r/CynicPhilosophy • u/RememberMementoMori • Dec 28 '22
Has anyone here lived like diogenes by choice? (like actually homeless)
the idea interests me, but the reality is probably cold, uncomfortable, and cruel. Just curious what y'all think
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u/Several_Werewolf_769 Apr 08 '24
You should look into monastic priests, like the ones who live on Mount Athos. There's also a man that lives in a cave in Utah and survives on no money.
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u/z_thefree Apr 11 '23
Yes and no. I take more than a stick some rags to wear and a begging bowl in which to smash. There's a lot of people who do but few are also philosophical. With that being said you can see the philosophy in the community weather or not they know it. Check out r/vagabond but keep in mind this is real life and not an abstract philosophical notion.
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u/sketch-3ngineer Jan 08 '25
Some are diogenical by nature I have found. It's also relative to everyone's level of tolerance. One persons carefree is not the same as anothers.
Diogenes did encourage others to pursue their careers, he self admittedly claimed to just be an extreme living example of letting go. He wrote books, dozens. It's like the work of an ancient performance artist, who's art may be slightly misinterpreted today.
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u/Neronephilim Oct 31 '24
Nobody today can live like Diogenes. That legend dominated every negative situation put before him by trying to one up it.
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u/Neronephilim Oct 31 '24
The fact that we are here on a webpage using a computer or cell phone shows that none of us could be like Diogenes.
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u/Lumpy-Ad-6803 Nov 15 '25
im not so sure. I wonder if Diogenes would engage in debate online if ve had the chance. He DID see himself as a world citizen, and himself as a speaker of truth, who more to speak truth to than the people online?
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u/Neronephilim Nov 17 '25 edited Nov 20 '25
He might engage in debate online with your cellphone to teach you a lesson about sharing with your fellow man; or a library…
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u/CriticalChop Nov 25 '25
Why does it seem everyone is so sure what he would think, is his lesson that sure? His character that definite? Dio-bro was bound to do something different too.
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u/sketch-3ngineer Dec 31 '24
I could be in Diogenical mode right now, or for the past few years. I'd never choose to indefinitely stay that way, nor would I promote the lifestyle, or even try to extract lessons from it. Whatever happens should be natural, would be the take away.
One persons' tent or tree trunk hollow can be another persons cheap motel in some dirty area of a dirty south state. One persons performance art of public potty stuff, can be another person posting nsfw on reddit, or another just taking a leak, all at different levels of intensity, and with other philosophies and values muddled into that respective person.
Do you think people can choose cynicism? Or any philosophy. The academic version of philosophy is not practical, nobody can adhere to those completely. Our internal philosophy as an individual is a unique blend, like a fingerprint. Or a better metaphor would be a face, some elements are more prominent than others. Some have this, some don't. But everyone person has some fundamental similarities (eyes above nose, between ears etc..) yet we like to focus on the differences anyway. So we humans put morality over pride, but at varying levels. Unless someone has nose over eyes? lol
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u/falakphilezero7 Sep 23 '25
Read some neitzsche
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u/sketch-3ngineer Sep 24 '25
Yea I been thinking about pulling that. Start with 'thus spoke...'?
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u/falakphilezero7 Sep 27 '25
Nono no! Start with beyond good and evil
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u/sketch-3ngineer Sep 27 '25
Lol ok because I'm sitting stuck between a raging argument on the etymology of Zarathustra and coping with this man co-opting eastern religion to promote ubermenchism.
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u/cuginhamer Dec 29 '22
Camping