The exact words
“Great wits jump: for the moment Dr. Slop cast his eyes upon his bag ... the very same thought occurred.”Laurence Sterne, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (published in volumes, 1759–1767)
✓ VerifiedFound in a primary source: the original book, speech transcript, letter or recording.
What people get wrong
Common reading
A sincere compliment that two people are geniuses.
A sincere compliment that two people are geniuses.
Closer to the original
It is almost always said with a grin. Sterne used it playfully, and the add-on “fools seldom differ” reminds us that agreeing proves nothing about being right.
It is almost always said with a grin. Sterne used it playfully, and the add-on “fools seldom differ” reminds us that agreeing proves nothing about being right.
Timeline
- 1600s“Jump” in older English could mean “agree” or “go along with.” In The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare's Prince of Arragon says, “I will not jump with common spirits.”
- 1759–1767Laurence Sterne uses “great wits jump” in Tristram Shandy, when two characters hit on the same thought at the same moment.
- LaterAs the old meaning of “jump” faded, the saying was updated to “great minds think alike.” A teasing reply, “and fools seldom differ,” is often added.
Use it in a speech
When they told me they'd both secretly booked the same restaurant for their first date anniversary, all I could say was: great minds think alike. Or, as the saying goes on, fools seldom differ.
~12 secondsto say aloud
Pauseafter “think alike”
Best spotthe funny-story section
“Great wits jump,” wrote Laurence Sterne, and when two inventors file the same patent on the same day, it is tempting to agree.
~8 secondsto say aloud
Pausenone needed in writing
Best spotopening sentence
Questions people ask
What does great minds think alike mean?
That clever people tend to reach the same ideas. It is usually said playfully when two people suggest the same thing at once.
What is the full saying?
People often add “but fools seldom differ” (or “and fools seldom differ”) as a teasing reply.
What is the original form?
An older version is “great wits jump,” where jump means agree. Laurence Sterne uses it in Tristram Shandy.
Cite this quote
This is a traditional proverb, so it counts as common knowledge and most style guides don't ask you to cite it. If you want to say where it comes from, give the earliest known use: older form “great wits jump” in Laurence Sterne's Tristram Shandy (1759–1767).