When to use it
Use before repeating a rumor, forwarding a screenshot, making an accusation, or acting on an unfamiliar claim.
How to use it
Write the exact claim in one sentence. Separate what someone actually reported from the interpretation added by a listener. “A person left early” does not establish why that person left.
Find the evidence. Record who directly observed the event, which document supports it, and what remains unknown. If several people repeat one unnamed source, that is still one unverified origin, not several independent confirmations.
Check the source’s relevant knowledge. A trustworthy friend may honestly repeat a mistake. Ask how the source knows this particular thing and whether a primary source can confirm it.
Consider the effect of sharing. Ask whether the intended recipient needs the information, whether sharing has a constructive purpose, and whether identifying details can be left out. Kindness concerns how people are treated; it does not determine factual accuracy.
Choose a response: verify, hold the claim, correct an error, share a carefully qualified fact with an appropriate person, or decline to spread it. Do not use a majority of yes answers as permission to share a claim whose truth is unsupported.
If the claim concerns someone’s safety, tell an appropriate trusted adult what was actually heard or observed. An uncertain safety concern can be reported as uncertain; it should not be circulated as gossip.
A worked example
A practical illustration of the method.
Invented example: A group chat says a student was expelled because she missed class. The record supports only her absence. The student chooses not to repeat the accusation and asks the teacher about the changed group assignment without requesting private disciplinary details. The eventual decision is based on what the group needs to know, not on curiosity.
Use it thoughtfully
Treating pleasantness as evidence of truth.
Counting repeated copies as independent sources.
Using “be kind” to silence a legitimate safety report.
From the book
A set of five simple questions you can ask yourself when you hear information and need to decide what to believe or what to do with it.
The Hero’s Expanding World · Chapter 1: The Whisper That Spread — Hero Tool: The Truth Filter
Excerpt from the author’s current manuscript; page numbers vary by edition. The practical instructions on this page are companion guidance, not additional quoted text.
Book references and related versions
- Chapter 1: The Whisper That Spread — Hero Tool: The Truth Filter
An original practical companion to the book’s approach. Reflection and planning aid; not a validated psychological assessment or a guarantee of an outcome.
Put it into practice
Your next step
Use these prompts for a real situation or a made-up example. Younger readers can work with a trusted adult.
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