Best 83 quotes of Diogenes on MyQuotes

The chief good is the suspension of the judgment [especially negative judgement], which tranquillity of mind follows like its shadow.

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

The great thieves lead away the little thief.

The health and vigor necessary for the practice of what is good, depend equally on both mind and body.

The mob is the mother of tyrants.

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

The noblest people are those despising wealth, learning, pleasure and life; esteeming above them poverty, ignorance, hardship and death.

The only way to gall and fret effectively is for yourself to be a good and honest man.

The question was put to him, what hope is; and his answer was, "The dream of a waking man.

There is a false love that will make you something you are not.

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

The Sun visits cesspools without being defiled.

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.

To arrive at perfection, a man should have very sincere friends or inveterate enemies; because he would be made sensible of his good or ill conduct, either by the censures of the one or the admonitions of the other.

To become self-educated you should condemn yourself for all those things that you would criticize others.

To the question what wine he found pleasant to drink, he replied, "That for which other people pay.

To Xeniades, who had purchased Diogenes at the slave market, he said, "Come, see that you obey orders.

Virtue cannot dwell with wealth either in a city or in a house.

We have complicated every simple gift of the gods.

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

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

When Alexander the Great addressed him with greetings, and asked if he wanted anything, Diogenes replied "Yes, stand a little out of my sunshine.

When asked what was the proper time for supper: If you are a rich man, whenever you please; and if you are a poor man, whenever you can.

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.

When some one boasted that at the Pythian games he had vanquished men, Diogenes replied, "Nay, I defeat men, you defeat slaves.

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 the slave auctioneer asked in what he was proficient, he replied, "In ruling people.

Why not whip the teacher when the pupil misbehaves?

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

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

Young men not ought to marry yet, and old men never ought to marry at all.

A philosopher named Aristippus, who had quite willingly sucked up to Dionysus and won himself a spot at his court, saw Diogenes cooking lentils for a meal. "If you would only learn to compliment Dionysus, you wouldn't have to live on lentils." Diogenes replied, "But if you would only learn to live on lentils, you wouldn't have to flatter Dionysus.

Die schönste Sache in der Welt ist die Redefreiheit.