This reminds us not to blindly follow conventional or majority views but to think hard about what is truly valuable
In the 4th century BCE, Diogenes of Sinope was stripped of his citizenship, money, and possessions after a banker's son counterfeited coins in the city. Diogenes decided to live self-sufficiently, close to nature, without materialism, vanity, or conformity. He spent years wandering around Greek cities with nothing but a cloak, staff, and knapsack, forgoing technology, baths, and cooked food.
Diogenes and his followers became known as "dog philosophers," or kynikoi, which eventually became the word "Cynic." These early Cynics were carefree and drawn to the freedom of a wandering lifestyle. As Diogenes' reputation grew, others tried to challenge his commitment. Alexander the Great offered him anything he desired, but Diogenes only asked Alexander to get out of his sunshine.
Adherents to his philosophy continued to call themselves Cynics for about 900 years, until 500 CE. Some Greek philosophers, like the Stoics, thought everyone should follow Diogenes' example and attempted to tone down his philosophy to be more acceptable to conventional society. Others viewed the Cynics less charitably, such as the Roman province of Syria's satirist Lucian, who described them as unprincipled, materialistic, and self-promoting hypocrites.
The philosophy of cynicism had admirers, especially among those who wished to question the state of society. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Friedrich Nietzsche, and the hippies of the 1960s have been compared with Diogenes as counter-cultural rebels. Diogenes' ideas have been adopted and reimagined over time, but the original Cynics believed that their values of rejecting custom and living closely with nature were the only true values.
Bottom Line, Diogenes' philosophy of cynicism has been a source of inspiration for many people today, reminding us not to blindly follow conventional or majority views but to think hard about what is truly valuable.
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Jenny, the tech wiz behind Jenny's Online Blog, loves diving deep into the latest technology trends, uncovering hidden gems in the gaming world, and analyzing the newest movies. When she's not glued to her screen, you might find her tinkering with gadgets or obsessing over the latest sci-fi release.What do you think of this blog? Write down at the COMMENT section below.
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