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The Man Who Wants for Nothing Cannot Be Ruled

Diogenes Was Right About the Only Thing That Matters

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Philosophy Thoughts
Jul 09, 2026
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The story of Diogenes and Alexander is treated as a joke by those who don’t understand it.

Diogenes, by John William Waterhouse (1882)

Alexander, the emperor of the most vast and powerful empire on earth at the time, grants Diogenes a singular request from himself. Diogenes, instead of asking for great power and influence as most men would, asks Alexander to stop standing in his sunlight. This shocking and provocative story is one of the most interesting lessons one can take from history.


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