Diogenes Quotes

“I am a citizen of the world.”

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

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

“Stand a little less between me and the sun.”

“I am Diogenes the dog.”

“A child has beaten me in plainness of living.”

“I am looking for a human being.”

“The gods have given men an easy life, but this has been hidden from them by their luxury.”

“Instead of useless toils, men should choose such as nature recommends, whereby they might live happily.”

“The love of money is the mother-city of all evils.”

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

“The only true commonwealth is that which is as wide as the universe.”

“Education is a controlling grace to the young, consolation to the old, wealth to the poor, and ornament to the rich.”

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

“Why not whip the teacher when the pupil misbehaves?”

“Blushing is the colour of virtue.”

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

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

“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.”

“No man is hurt but by himself.”

“Bad men obey their lusts as servants obey their masters.”

“Of what use is a philosopher who doesn't hurt anybody's feelings?”

“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.”

“Other dogs bite only their enemies, whereas I bite also my friends in order to save them.”

“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.”