Diogenes Quotes


"Stand a little less between me and the sun."
- Diogenes
(Related: Sun)

"The foundation of every state is the education of its youth."
- Diogenes
(Related: Education, State, Youth)

"The great thieves lead away the little thief."
- Diogenes
"The mob is the mother of tyrants."
- Diogenes
(Related: Mother, Mob)

"The sun, too, shines into cesspools and is not polluted."
- Diogenes
(Related: Sun)

"We have two ears and one tongue so that we would listen more and talk less."
- Diogenes
(Related: Talk, Tongue)

"Man is the most intelligent of the animals - and the most silly."
- Diogenes
(Related: Animals, Man, Silly)

"What I like to drink most is wine that belongs to others."
- Diogenes
(Related: Wine)

"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."
- Diogenes
(Related: Men, Science, Man, Nothing, Seamen)

"Wise kings generally have wise counselors; and he must be a wise man himself who is capable of distinguishing one."
- Diogenes
(Related: Kings, Man)

"The sun too penetrates into privies, but is not polluted by them."
- Diogenes
(Related: Sun)

"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."
- Diogenes
(Related: Music, Virtue, Neglect, Practice, Sound)

"Dogs and philosophers do the greatest good and get the fewest rewards."
- Diogenes
(Related: Dogs)

"The vine bears three kinds of grapes: the first of pleasure, the second of intoxication, the third of disgust."
- Diogenes
(Related: Disgust, First, Pleasure)

"A friend is one soul abiding in two bodies."
- Diogenes
(Related: Soul, Friend)

"It was a favorite expression of Theophrastus that time was the most valuable thing that a man could spend."
- Diogenes
(Related: Time, Expression, Favorite, Man)

"Blushing is the color of virtue."
- Diogenes
(Related: Virtue)

"He has the most who is most content with the least."
- Diogenes
(Related: Content)

"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."
- Diogenes
"I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world."
- Diogenes
(Related: World)

"I do not know whether there are gods, but there ought to be."
- Diogenes
(Related: Gods)

"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."
- Diogenes
(Related: May, Nothing)

"I know nothing, except the fact of my ignorance."
- Diogenes
(Related: Fact, Ignorance, Nothing)

"I threw my cup away when I saw a child drinking from his hands at the trough."
- Diogenes
(Related: Drinking)

"It is the privilege of the gods to want nothing, and of godlike men to want little."
- Diogenes
(Related: Men, Gods, Nothing, Privilege, Want)

"It takes a wise man to discover a wise man."
- Diogenes
(Related: Man)

"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."
- Diogenes
(Related: Enemies, Friends, Man, Needs, Self)