Stoic Superhero Diogenes the Cynic: Be Prepared for Every Fortune
About this episode
Asked what philosophy had taught him, Diogenes the Cynic said it taught him “to be prepared for every fortune.” I think he is one of the strangest, most useful figures in this whole tradition.
The Cynics came before the Stoics, and Diogenes took self-sufficiency to an extreme. He lived in a barrel, ate only when truly hungry, drank only when truly thirsty, and as a result could enjoy a plain cup of water like the finest wine. His most famous moment is the meeting with Alexander the Great. The most powerful man in the world offered him anything he wanted. Diogenes asked him to stand a little out of his sun. In this lesson I look at what that kind of freedom from craving actually buys you.
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