Diogenes Quotes

The sun, too, shines into cesspools and is not polluted.

The foundation of every state is the education of its youth.

In a rich man’s house there is no place to spit but his face.

Stand a little less between me and the sun.

It is the privilege of the gods to want nothing, and of godlike men to want little.

We have two ears and one tongue so that we would listen more and talk less.

He has the most who is most content with the least.

There is only a finger’s difference between a wise man and a fool.

Of what use is a philosopher who doesn’t hurt anybody’s feelings?

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

It was a favorite expression of Theophrastus that time was the most valuable thing that a man could spend.

The art of being a slave is to rule one’s master.

The sun too penetrates into privies, but is not polluted by them.

I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world.

No man is hurt but by himself.

Modesty is the color of virtue.

The great thieves lead away the little thief.

I do not know whether there are gods, but there ought to be.

I threw my cup away when I saw a child drinking from his hands at the trough.

What I like to drink most is wine that belongs to others.

It takes a wise man to discover a wise man.

I have nothing to ask but that you would remove to the other side, that you may not, by intercepting the sunshine, take from me what you cannot give.

When I look upon seamen, men of science and philosophers, man is the wisest of all beings; when I look upon priests and prophets nothing is as contemptible as man.

Calumny is only the noise of madmen.

I am called a dog because I fawn on those who give me anything, I yelp at those who refuse, and I set my teeth in rascals.

As a matter of self-preservation, a man needs good friends or ardent enemies, for the former instruct him and the latter take him to task.

Those who have virtue always in their mouths, and neglect it in practice, are like a harp, which emits a sound pleasing to others, while itself is insensible of the music.

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

Why not whip the teacher when the pupil misbehaves?

The mob is the mother of tyrants.

I know nothing, except the fact of my ignorance.

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

A friend is one soul abiding in two bodies.

Wise leaders generally have wise counselors because it takes a wise person themselves to distinguish them.

Wise kings generally have wise counselors; and he must be a wise man himself who is capable of distinguishing one.

Blushing is the color of virtue.