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

The saying ranks conversation by its object: ideas (abstract principles and possibilities) are treated as the highest level of thought, events (what happened) as middling, and people (personalities, gossip, blame) as the lowest. Its appeal lies in offering a simple self-diagnostic for intellectual ambition—nudging readers toward analysis, imagination, and ethical or political reasoning rather than mere reportage or social chatter. At the same time, the hierarchy can be read as a critique of triviality and rumor, implying that fixation on personalities often substitutes for understanding systems and causes. The quote endures because it functions as both aspiration and rebuke, even if real discourse often needs all three levels.