In addition to other things, I had a slice of pepperoni pizza for lunch today, my first in months. It came to my attention via a picture that was sent to me and subsequent texts, that a number of people whom I know very loosely had also had pepperoni pizza for lunch. In response, I was initially tempted to say that “great minds think alike”, but then it seemed as pointless to me as calling a person and leaving them a voicemail that simply says “Hey, this is me. Call me back when you have a chance.”; especially since I would rather receive a text. That is another blog for another time. Lo and behold, a text that I received in response to my own pepperoni revelation contained the “great minds” phrase (this is in and of itself was perhaps a pandora’s box of proof – from pepperoni to recap). In fact, it is such an accessible phrase, that that is literally all the text said: “Great minds.” But what about them?

 

Great minds tend to parse information, creating mash-ups of perspectives granular, even in the present, which are also partnered with other pieces of information gathered over time and forecasted. This information gathering is not only specific, focused, and granular; it is also broad and deep; far AND wide. It is massive in scale. Given that “mass”, given the almost infinite expanse of several such minds, great minds; what is the probability that they are thinking alike? Surely lots of great minds are occasionally fueled by pepperoni pizza; but so are many weak minds, perhaps more often. Naturally, this all extends beyond pizza. What does this phrase really mean? What could it mean, especially when followed by “..fools seldom differ”?

 

I looked it up, and it is attributed to no one in particular. Half-fullists might say that it is attributed to the particularly prolific and omni-present scholar and philosopher, “Anonymous”. In any event, how great was the mind that stumbled upon this phrase? Was it a mind that wrung itself dry in the creation, or was it dripping with excess? How many clever people want to be lumped with others? This phrase strikes me as more aspirational than collegial. Perhaps I will never say it again, lest I be judged too harshly. Perhaps I will simply enjoy the mental stimulation, then promptly forget all about it as I continue the lifelong search for my next meal.. and of course, the next similarity.