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Is there a concise way to phrase "I like the way you think" in Latin? I can find ways to say this, but everything I could think of is a little unwieldy compared to the English. For example, I might say: Mi placet modus, quo cogitas.

Is it possible to do this with the verb, or should I be using a noun instead? With a noun I can make it flow better: Mihi placet cogitatio tua. However, I am far from sure that I have hit upon the best way to phrase such things.

If anyone is familiar with a Latin idiom or other natural sounding wording of "I like the way you think" or something similar enough, I would be glad to hear.

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Though this suggestion won't work in every context, it works in an important one. "I like the way you think" can be a general compliment, but (to my ear, at least) often applies to a situation where someone is suggesting a course of action.

In Plautus's Poenulus I.1, after hearing a plan from Milphio, Agorastocles assents to the plan by saying:

Consilium placet!

This basically means, "Sounds like a plan!" but could also be creatively translated as, "I like the way you think!"

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In his De officiis, Cicero wrote (my highlighting):

Si quis ab ineunte aetate habet causam celebritatis et nominis aut a patre acceptam aut aliquo casu atque fortuna, in hunc oculi ombium coniciuntur. Eius vita ac modus agendi examinantur et, tamquam in clarissima luce versetur, nullum nec dictum nec factum eius obscurum potest esse.

(translation, using the third person plural to maintain gender ambivalence)

If someone has reason to be celebrated and famous from their earliest youth, either received from their father or by some chance and fortune, everyone's eyes are on them. Their life and their way of doing things are examined and, just as if they were in the brightest light, none of their words or actions can be obscure.

Furthermore, after a quick search, it seems that when the subject of mihi/tibi/... placet is a proper noun (modus here) - as opposed to a substantivized verb - the mihi/tibi... placet bit goes at the end of the sentence more frequently than not.

As a result of these observations, I think it's safe to say the phrasing

Tuus modus cogitandi mihi placet

is quite natural.

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One option is gaudeo in ideis tuis.

It is "sort of" expressing the same thing, using ideis, which is nice (multilingual, English/Spanish at least).

As Vincenzo states, ideis as ideas is of a modern use. For a more Classical tone (even though you did not specify a tag), cogitationibus would be a better word.

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  • idea doesn't seem to have in Latin the meaning it developed in modern languages. It either was used in the context of philosophy, or with the meaning of "notion" - the latter use may be limited to Church Latin, in fact.
    – Vincenzo Oliva
    Commented Dec 10, 2018 at 15:05
  • On a second thought, the usual construct is "gaudeo + abl. of cause", is this some sort of special case?
    – Vincenzo Oliva
    Commented Dec 10, 2018 at 15:14
  • @VincenzoOliva Joonas did not specify a tag with period. But I added a more classical tone. Regarding your second question, it seems accusative are not so common, but are still attested.
    – luchonacho
    Commented Dec 10, 2018 at 15:14
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    Yes, though I think even in modern times idea isn't the same as the English "idea". Ah, nice to know gaudeo can be used with other cases - though one ought to check whether "in" is the right proposition for the accusative, since I don't see such an instance on the page you linked.
    – Vincenzo Oliva
    Commented Dec 10, 2018 at 15:19
  • @VincenzoOliva Oh, but I think you are right. Here it should be the ablative and not the accusative. See the quotation here. I think idea truly meant idea.
    – luchonacho
    Commented Dec 10, 2018 at 15:24

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