“You really are a silly fellow,” said Diogenes. One in particular left the circle, but not before entreating Diogenes to give him one of his books. Very few of Diogenes’ disciples had the physical and mental stamina to become cynics. Diogenes looked around and then led them to the most deserted part of the city and, gesturing to the empty air as one would in formal introduction, said, “May I present to you the great philosopher Plato.”
Some strangers to Athens once asked Diogenes if he would point out to them the great philosopher. “Why do you bother to live,” Diogenes retorted, “if you can’t be bothered to live properly?” Eventually Diogenes had collected enough money and he too went into the brothel.Ī heckler in the crowd shouted out, “My mind is not made like that, I can’t be bothered with philosophy.” ” Men entering the house threw him a coin or two to shut him up. When ridiculed for his passive behavior, Diogenes said, “Since men endure being wetted by the sea in order to net a mere herring, should I not endure being sprinkled to net my dinner?”ĭiogenes stood outside a brothel, shouting, “A beautiful whore is like poisoned honey! A beautiful whore is like poisoned honey! A beautiful whore. Diogenes would ignore this and simply wipe his face with his sleeve. Often when he was begging, Diogenes would be spat on by the people who passed him. During the evening, one of the guests became so outraged by Diogenes’ general behavior that he began to throw bones at him, calling him a “dog.” Whereupon Diogenes got up, went to the guest, cocked up his leg and urinated on him. When someone once asked Diogenes why he often laughed by himself, he said, “For that very reason.”ĭiogenes was once invited to dinner by a wealthy man. “Well then, why do you remain in this life?” “A Socrates gone mad,” he replied.ĭiogenes ridiculed Plato for being long-winded.ĭiogenes was asked, “What is the difference between life and death?” Later, Plato was asked what he thought of Diogenes. Sucking, as one would suck venom from a wound, he proclaimed, “Thus I purify the tree.”Īgog, the man stood there marveling while Diogenes walked off.ĭiogenes was once asked what he thought of Socrates. “I wouldn’t touch this fruit! A man hung himself from the tree just the other day,” warned the man, obviously believing the tree to be cursed.īy way of answer, Diogenes sank his teeth into the fig he was holding. “Because,” replied Diogenes, “one can make eunuchs out of men, but no one can make a man out of eunuchs.”ĭiogenes was gathering figs and had just filled his bag when a stranger came along the road. “Why is it, Diogenes, that pupils leave you to go to other teachers, but rarely do they leave them to come to you?” “Of course,” replied Diogenes, “I am like a teacher of choruses who has to sing louder than the rest in order they may get the right note.”Ī student of philosophy, eager to display his powers of argument, approached Diogenes, introduced himself and said, “If it pleases you, sir, let me prove to you that there is no such thing as motion.” Whereupon Diogenes immediately got up and left.Ī disciple asked Diogenes, “What is the main reason for wearing a cynics robe and the begging bowl?” “But aren’t you overdoing it a little?” a disciple asked. He did this to harden himself against discomfort. In winter Diogenes walked barefoot in the snow. For this reason, he was given the epithet “dog,” from which the name “cynic” is derived.īelow I’d like to share with you some of his wisest philosophical teachings. He was an ascetic, begging his food and living in very poor conditions, with his greatest joy being to challenge people’s beliefs and values.ĭiogenes didn’t adhere to the conventions of society rather, he preffered to follow his inner voice. Diogenes of Sinope was a very playful philosopher who is said to have lived in ancient Greece between 412 -323 BC.
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