish to grasp the concept, no, not the concept but the real meaning. OK, so I've been told I don't need to delve so deeply into the matter, just know the path and accept it. Being Agnostic and analytical I insist on fully & comprehensively understanding this first step. I won't sacrifice my health, family, or job because of this hang-up, yet I feel compelled to ask the question. Paul  
Tags: Reflective
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