Diogenes was an ancient Greek philosopher who propagated the idea of cynicism. His contribution to philosophy is great and after his death cynicism greatly flourished in Greece. According to Cynicism, people have gotten far away from their basic roots. It is unnatural for humans to live in such a way. And a simplistic life with lesser possessions and being close to nature is what humans truly need to lead a happier life. Diogenes practised what he preached and lived this philosophy. He would live in the middle of a market, dressed in rags and owned only a bowl to eat and drink. It is said that when Diogenes saw a young boy drinking water from his bare hands, he gave up the possession of even a bowl!
People remember Diogenes for his staunch ideas, his extremely indecent social behaviour ( urinating on people and giving himself sexual pleasure in public), staunch down-to-earth philosophy, and witty nature. But there are very important lessons this man can teach even today's generation. We can learn from Diogenes that earthly pleasure do people no good. We are meant to live simple lives, and we must control our desires for earthly pleasures to enjoy the simple pleasures in life. Below are some of the famous Diogenes Quotes.
It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours.
Madness is subjective. A person who is mad for one person can be erudite for someone else. Diogenes was a highly scandalous philosopher and was criticized. He was called doggish and mad. But he argues saying that madness is subjective and he himself is not mad, but the people around do not understand what he is trying to say.
Of what use is a philosopher who doesn't hurt anybody's feelings?
Philosophy, if defined in brief non-textual layman words, can be defined as 'school of thoughts. A person can have a different school of thought from another. People's ideas and philosophies often clash with each other. And Diogenes says that this is fine for a philosopher to do - offend. A philosopher who is afraid to hurt people in the true sense is afraid to put forward his ideas.
It is the privilege of the gods to want nothing, and of godlike men to want little.
Diogenes believed in minimalism. He has no possessions on earth and intended to have none. And he thought that this is the best way to live. To have the least and want the least is an absolute privilege. Only godlike men have the ability to think this way.
The foundation of every state is the education of its youth.
Ancient Greece was a group of many city-states, and there were a lot of factors that categorized a state into a good one. According to Diogenes, there was one very fundamental factor: the education of the new generation. Education leads people to live a good life, making them capable of facing the world.
It takes a wise man to discover a wise man.
To understand the ideas of an erudite man, one must be intellectual. Not everyone can understand intelligent men. A foolish man cannot measure the height of intelligence a man has.
Continue reading some of the best Diogenes Quotes...
In a rich man's house, there is no place to spit but his face.
Diogenes was not the least capitalist. He did not believe in having or accumulating a lot of money. In fact, he had none! Richness was absurd for this man, and he thought a rich man does not deserve any respect because he does not have any true value.
Dogs and philosophers do the greatest good and get the fewest rewards.
If you've read about Diogenes, you would probably know that this man was best friends with dogs. He would live amongst them. He thinks dogs and philosophers make this world a better place and teach great lessons to humans. But they do not receive appreciation or reward from anyone.
Poverty is a virtue which one can teach oneself.
Diogenes had a very unique approach to life. He believed poverty is the best way to be, which is absolutely contradictory to the 21st-century beliefs of capitalism. He thought that a man who wants nothing and can survive with the least is actually in a very good state. And learning to be poor must be taught to oneself and practised.
No man is hurt but by himself
Hurt is a feeling man often feels. But a man often blames the situation and other people for the hurt he feels. And this is a totally wrong behaviour as no one can truly be hurt by others because he is the master of his feelings. And no other man ever gets this power unless he hands over to them.
Alexander the Great found the philosopher looking attentively at a pile of human bones. Diogenes explained, I am searching for the bones of your father but cannot distinguish them from those of a slave.
Alexander was a preacher of Diogenes and went to look for him all over Sinopes. But very surprisingly, Diogenes was not very astonished by Alexander as opposed to all other philosophers. And during their conversation, he kept staring at a pile of bones, saying that he cannot distinguish his father's and a slave's bones. With that, he meant to say that a man is a man. No man is more superior than others. The insides of every man are the same, and innately everyone is equal. A king's bones and a slave's bones are no different.
Some more Diogenes Quotes....
If you are to be kept right, you must possess either good friends or red-hot enemies. The one will warn you, the other will expose you.
Diogenes believes that to be in balance with life, one must have good as well as bad people in it. As good friends give you proper warnings, and bad people expose the bad in you. Both of them keep you on the right track and do not make you feel superior or inferior.
10. When two friends part they should lock up each other's secrets and exchange keys. The truly noble mind has no resentments.
Diogenes believes that friendship must be loyal even after it has ended. Both parties know each other's secrets when they have been friends for a while so it is in the best interest of both to not share each other's secrets to any outsiders and thus maintaining the dignity of a friendship that once existed.
Wise leaders generally have wise counselors because it takes a wise person themselves to distinguish them.
In olden times there were wise kings, but they too needed wise men to guide them. Today we may have some wise politicians, but they themselves need a council of ministers to guide them. And Diogenes that this is because even a wise man cannot remain independent; he needs wise men to be sure that his decisions are wise.
People who talk well but do nothing are like musical instruments; the sound is all they have to offer.
Diogenes was a man who truly practised what he preached. He was not just a talker but did what he said. He thinks that people who are just big talkers are like musical instruments which make noise and do nothing.
Man is the most intelligent of the animals – and the most silly.
Diogenes was frustrated when he saw the lifestyle of the people around him. He thought that man should be closer to nature like he's supposed to be. He belongs to a group of thoughts that believe that man might be the most intelligent being factually but is also a ridiculous being by the deeds he performs.
Few more Diogenes Quotes...
We have two ears and one tongue so that we would listen more and talk less.
People often speak a lot but are not ready to hear someone out. They even do not listen to what others have to say because they immediately want to reply as quickly as possible. Diogenes thinks that this behaviour isn't natural as humans have more organs to hear than to talk.
Why not whip the teacher when the pupil misbehaves?
A teacher teaches a student. And thus we can say that the teacher's shortcomings result in the pupil's bad behaviour. Thus Diogenes believes that a teacher must be punished instead of a pupil if a pupil misbehaves.
To one who asked what was the proper time for lunch, he said, 'If a rich man, when you will; if a poor man, where you can.
Diogenes did not believe in accumulating riches. And here, he states that a poor man has benefits as opposed to a rich man. A poor man can eat whenever he wants, but a rich man has to eat at a certain time, in a certain way, because of all his rules and laws.
He has the most who is most content with the least.
Diogenes was a minimalist. He thought that with the least possessions, man remains the happiest. The more and more things a man possesses, the more possessions he wants. So by this logic, the man with the least has less stress, no greed or desires weighing him down, and thus he is happier.
You will become a teacher of yourself when for the same things that you blame others, you also blame yourself.
Humans often have the tendency of blaming others for the mistakes they or anyone else makes. And we often find ourselves criticizing and judging others for their shortcomings, but we become truly wise when he blames himself for his mistakes and observes and corrects his own faults.
