Diogenes de Sinope: his most important phrases and reflections

Much is said about the great philosophers of ancient Greece, but among all of them there is one that undoubtedly stands out above all others for its eccentricity: that of Diogenes of Sinope. A master of histrionics, a philosopher of the cynical school, he certainly did not mind making fun of Alexander the Great’s arrogance and he did not hesitate to make fun of Plato with his jokes and criticisms of the Doctrine of Ideas. But who was this philosopher really capable of infuriating his contemporaries and at the same time awakening their veneration? We meet him below with his best phrases and most important reflections.

Diogenes de Sinope: his most important phrases and reflections

Considered as “the father of cynicism”, Diogenes de Sínope considered that the virtue of the human being resided solely in the own virtue , for which it had to be freed of any unnecessary luxury.

To try to educate in the essentiality of life, Diogenes chose not only to spread his philosophy (with which, together with that of Antisthenes, he initiated the cynical philosophical current) through teaching in the streets but also to perform symbolic gestures and eye-catching with which to “show” your ideal values. Thus, he decided to live practically naked inside an open barrel that belonged to the Athenian temple dedicated to Cibeles and when he saw a child drinking only with his hands he destroyed the only thing he owned, a wooden bowl, considering it superfluous.

He freed himself of all material good as his thought, which we have been able to know thanks to Diogenes Laercio in his book ” Lives, opinions and sentences of the most illustrious philosophers” said .

Let us know then some of the best phrases and reflections of this philosopher:

1. I do it, like choir teachers; I go above the tone to teach others not to stay down.
2. Let us praise those who despise wealth and be careful not to imitate them.
3. The speakers talk about what is right and do not bother to observe justice.
4. Astronomers consider the sun, the moon, the stars and neglect what is at their feet.
5. Grammarians study the unfortunate adventures of Ulysses and remain in the dark about their own ailments.
6. Why do we give to beggars instead of philosophers? This is because one can be afraid of going blind or lame; but when you are not a philosopher, you are not afraid of becoming one.
7. When to get married? The young don’t have to do it yet and the old never have to.
8. The most dangerous bites are those of the slanderer among savages and those of the flatterer among domestic animals.
9. The slaves serve their masters and the wicked their passions.
10. People who indulge in luxury are like those fig trees that grow on the edge of cliffs. It is not men who gather the fruits, but ravens and vultures.
11. There are no laws without civil society, nor civil society without laws.
12. Love is the occupation of the idle.
13. Good men are the images of the gods.
14. Greed is the metropolis of all evil.
15. What good is a philosopher who does not hurt anyone’s feelings?
16. It is better to console yourself than hang yourself
17. Other dogs only bite their enemies, while I also bite my friends in order to save them
18. An original thought is worth a thousand insignificant quotes
19. The great ones are like fire, to which it is advisable not to get too close or far from it
20. Do not ask how I will survive without my slave, ask my slave how he will survive without me
21. Why not punish the teacher when the student misbehaves?
22. I hope that all the trees bring this fruit
23. The more I know people, the more I love my dog
24. If you learned to eat lentils you would not have to be submissive and flatter the emperor so much
25. The foundation of each state is the education of its youth
26. Wisdom serves as a brake to youth, a comfort to the old, wealth to the poor, and an adornment to the rich.
27. Many people, few people
28. The only way for man to preserve his freedom is to always be willing to die for it
29. The insult dishonors the person who infers it, not the person who receives it.
30. The only good is knowledge, and the only evil is ignorance
31. When I’m crazy, I play crazy
32. Donkeys will probably laugh at you, but you don’t care. So, I don’t care if others laugh at me
33. Pleasure is the sovereign good due to the fact that from birth, living beings seek pleasure and flee from pain, an inclination naturally and without reason.
34. You should tender your hand to your friends without closing your fingers.
35. I wish it was enough to rub your belly to stop feeling hungry!