Between 404 and 323 BC, there lived in Greece a man named Diogenes, who became known as "Diogenes the Cynic" and "Diogenes the Dog." He was a philosopher from the city of Sinope, who was exiled to Athens. He was a beggar who took a vow of poverty. It is said that he walked the streets of Athens carrying a lamp, looking for an honest man. Years later, Diogenes moved to the city of Corinth, where he sought to live life according to the Cynic ideal. Cynic? ○ Cynicism was a philosophical current whose purpose was to live in virtue, according to nature, rejecting the conventional desires for wealth, power, and fame.

This current preached that it was indeed possible to lead a simple life, free from the need for possessions. ○ The first philosopher of this current was Antisthenes, a former student of Socrates. Antisthenes taught cynicism to Diogenes in Athens.

For followers of this school of thought, happiness is self-control. The opposite of self-control is the pursuit of lust, as this prevents us from achieving self-sufficiency.

And why do they call him a dog?

Because he believed that human beings lived artificially, hypocritically, and that they could benefit from studying dogs, as they are animals capable of performing their natural bodily functions in public without embarrassment, will eat anything, and will not make a fuss about where to sleep.

Dogs, like any animal, live in the present without anxiety and do not possess the pretensions of abstract philosophy. :)

Many stories are told about Diogenes, some of them quite folkloric. But, without a doubt, this philosopher who lived more than 2000 years ago teaches us a lesson that is more than necessary for our times:

Virtue is not a theory, it is daily practice; - It's possible to live a simple life; we don't need many material possessions to live - less than we think!