Diogenes

Cynic philosopher

Ancient influential 91 sayings

Sayings by Diogenes

I am looking for a man.

c. 350 BCE — Said while carrying a lamp in broad daylight in the marketplace.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I have nothing, therefore I have everything.

c. 350 BCE — Reflects his ascetic philosophy and rejection of material possessions.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

Why do you praise honest men, and yet do not use them?

c. 350 BCE — Quoted by Diogenes Laërtius in 'Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers'
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

Man is the most intelligent of animals – and the most foolish.

c. 350 BCE — Quoted by Diogenes Laërtius
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I poop and pee and eat and drink, and I do not care what others think.

c. 350 BCE — Reflects his disregard for social conventions and naturalistic living.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

If I were not Alexander, I would be Diogenes.

c. 335 BCE — Reported as Alexander the Great's response to Diogenes' request to 'stand out of my sunlight'.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

Dogs and philosophers do the greatest good and get the fewest rewards.

c. 350 BCE — Quoted by Diogenes Laërtius
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

Of what use is a philosopher who doesn't hurt anyone's feelings?

c. 350 BCE — Reflects his provocative and confrontational style of philosophy.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I am a citizen of the world.

c. 350 BCE — His response when asked where he came from, foundational to cosmopolitanism.
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

The most beautiful thing in the world is freedom of speech.

c. 350 BCE — Quoted by Diogenes Laërtius
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

I have gained a kingdom without even having to ask for it.

c. 350 BCE — Refers to his self-sufficiency and freedom from desire.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I have been shipwrecked, and have lost everything, and am therefore a happy man.

c. 350 BCE — Reflects his embrace of minimalism and rejection of attachment.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The greatest blessing of mankind is the freedom of mind.

c. 350 BCE — Quoted by Diogenes Laërtius
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I am still looking for a man, not just a featherless biped.

c. 350 BCE — His retort to Plato's definition of man as a 'featherless biped' when Diogenes brought a plucked chi…
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

Most men are within a finger's breadth of being mad.

c. 350 BCE — Quoted by Diogenes Laërtius
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The only way to overcome fear is to do what you fear.

c. 350 BCE — Reflects his philosophy of confronting societal norms and personal discomfort.
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I have come to a city where the men are ruled by women, and the women by children.

c. 350 BCE — A critical observation on societal order, often attributed to him.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

It is by the training of the body that the soul is purified.

c. 350 BCE — Reflects his ascetic practices and emphasis on physical discipline.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

Blushing is the color of virtue.

c. 350 BCE — Quoted by Diogenes Laërtius
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

To the question, 'Whence are you?' he replied, 'I am a citizen of the world.'

c. 350 BCE — Quoted by Diogenes Laërtius
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable