[pyre]

  > small minds discuss people.

Are you really claiming that anyone that talks about people is a 'small mind?' When my daughter gets older (old enough to talk) and I ask her how her day was, does that somehow lower my intelligence and make my expertise suspect?

  > average minds discuss events

If your building is on fire, does it lower your intelligence to talk about it because it's not abstract enough?

[philwelch]

You're being obtuse. The quote is about discussion qua discussion, not caring about your kids or self-preservation. "Words of wisdom" are not usually to be taken absolutely literally.

There's no familial or social need, or any self-preservation need, to gossip about Zed Shaw.

[mahmud]

It's a quote usually attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt. But my invocation of it stands, at least as a guard against petty he-said she-said discussions here on HN.

Or maybe I am wrong, maybe gossip and backstabbing are perfectly on-topic here. Dunno.

[mistermann]

> When my daughter gets older (old enough to talk) and I ask her how her day was, does that somehow lower my intelligence and make my expertise suspect?

Of course not, when your daughter is young it is entirely appropriate to talk about things she and her friends of done, or what her favorite actress or pop star has done. I think the "small minds discuss people" was referring to older people with a potential for more important discussions, and what they do in fact discuss.

Then again, posting on this particular HN post doesn't say a lot about my large-mindedness either, so I'll just shut up now. :)