Great Minds Discuss Ideas; Average Minds Discuss Events; Small Minds Discuss People.

ok so wat kind of mind do i hve if i discuss all of these things??

I love the idea of discussing people in events.

I discuss all three? So balanced out I guess I have an average mind.

I discuss all three also, I think anyone in this situation has an average-great mind. I like that idea!!

I <3 this quote.

Only thing is when you start to talk about ideas, people start to question if your sane.

this is true

One of my favorites during my time in highschool. I always thought people shouldn't talk so much trash about people, nothing good ever comes out of it-just have your fun making fun of others and then that's when you realize you need to get a life.

The only things which ever really captivate me are ideas. Does that make my mind great? It certainly makes me (I'm being kind to myself here) interesting.

This is a stupid quote because it makes one feel that the speaker believes herself to have a great mind (the right to actually catergorise others) whilst at the same time judging the mental capacity of others and therefore making herself small minded by her own definition.

This is the greatest quote ever. How much truth in it! It is dedicated to people who judge others for sport.

I agree, mostly everyone does all of the above, and “lynx” makes a good point of what the speaker is saying… But who’s to say minds are always in their optimal or minimal state. State of mind can change everything. Therefore I still concur with the quote in all it’s aspects! :)

I love this quote!! It is so true!

this about dinguist people in intelectual quality…..but people may change….

I love this quote!! I use it all the time :D

somewhat true…I guess..

so true...

We obvisiouly do the 3, as humain,  but it's what we do the most which make difference.

For those that think of all things you are all minds each at a time. When you gossip, you are the worst of them, as the quote indicates. Instead of focussing on how your life can improve you are idly focussing on other's lives. To your own detriment, I must add. As you ponder ideas, you have the force to conjure, improve and innovate the future. Simple enough! Good quote, one of my favs.

Oh and Lynx, why are you judging Eleanor Roosevelt merely by a singular 3rd party quote?

Great quote :)

“Quote lynx” – “This is a stupid quote because it makes one feel that the speaker believes herself to have a great mind” – She was talking about her husband :)

awesome quote :)

I believe this to be one of the defining features that determine ones self from the Other. People use these equations to rank themselves amongst other individuals, much like Nurius’ theory of what decides one to be an individual. Methods like this segregate people intellectually. If this idea is taken to heart there is a true risk of Sartre’s interoperation of the Other becoming many peoples reality. This is one more reason that will lead people to believe there is a great divide that runs through us. Even if elements of this statement ring true in our society people who believe themselves better then others will become distant. For I do not believe this is always how people want to converse. Bringing it back round to Lévinas concept that the Other has a huge effect on self, people will say what they think others want to hear and not always talk about what they wish. In my opinion people would enjoy talking of ideas far more but people care far to much of how they’re perceived by others so they take the easy going common cues for conversation.

small minds are probably the people who loves to gossip.. they're the ones who are not happy with their lives, loves to dicuss the lives of others..

i beleive the intent is what dominates your conversations, it is almost  no brainer that we all discuss all of the above at one time or other. what do you discuss most, that would go more toward defining if you so chose.

This quote sounds good, however, upon analysis it is not true. Breaking it down to the most important aspect of the quote, which is what great minds do… the rhetorical question here is: who cares about the rest of the quote? First of all, let’s define what an idea is. For example: if people are discussing ideas of killing children, I would say they are sick minded. So, discussing ideas does not make a great mind. The quote would be better said to mean what everyone who has commented here seems to assume it means if it read like this:’Great minds discuss ideas that contribute to the betterment of humanity.’ So, to sum up, Eleanor Roosevelt’s quote has no context to determine the validity of those twelve words and three punctuation marks.