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Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Interesting Quotation
“Small minds discuss people. Average minds discuss events. Great minds discuss ideas.” - Unknown
I think it's more than just small-average-great. There is also a maturity process there as well. I find that this is the progress of my own conversations, as I grew. Part of that is just growing up, but more so, a conscious decision to shift from one model to another. It will always be easiest and seem most interesting to talk about people. When you affirmatively decide not to, you will struggle at first, and the transition stage of talking about events is an awkward one, as you try to avoid talking about people. Eventually, I think, you evolve into talking about ideas which turns out to be the most interesting and satisfying (anyone who has been at a Shabbos lunch in my home that ended at a quarter to five, may quibble).
So I guess I'm saying it's more about values & decisions than the "size" of your mind. I know plenty of brilliant people who are terrible gossips (should I tell you who), as well as simple people who spend their lives grappling with big questions.
2 comments:
I think it's more than just small-average-great. There is also a maturity process there as well. I find that this is the progress of my own conversations, as I grew. Part of that is just growing up, but more so, a conscious decision to shift from one model to another. It will always be easiest and seem most interesting to talk about people. When you affirmatively decide not to, you will struggle at first, and the transition stage of talking about events is an awkward one, as you try to avoid talking about people. Eventually, I think, you evolve into talking about ideas which turns out to be the most interesting and satisfying (anyone who has been at a Shabbos lunch in my home that ended at a quarter to five, may quibble).
So I guess I'm saying it's more about values & decisions than the "size" of your mind. I know plenty of brilliant people who are terrible gossips (should I tell you who), as well as simple people who spend their lives grappling with big questions.
Hello,
If you want to give credit, I recently read this quote is from Eleanor Roosevelt.
Kol Tuv and Yasher Koach on the number of people reading the blog,
Talia Friedman (2010)
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