• LilB0kChoy@lemm.ee
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    2 days ago

    Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.

      • LilB0kChoy@lemm.ee
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        2 days ago

        No, idea. What group do you think you fall into?

        Wait… oh, I get it. You meant my comment. Haha! Good one! You have such an original wit.

        I had always heard that as a quote of Eleanor Roosevelt’s but there’s actually no record of her saying it if you look into it.

        The history of the quote itself is interesting though. The earliest known version of this idea appears in a 1901 book by Charles Stewart, where he attributes it to historian Henry Thomas Buckle. The sentiment has since been echoed by various figures, including Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, who used it in a 1959 article, prefacing it with “As the unknown sage puts it…”

        The association with Eleanor Roosevelt seems to have emerged in the late 20th century, with no concrete evidence linking her to the quote. It appears that over time, the phrase became misattributed to her, possibly due to her reputation for insightful commentary. However, without a verifiable source, it’s best to consider the attribution to Roosevelt as unsubstantiated.

        It sprung to mind as apropos due to the irony of criticizing “small talk” with talk about other people which the quote alludes to being a different kind of small talk.