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. Diogenes Of Sinope
About This Quote

This quote by Diogenes, also known as “The Dog,” is a good example of someone who refuses to let anything get them down. Diogenes was a stoic philosopher who was born in Sinope, a small town in Anatolia. He was one of the most famous people in his time. We know him primarily through the accounts of Plato and Plutarch.

He is famous for being an iconoclast or someone who did not believe that people should conform to the expectations of society. He walked around with a lantern that he used to show everyone what he thought to be true about life. He believed that human beings should live simply so there would be no need for them to depend on others.

It was easy for him to get by on just lentils because he really did not need much else.

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  1. It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours.
  2. It is the privilege of the gods to want nothing, and of godlike men to want little.
  3. I am a citizen of the world.
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