"Among what he called his precepts were such as these: Do not stir the fire with a sword. Do not sit down on a bushel. Do not devour thy heart."

Diogenes Laërtius Philosophy See all quotes by Diogenes Laërtius →

React to this quote

More by Diogenes Laërtius

See all

“Wealth is the sinews of affairs.”

“The question was put to him, what hope is; and his answer was, "The dream of a waking man.”

“Bion used to say that the way to the shades below was easy; he could go there with his eyes shut.”

“It takes a wise man to discover a wise man.”

“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.”

“Socrates said, "Those who want fewest things are nearest to the gods.”

Resonant Thoughts

"But the only encounter killings Congress has taken to heart are those that led to killing of known terrorists like Sohrabuddin, Javed Sheikh, Zeeshan Johar, and Amjad Ali Rana who have been openly own…"

— Amit Shah

Politics1964

#justice

"Once a woman has given you her heart you can never get rid of the rest of her."

— John Vanbrugh

Literature1664–1726

#love

"I thought that a Jewish state would be free of the evils afflicting other societies: theft, murder, prostitution... But now we have them all. And that’s a thing that cuts to the heart ..."

— Golda Meir

Politics1898–1978

#love

"The city and the crowd unidealise love; and love, in the young warm heart of a girl, should be a dream apart from all commoner emotions — as sweet and as ethereal as the blush with which it is born an…"

— Letitia Elizabeth Landon

Literature1802–1838

#love