How to Say No: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Cynicism

Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers

by Diogenes of Sinope

The Cynics were ancient Greek philosophers who stood athwart the flood of society’s material excess, unexamined conventions, and even norms of politeness and thundered “No!” Diogenes, the most famous Cynic, wasn’t shy about literally extending his middle finger to the world. When asked why he was called Diogenes the Dog, he replied “because I fawn on those who give, I bark at those who don’t, and I bite scoundrels.” How to Say No is a delightful collection of brief ancient writings about Cynicism that captures all the outrageousness, wit, and wisdom of its remarkable cast of characters—from Diogenes in the fourth century BCE to the column-stander Symeon Stylites in late antiquity.

With their “less is more” approach to life, the Cynics speak urgently to our world of climate change, economic uncertainty, and psychic malaise. Although the Cynics weren’t writers, their memorable utterances and behavior were recorded by their admirers and detractors, and M. D. Usher offers fresh new translations of appealing selections from this body of writing-ranging from street sermons and repartee to biography and snapshots of Cynics in action.

Complete with introductions to the volume, this lively book demonstrates why the Cynics still retain their power to surprise us and make us laugh—and to make us think and question how we live.

Audiobook duration: 2 hours 9 minutes

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Self Help, Classics, Essays, Education

3 pages, Audiobook

First published January 1, 2022

About the author

Diogenes of Sinope (Greek: Διογένης ὁ Σινωπεύς, Diogenēs ho Sinōpeus) was a Greek philosopher and one of the founders of Cynic philosophy. Also known as Diogenes the Cynic (Ancient Greek: Διογένης ὁ Κυνικός, Diogenēs ho Kunikos), he was born in Sinope (modern-day Sinop, Turkey), an Ionian colony on the Black Sea, in 412 or 404 BCE and died at Corinth in 323 BCE.

Diogenes of Sinope was a controversial figure. His father minted coins for a living, and when Diogenes took to debasement of currency, he was banished from Sinope. After being exiled, he moved to Athens to debunk cultural conventions. Diogenes modelled himself on the example of Hercules. He believed that virtue was better revealed in action than in theory. He used his simple lifestyle and behaviour to criticise the social values and institutions of what he saw as a corrupt society. He declared himself a cosmopolitan. There are many tales about him dogging Antisthenes' footsteps and becoming his faithful hound. Diogenes made a virtue of poverty. He begged for a living and slept in a large ceramic jar in the marketplace. He became notorious for his philosophical stunts such as carrying a lamp in the daytime, claiming to be looking for an honest man. He embarrassed Plato, disputed his interpretation of Socrates and sabotaged his lectures. Diogenes was also responsible for publicly mocking Alexander the Great.

After being captured by pirates and sold into slavery, Diogenes eventually settled in Corinth. There he passed his philosophy of Cynicism to Crates, who taught it to Zeno of Citium, who fashioned it into the school of Stoicism, one of the most enduring schools of Greek philosophy. None of Diogenes' many writings has survived, but details of his life come in the form of anecdotes (chreia), especially from Diogenes Laërtius, in his book Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers. All we have is a number of anecdotes concerning his life and sayings attributed to him in a number of scattered classical sources.

Diogenes was born in the Greek colony of Sinope on the south coast of the Black Sea, in either 412 BC or 404 BCE. Nothing is known about his early life except that his father Hicesias was a banker. It seems likely that Diogenes was also enrolled into the banking business aiding his father. At some point (the exact date is unknown), Hicesias and Diogenes became embroiled in a scandal involving the adulteration or debasement of the currency, and Diogenes was exiled from the city. This aspect of the story seems to be corroborated by archaeology: large numbers of defaced coins (smashed with a large chisel stamp) have been discovered at Sinope dating from the middle of the 4th century BCE, and other coins of the time bear the name of Hicesias as the official who minted them. The reasons for the defacement of the coinage are unclear; Sinope was being disputed between pro-Persian and pro-Greek factions in the 4th century, and there may have been political rather than financial motives behind the act.

It was in Corinth that a meeting between Alexander the Great and Diogenes is supposed to have taken place. The accounts of Plutarch and Diogenes Laërtius recount that they exchanged only a few words: while Diogenes was relaxing in the sunlight in the morning, Alexander, thrilled to meet the famous philosopher, asked if there was any favour he might do for him. Diogenes replied, "Yes, stand out of my sunlight". Alexander then declared, "If I were not Alexander, then I should wish to be Diogenes", to which Diogenes replied, "If I were not Diogenes, I should also wish to be Diogenes." In another account of the conversation, Alexander found the philosopher looking attentively at a pile of human bones. Diogenes explained, "I am searching for the bones of your father but cannot distinguish them from those of a slave."

Reviews

[Massimo Pigliucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great entry in Princeton Press's ongoing series, Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers. The Cynics have always been equal part fascinating and irritating, and this book very clearly shows why. From the antics of Diogenes of Sinope to the bizarre self-deprivation practices of Christian Cynics, there is a lot of food for thought here. What were they trying to accomplish? Was it really necessary to do it that way? Why were they so admired by Stoics like Epictetus, and yet criticized by other Stoics, like Seneca? Arguably my favorite chapter is "Interview with a Cynic," written by the anonymous author known as Pseudo-Lucian. It's a crash course in Cynic philosophy, wisdom, and wit. But every other entry in the book is worth reading. In the end, Cynicism isn't as much about wearing rugged clothes and defecating in public, it's about a habit of mind bending toward minimalism and a focus on what is really important in life.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alright let 2026 be the year of sleeping in a giant jar, pissing on people, and public self abuse.

[izabella · Rating 2 out of 5]

shouldve been how to know thyself. typical cynic minimalism girl been knew but dont think ill be living in a pot anytime soon soz diogenes

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay, a lot more stories than the other book ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I feel like I didn’t have much to say or think about this book.

[Panayiotis Zois · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ένα σύντομο βιβλίο για την κυνική φιλοσοφία με σύντομες ιστορίες από τον Διογένη, τον Δημώνακτα και άλλους, ένα σύγγραμμα του αυτοκράτορα Ιουλιανού, έναν ανώνυμο διάλογο του Λουκιανού, ακόμα και μία αναφορά στην επίδραση που είχε στην μοναστική ζωή των χριστιανών καλόγηρων μέσω ενός αποσπάσματος για τον Άγιο Συμεών. Καλό ανάγνωσμα ώστε να γνωρίσει κάποιος την συγκεκριμένη φιλοσοφία, για την οποία δεν υπάρχουν και πολλά διαθέσιμα κείμενα.

[Porter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I get what the author is trying to do: Make ancient greek philosophy hip and fun, relatable to the modern day. However, if this is all Diogenes has to say as put firth in this book none of it is really worth reading and maybe he is better left forgotten. I don’t have any knowledge of Diogenes outside of this book tho so i can’t really speak to that.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great little book for anyone who wants to learn about ancient Cynicism. Our modern use of this label has a notable pejorative tone. In modern terms, cynics are people who always expect the worst to happen. Who were the ancient Cynics? They were a group of philosophers who challenged all the rules of polite society. They didn’t believe in luxury or even put much value in possessions or status. Their lives were austere and animalistic. The most famous Cynic was Diogenes. He lived in a wine barrel, masturbated in public, and once ate raw octopus. The word Cynics actually means “dog-like” (it’s related to the modern word “canine”). Some of their disregard for received wisdom does seem a bit hasty. He probably should have cooked that octopus…

This book gives a wide range of brief texts that span several centuries of the ancient world and reveal the ever-present influence of this important school. Not all of the texts are written by Cynics. They would have placed as little value on the prestige of producing written philosophy as they did in other social ventures. Some of the texts attack the Cynics of their age for focusing on appearances: wearing shabby clothes and a long bushy beard. This aesthetic must have been popular but it seems that some people didn’t go beyond it. Were the Cynics the original hipsters? Upper class nobs who dressed “shabby chic” and gave the appearance of being counter cultural while still enjoying daddy’s trust fund. Or maybe these critics were just building straw men.

This is a cool collection that includes an interesting range of sources. There are selections of the biography of Diogenes from book 6 of the Lives of the Eminent Philosophers by Diogenes Laertius’ (no relation). I was surprised at how little of this text was presented, but I guess large portions of it might not be genuine. I wish we had learned more about Hipparchia, a fascinating figure, one of the few female philosophers from antiquity that we know much of anything about. There is a fictional letter to her from her husband Crates, which is fascinating, but she and Crates also both have biographies in Diogenes Laertius. Another really interesting chapter in the volume includes selections from a treatise of the philosopher-emperor Julian the Apostate. This is a fascinating text that offers a look into a very different period of antiquity, approximately 70 years after Diogenes the Cynic. The final chapter is a biography of the saint Symeon the Stylite, which the editor of the volume suggests also draws on Cynic principles, but this one felt less relevant to me. Sure, ascetic Christians also swam against the current of their epoch and lived lives of austerity. But were they Cynics? I am not expert in this field, so maybe there is a scholar out there who can make a more convincing argument, but for a general audience, I would rather stick to the more obvious cases. Regardless, it is a fascinating collection and the provocative title and wise content definitely fits the age that we are living in. We need more Cynics in the world and fewer cynics.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing and accessible collection of anecdotes about cynic and cynic-adjacent (saint Symeon) figures through antiquity. I appreciated the quality of the citations in the notes section, so that beginner readers can get some additional info and context to some terms used and figures mentioned.

A few points of criticism:

- It may have been useful to properly clarify that "saying no", as phrased in the title, seems to refer most accurately to "strengthening yourself to refuse worldly pleasures". I kept waiting for advice about more interpersonal assertiveness, but that's definitely not what this was about.

- This is an accessible and entry-level work, so I'm not sure why all of the left-hand pages needed to contain the Latin and Greek original versions of what was translated for us on the right-hand pages. The part of the book you read is effectively only half (the right-hand half), and it's half as long as it seems to be (and thus a very quick read).

- Why spend so long with a Christian saint? He was neither inspired by, nor following, nor basing his ways in the same belief system as the cynic philosophers. He felt like a very odd inclusion after, for example, the very comprehensive speech from Emperor Julian about how simply copying a cynic doesn't make you one.
While the cynics sometimes compared their "needing little or nothing" way of living to that of their (Pagan) Gods, they also focused heavily - as the work goes to lengths to teach you - on how living in accordance with nature, and thus living a philosophically virtuous life, was its own motivation and reward, and their reason for adopting their way of life.
Symeon was stated to believe that God told him to perform great feats of endurance in order to attract and convert un-believers to Christianity. I don't see anything beyond pure surface appearances that makes him a cynic. maybe the work just failed to go into this and more compelling detail is found elsewhere?

[White Cat reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

The philosophers discussed in this book refer to a notion of truth, yet they never clearly specify what kind of truth they are seeking. It feels as though they intend to teach something meaningful, but ultimately, they don’t. Much of the book is spent praising men who lived in ancient times. The Cynics, in particular, come across as an all-male sect making declarations of which, to me, only about twenty percent are worth paying attention to.
Their words form a fascinating narrative, but considering how much more complex the modern world has become, I find their ideas difficult to apply today. They oppose pompous and pretentious ways of living, yet their own manner of expressing simplicity, parading around in torn clothes and calling it a “simple life”, feels pretentious in its own right.
They often compare humans to plants and animals, claiming that these beings do not seek happiness outside themselves. But how can one truly compare the life of a plant to that of a human? To me, the Cynics sound more like “luxurious beggars.” They deliberately exposed themselves to hardship and pain to strengthen their mental endurance, which I find difficult to understand. Perhaps that’s because I relate more to Schopenhauer’s philosophy, which sees a happy life simply as the avoidance of pain.
The book’s title, How to Say No, is somewhat misleading. There was little in it that directly addressed this idea. I’m left wondering whether my disappointment lies with the author or with the Cynics themselves. I had expected more, as I was genuinely eager to learn about Cynic philosophy. In the end, the book felt less like a guide and more like a collection of letters.

[Metal Nyankos · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book. Unfortunately it did not live up to it's (very intriguing) name and premise - it read more like a draft than a final copy. However, it's a decent overview of Cynic philosophy and also touches on Cynics beyond Diogenes. This book would make a good starting point for reading about Diogenes and Cynic thought before jumping into something heavier and more analytical like Diogenes the Cynic: Sayings and Anecdotes, with Other Popular Moralists.

[Luke Southard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn’t say this was a great introduction to Diogenes because it’s pretty short and often deals with people who weren’t Diogenes but it WAS a pretty interesting read.

I wouldn’t BUY it, but if your library has a copy, you should check it out. Diogenes is pretty overlooked as far as philosophy goes but he was an entertaining troll who walked the walk. I mean, he lived in a BARREL for crying out loud. He was begging one day and someone asked what he was doing and he said “practicing being refused.”

So interesting.

[Buket · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book I’ve read in the “How to” series (the first being How to Die, which I loved) and it’s a bit of a disappointment. I picked this book up because I wanted to read more about Diogenes but the book mostly comprised of a deep dive of Cynicism. Unlike “How to Die,” this book also had no flow to it. It simply went from one text to the next. If you’re interested in Greek Cynicism, this is your book. If you’re interested in Diogenes specifically, I would look elsewhere.

[TheTeapot · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple introduction to the Cynic ethos, told through the surprisingly effective means of various epistles and excerpts.

Despite it being a relatively basic and indirect exploration of Cynicism I found it nonetheless insightful, adding a little more depth to my amateur understanding of their underlying beliefs and core arguments.

[Ray Faure · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before we look for man, we must have found the lantern.—Will it have to be the Cynic's lantern?
Friedrich Nietzsche, Human, All-Too-Human

This book was a fun little flicker of light rather than the lantern Nietzsche envisioned in the modern Diogenes.

[Prateek Chaubey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes from this one given all the hype around it. Have to say I'm left disappointed. The book has decent selections from cynic philosophy. It paints the broad picture well highlighting the cynic way of life and their convictions. But it leaves a lot more to be desired.

[Pavlovslover · Rating 3 out of 5]

the first sections with the quotes from diogenes were the most compelling, the rest afterward, you could take it or leave it. read the first like 3-4 sections and then call it quits. those first ones are gold

[Ross Cohen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great! Could do without the Christians, but that's more to do with me than them.

[Nick Heim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really short book on a history of "fuck you" and the rejection of worldly wealth. Not the best one I've read, and the title is misleading. But it's a good intro to Cynicism.

[Connor Hudson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite hard to take too much away from this book. Maybe philosophy books aren’t for me…

[Penthesilea · Rating 5 out of 5]

i hate this book.

[Stephanie S · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to read more about this topic but this particular book wasn’t a great read

[Gabriela Piloni · Rating 3 out of 5]

cool little snippets and the writing is funny, but there's no cohesiveness and very little context to the texts

[JW · Rating 3 out of 5]

Should have been titled "How to Troll Better."

[Rye]

"What are 'profit,' 'an account book,' and 'interest' other than names made up for human greed that exceeds the bounds of Nature?"

[Acchiu_lu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting topic

[Atrona Grizel (Sov8840)]

I don’t want understanding. I want a presence that doesn't recoil when I arrive barefoot and unspoken. Something that does not flinch when I bring nothing but dust.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn't very useful as an actual guide to "how to say no", but was an excellent collection of interesting short historical stories and anecdotes mainly from cynics and others related to them.

[Gijs Limonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars; these guides have something unassuming and likeable; opening up ancient texts for modern day readers to enjoy; and you're always struck by how relevant these observations and experiences are; besides a millennium or two there is really nothing that separates our experiences in life from theirs.

[William Hartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impressive

Great piece of work. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series of books. Hopefully, the rest are as good as this was.

[Laurie Mercer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only negative thing about this book is that it makes me ask myself the question would I be better off living in a barrel in Greece?