When Thales was asked what was difficult, he said, To know one's self. And what was easy, To advise another. Diogenes Laertius More Quotes by Diogenes Laertius More Quotes From Diogenes Laertius As some say, Solon was the author of the apophthegm, "Nothing in excess. Diogenes Laertius excess Bury me on my face," said Diogenes; and when he was asked why, he replied, "Because in a little while everything will be turned upside down. Diogenes Laertius faces littles lying He used to say that it was better to have one friend of great value than many friends who were good for nothing. Diogenes Laertius great-value greatest-love used There is a written and an unwritten law. The one by which we regulate our constitutions in our cities is the written law; that which arises from customs is the unwritten law. Diogenes Laertius constitution cities law Heraclitus says that Pittacus, when he had got Alcæus into his power, released him, saying, "Forgiveness is better than revenge. Diogenes Laertius revenge Bias used to say that men ought to calculate life both as if they were fated to live a long and a short time, and that they ought to love one another as if at a future time they would come to hate one another; for that most men were bad. Diogenes Laertius hate men long Anaxagoras said to a man who was grieving because he was dying in a foreign land, "The descent to Hades is the same from every place. Diogenes Laertius land grieving men There are many marvellous stories told of Pherecydes. For it is said that he was walking along the seashore at Samos, and that seeing a ship sailing by with a fair wind, he said that it would soon sink; and presently it sank before his eyes. At another time he was drinking some water which had been drawn up out of a well, and he foretold that within three days there would be an earthquake; and there was one. Diogenes Laertius eye drinking wind If appearances are deceitful, then they do not deserve any confidence when they assert what appears to them to be true. Diogenes Laertius deceitful being-true appearance Plato was continually saying to Xenocrates, "Sacrifice to the Graces. Diogenes Laertius sacrifice plato grace Ignorance plays the chief part among men, and the multitude of words. Diogenes Laertius ignorance play men Anaximander used to assert that the primary cause of all things was the Infinite,-not defining exactly whether he meant air or water or anything else. Diogenes Laertius causes air water Euripides says,-Who knows but that this life is really death,And whether death is not what men call life? Diogenes Laertius this-life life-is men Apollodorus says, "If any one were to take away from the books of Chrysippus all the passages which he quotes from other authors, his paper would be left empty. Diogenes Laertius paper would-be book Sacrifice to the Graces. Diogenes Laertius sacrifice grace Socrates said, "Those who want fewest things are nearest to the gods. Diogenes Laertius want said Fortune is unstable, while our will is free. Diogenes Laertius unstable fortune It used to be a common saying of Myson's that men ought not to seek for things in words, but for words in things; for that things are not made on account of words but that words are put together for the sake of things. Diogenes Laertius sake together men Antisthenes used to say that envious people were devoured by their own disposition, just as iron is by rust. Diogenes Laertius rust iron people Aristippus being asked what were the most necessary things for well-born boys to learn, said, "Those things which they will put in practice when they become men. Diogenes Laertius practice men boys
