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Diogenes of Sinope Quotes
412 BC–323 BC Greece
Diogenes of Sinope (or Diogenes the Cynic; c. 412 BC – 323 BC) was the most famous of the Cynic philosophers of ancient Greece. No writings of his survive, but his sayings are recorded by Diogenes Laërtius and others.
Also known as: Diogenes the Cynic, Diogenes the cynic
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37 quotes
Other dogs bite only their enemies, whereas I bite also my friends in order to save them.
He lit a lamp in broad daylight and said, as he went about, "I am looking for a human."
Asked where he came from, he said, "I am a citizen of the world."
Virtue cannot dwell with wealth either in a city or in a house.
Poverty is a virtue which one can teach oneself.
Once he saw the officials of a temple leading away some one who had stolen a bowl belonging to the treasurers, and said, "The great thieves are leading away the little thief."
It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours.
When some one reminded him that the people of Sinope had sentenced him to exile, he said, "And I sentenced them to stay at home."
When Alexander the Great addressed him with greetings, and asked if he wanted anything, Diogenes replied "Yes, stand a little out of my sunshine."
The noblest people are those despising wealth, learning, pleasure and life; esteeming above them poverty, ignorance, hardship and death.
I do not know whether there are gods, but there ought to be.
When the slave auctioneer asked in what he was proficient, he replied, "In ruling men."
Thieves and fighters do not come from eaters of barley-bread; but informers and tyrants come from meat-eaters.
Self-taught poverty is a help toward philosophy, for the things which philosophy attempts to teach by reasoning, poverty forces us to practice.
He was seized and dragged off to King Philip, and being asked who he was, replied, "A spy upon your insatiable greed."
Young men not ought to marry yet, and old men never ought to marry at all.
To one who asked what was the proper time for lunch, he said, "If a rich man, when you will; if a poor man, when you can."
When some one boasted that at the Pythian games he had vanquished men, Diogenes replied, "Nay, I defeat men, you defeat slaves."
The foundation of every state is the education of its youth.
He once begged alms of a statue, and, when asked why he did so, replied, "To get practice in being refused."
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