a few months ago our house is broken
into no one was at home at the time when
it happened but it was surprising to
find out nonetheless the word about the
breaking got around quickly as news
articles covered the event most people
were very supportive of course but a few
people in the Internet
took the news as a chance to celebrate
rationalizing it as since I have wealth
and having to replace some items in my
home it's just a minor inconvenience
really for once a reaction about me was
made completely without my influence
another irony is that nothing was stolen
from the break-in at least personally
even my two most valuable items my
camera and computer were left whatever
they took was from my wife unfortunately
I had previously been decluttering in my
house but now I finally shifted to a new
gear I got rid of anything I didn't want
ton of items that I only kept because I
didn't want anyone else to have them or
at least take them like awards all items
that had barely any sentimentality
things I had stored away never to
actually be used if any item lacked
value or utility I sold donated or just
got rid of it at the same time I was
reading about Diogenes the ancient Greek
philosopher who only lived with one item
in his possession which was a wooden
bowl even this he got rid of on the day
when he saw a peasant boy drinking water
by cupping his hands he tossed the ball
away and said fool that I am to have
been carrying this superfluous baggage
all this time there are many stories
about Diogenes some seemed too great to
be true but I'm glad to know he at least
lived you can find him on old paintings
which depicts him living in a barrel tub
or most commonly a large urine if you
know about Diogenes you most likely
already know of his famous encounter
with Alexander the Great Alexander had
heard about their journeys philosophy
and was personally intrigued by him so
one day he stuck out Diogenes who was
relaxing on a field in the Morning Sun
Alexander as Diogenes if there's any
favor he could do for him he would do it
by our journeys then replied yes by
moving away since you were covering the
Sun Alexander declared shortly after if
I wasn't Alexander then I wish to be
Diogenes this is such a perfect example
of two extremes meeting each
I think the fact that Alexander the
world Lord who had reached more status
wealth and power than anyone in his time
could have ever dreamed up still felt
humbled by their journeys a man who had
seemingly nothing coming to this
conclusion he must have realized that
the things we value actually carries
little satisfaction on its own and all
the things Alexander had done others
wanted meant nothing to Diogenes in my
own experience what little notoriety and
wealth I have is still far greater than
anything I could have dreamed up but the
experience itself feels like it can be
compared to an HG part of your body that
is too far away to reach you want to
scratch it to see what it would feel
like to get rid of in the fantasy and
the idea is always there of the pleasure
and satisfaction it could give you until
you finally managed to reach for it the
sensation fades quickly and you're left
the same Diogenes had nothing Alexander
had everything but only one of them were
truly free what was Diogenes philosophy
that even Alexander the Great became so
interested in it Diogenes defined and
was considered one of the founders of
cynicism this word doesn't have the same
meaning then as today cynic meant dog or
dog like which was likely said to
ridicule Diogenes and his strange
behaviors he however took his name on
his self because he actually praised the
dog and its virtues despite it being
used as an insult
Diogenes didn't recognize Society and by
doing so he considered himself above it
he therefore didn't believe in shame and
would do almost anything a dog would do
in public he would be seen sitting on
the street if people insulted him he
would respond by urinating on them it
would be seen masturbating in public the
list goes on a dog lives at ease they
don't think about the past or the future
they live only according to nature just
like Diogenes
despite his obscene actions Diogenes was
still a philosopher but unlike many of
his peers he didn't recognize
metaphysical ideas since to him they are
a waste of time and a distraction from
the moment by our journeys even had many
famous encounter with one of my favorite
philosophers Plato these stories are
also really great he read for example
she himself during Plato's lectures just
to distract the lesson but my favorite
story is there
one of Plato's lectures he was
discussing the metaphysical ideal forms
Plato said that all things have a pure
essence each thing has a form that
defines their true being
Diogenes who didn't like metaphysical
ideas challenge Plato and pointed
towards a cup on a table what about this
cup he said is there an eternal perfect
cup somewhere later responded yes in
fact the cup can take many different
forms but there is a perfect form of cup
Ness that resides inside your head then
he supposedly insulted Diogenes on his
simple-minded take of his complex ideas
Diogenes then responded what about the
emptiness inside the cup is there a
perfect form of emptiness that exists as
well
Plato pause for a moment to think but
before he got to answer the our journeys
pointed to Plato's head and said I think
you'll find it's in here where the
emptiness resides finally about Diogenes
death
there isn't much confirmed about this
either some people say he got poisoned
by eating raw meat others insist
strongly that Diogenes died one day when
he decided to hold his own breath
Diogenes final wish wasn't for a proper
burial but rather to be thrown over the
gates of the city to have the rodents
and animals feast on his body as a way
for him to give back to the earth when
he had taken from it Diogenes throughout
history has often referred to as
Socrates gone man their minds were very
different but they both share is that
neither of them wrote down their own
ideas they lived them instead I don't
think you'll see me living in a barrel
any time soon but I think there's a lot
to learn from Diogenes I find it funny
how I lost more items reading about him
than actually getting robbed did