Of what use is a philosopher who doesn't hurt anybody's feelings?
A friend is one soul abiding in two bodies.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True friendship is characterized by a deep connection between two people who share a profound understanding of each other.
This quote by Diogenes highlights the essence of friendship as a unique bond where two individuals connect on such a deep level that they almost become one entity. It implies that genuine friendship transcends superficial interactions, allowing friends to share thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a way that creates a singular, unified soul, even while residing in separate bodies.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the power of bonds, one might say, 'As Diogenes said, A friend is one soul abiding in two bodies, illustrating the unity we share with those we care about.'
More from Diogenes
All quotes βThe art of being a slave is to rule one's master.
As a matter of self-preservation, a man needs good friends or ardent enemies, for the former instruct him and the latter take him to task.
I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world.
We come into the world alone and we die alone. Why, in life, should we be any less alone?
All things are in common among friends.
Similar quotes
Do not keep on with a mockery of friendship after the substance is gone - but part, while you can part friends. Bury the carcass of friendship: it is not worth embalming.
He accused me of being Dumbledore's man through and through." "How very rude of him." "I told him I was." Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again. Fawkes the phoenix let out a low, soft, musical cry. To Harry's intense embarrassment, he suddenly realized that Dumbledore's bright blue eyes looked rather watery, and stared hastily at his own knee. When Dumbledore spoke, however, his voice was quite steady. "I am very touched, Harry.
Friendship is like love at its best; not blind but sympathetically all-seeing; a support which does not wait for understanding; an act of faith which does not need, but always has, reason.
The reason we race isn't so much to beat each other... but to be with each other.
I think that women definitely have a special bond as friends that is hard to describe to men, and we don't often see that portrayed narratively.
Dogs are easier to love than people; they're certainly more dependable. Once they love you, that's it. A true friend in life is a dog.