Extravagance and comfort are placed on the chopping block in this collection of ancient Cynic works. M.D. Usher, the Lyman-Roberts professor of classical languages and literature at the University of Vermont, has assembled and translated numerous pieces from ancient Greek and Roman Cynics, as well as from those who defended the Cynics or at least applied some of their traits.
“How to Say No: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Cynicism” is part of Princeton University Press’s ongoing Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers series and discusses less about saying no to others than it does about saying no to oneself.
Diogenes: The Original Cynic
The great Cynic Diogenes takes center stage in the book, starting with the works of Laertius. Laertius presents Diogenes as a rather bombastic individual, who could easily come across as a blowhard—perhaps he was just that—and who was exiled by the Athenians. Known as a “moral watchdog,” Diogenes didn’t hide his feelings about his fellow Greeks, whom he viewed as living too extravagantly, and so constantly seemed to be offending people.
Laertius’s work begins with several speculations on why Diogenes was exiled. Though it isn’t mentioned, Diogenes’s behavior earned him the ire of his fellow citizens and could have easily resulted in his ostracism (the practice of voting to exile an unlikable person). Diogenes is later noted by Dio Chrysostom for ridiculing the winner of a race by suggesting that he had actually won nothing. By the end of the festivities, everyone was in a sour mood and went home. Along with being known as a moral watchdog, he could also be considered the Original Buzzkill. A certain well-known Greek named Plato described Diogenes as an insane version of Socrates.
Diogenes undoubtedly rubbed people the wrong way, but he was also greatly respected because he practiced what he preached. He did with less, whether it be food, drink, clothing, or shelter. His affinity for simplicity rubbed off on many people, and simple living soon became the practice of the Cynics. It was the practice of the hard life without complaining, which was a mode of Stoicism; the writings of the Stoics also reflect this appreciation for the hard life.
In a modern first-world country like the United States, the plethora of luxuries makes the practice of Cynicism difficult, if not impractical. Thousands of years ago, there were far fewer luxuries than we have today (like air conditioning, electricity, grocery stores, and smartphones, to name a few), so living the ultimate luxurious lifestyle then would seem like hardship today.
A Variety of Cynics
Usher references later individuals who practiced Cynicism, or at least a form of it, from Roman Emperor Julian to the Christian saint Symeon Stylites. As he spans the centuries, we get a feel for the variations of Cynicism, like that of Demonax, who unlike Diogenes had people come “away variously affected by joy, far more composed, cheerful, and optimistic about the future. ... He was all the while helpful to his friends and made an enemy of none.”The Christian theologian Theodoret wrote that Symeon was “as modest in spirit as if he were the last of all people in worth. In addition to his modest spirit he is very approachable, pleasant, and charming.”
This collection of numerous works on the subject of Cynicism is revelatory in that it presents one’s personal philosophy as a means of becoming a better person by saying “no” to certain niceties (or saying “yes” to certain things, like a beard in the comically expressed “Ode to the Beard” by Lucian of Samosata).
In a world and time where hardships are looked upon as curses, “How to Say No” suggests that hardships can be viewed as blessings and the quickest path to a virtuous life. From there, the reader can choose which type of Cynic he or she wishes to be: a Diogenes or a Demonax.
