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"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." (This quote has often been attributed to Hyman Rickover, but he apparent
by ScottBurson 12y ago
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people."
(This quote has often been attributed to Hyman Rickover, but he apparently did not claim authorship of it[0].)
[0] http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Hyman_G._Rickover#Misattributed http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Hyman_G._Rickover#Misattributed
- jared314 12y ago> "Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." Interesting quote, but I think it unfairly judges people who are not "like you". Discussing people, like celebrities, is like discussing the weather. It's a lowest common denominator that you fall back to when you have difficulty connecting or communicating with another person. It's better to think of ideas, events, people, and weather as a way to measure the quality of connection and communication you are having with someone. (You can also start a conversation with a "bottom up" strategy by starting with weather, or people, and working your way up.)
- mtbcoder 12y agoI don't find that quote to be really all that clever. No person is immune to discussing any of these things in any given conversation, no matter how great or small the mind. I think the original author of the quote was either misquoted or trying too hard to be pithy.