𝘀𝗻𝗲𝗸 𝗽𝗶𝘁

𝘀𝗻𝗲𝗸 𝗽𝗶𝘁

then its VM time 😁
𝘀𝗻𝗲𝗸 𝗽𝗶𝘁

Gurdjieff once shocked the 'ladies of the rope' by describing himself as a 'cynic', by which he perhaps meant he was a latter-day Diogenes...

"Of what use is a philosopher who doesn't hurt anybody's feelings?"

~ Diogenes

Some examples from rebresearch.com

Diogenes the cynic

A story is told about a philosopher of Ancient Greece, Diogenes of Synope. A religious man tried to convince Diogones that Poseidon was the great god of the sea by telling him miracle stores about the sailors who prayed to Poseidon and were saved from drowning. “Their pictures and stories are kept in the temple of Poseidon where everyone can see them,” the religious man added.
“And where,” asked Diogones, “do they keep the pictures of the sailors who prayed to Poseidon and drowned?” (I’ve also seen this story told of Diagoras of MIlos).

Diogenes speaking to young Alexander the Great supposedly told him he had no king over him, but God.

At one point Diogenes had a slave, but the slave ran away. Diogenes is supposed to have said: “If the slave can live without Diogenes, Diogenes can live without the slave.”

Diogenes was knee deep in a stream washing vegetables. Coming up to him, Plato said, “My good Diogenes, if you knew how to pay court to kings, you wouldn’t have to wash vegetables.” “And,” replied Diogenes, “If you knew how to wash vegetables, you wouldn’t have to pay court to kings.”

Plato was discoursing on his theory of ideas and, pointing to the cups on the table before him, said while there are many cups in the world, there is only one idea’ of a cup, and this cupness precedes the existence of all particular cups. “I can see the cups on the table,” said Diogenes, “but I can’t see the cupness'”. “That’s because you have the eyes to see the cup,” said Plato, “but”, tapping his head with his forefinger, “you don’t have the intellect with which to comprehend cupness’.” Diogenes walked up to the table, examined a cup and, looking inside, asked, “Is it empty?” Plato nodded. “Where is the emptiness’ which precedes this empty cup?” asked Diogenes. Plato allowed himself a few moments to collect his thoughts, but Diogenes reached over and, tapping Plato’s head with his finger, said “I think you will find here is the `emptiness’.

Diogenes claimed to have gotten his morality from the dog, cynic in ancient Greek (Κύνες). “The dog is honest; he is not impressed by grand words, fancy clothes, or titles” said Diogenes, “he is loyal to those who are good to him; he bites those who ill-treat him or his friends, and he’s not embarrassed to do what he does to live.” (There were several other dog-philosophers, including Socrates, and two other philosophers named Diogenes).

“Is it true, Diogenes, that you have been doing lewd acts in public and within your barrel?” Diogenes was asked, “I only wish that I could cure my hunger too, just by rubbing my belly.”

Alexander is supposed to have offered Diogenes any reward he wished that he had the power to grant (some say it was the king of Minos). Diogenes relied, “Please step out of my sunlight.” The king is supposed to have replied: “If I could not be king, I would be Diogenes.”

Someone asked Diogenes why it was that many students left him and joined other teachers, but hardly any left other teachers and joined him. “That’s because” said Diogenes, “it is easy to make a eunuch from a man, but hard to make a man from a eunuch.”

Diogenes was asked why he thought it was that people gave charity to cripples and beggars but not readily to him. “Was it an indication, perhaps, that he should get an honest job?” “No,” said Diogenes, “All men fear that they might become blind, crippled or poor some day, so they give in hopes that others will give. Yet no one ever worries that some day he’ll wake up and find he’s a philosopher.”