Life Quotes Quote by Diogenes — Inspiring Words on Life, Love & Wisdom

“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.”

“The art of being a slave is to rule one's master.”

“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.”

“It takes a wise man to discover a wise man.”

“The art of being a slave is to rule one's master.”

“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.”

“All that is transitory is but a metaphor.”

“I must die. Must I then die lamenting? I must be put in chains. Must I then also lament? I must go into exile. Does any man then hinder me from going with smiles and cheerfulness and contentment?”

“Everything can be taken from a man but ... the last of the human freedoms to choose ones attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose ones own way.”

“In a higher phase of communist society, after the enslaving subordination of the individual to the division of labor, and therewith also the antithesis between mental and physical labor, has vanished; after labor has become not only a means of life but life's prime want; after the productive forces have also increased with the all-around development of the individual, and all the springs of co-operative wealth flow more abundantly—only then can the narrow horizon of bourgeois right be crossed in its entirety and society inscribe on its banners: From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs!”

“Growing up is losing some illusions, in order to acquire others.”