Sisyphus by Plato
Channel: Craig Campbell
Date: 2017-01-20

Sisyphus missed a discussion from a clever fellow so Socrates brings him up to speed and then has a talk about what it means to counsel someone. To whose benefit does it take place?  When a counseling session takes place it's just talk but nothing has been brought into existence.

https://archive.org/details/worksofplatonewl06platiala/page/99/mode/1up?view=theater

"Sis. Is it then unknown to you what it is to consult?

Soc. It is, Sisyphus, to myself at least, if it be any thing else than for a person, who does not know any thing of those matters respecting which it is requisite to do some act, to speak like a diviner and off-handed, whatever may present itself, and to make a guess according to the same things for himself; like persons playing at odd and even, who, knowing nothing about the even and odd, which they hold in their own hands, nevertheless happen by accident to say what is true about the same things. To consult then is oftentimes a thing of this kind, that a person, although knowing nothing of the matters, about which he is consulting, yet happens by accident to say what is the truth. If then it is a thing of this kind, I know what to consult is ; if however it is not a thing of this kind, I should not know it at all.

Sis. It is not of such a kind as not to know in reality any thing at all, but to know partly something of the matter in hand, and partly not to know at all."

Sisyphus (ΣΙΣΥΦΟΣ) is also known as Upon Taking Counsel and it could be true that it was written by Plato or it might not have been written by him. Listen to the dialogue and decide if it makes a difference.