William B. Irvine Quotes

“Diogenes believed hunger to be the best appetizer, and because he waited until he was hungry or thirsty before he ate or drank, he used to partake of a barley cake with greater pleasure than others did of the costliest of foods, and enjoyed a drink from a stream of running water more than others did their Thasian wine.”

“Pre-Socratic philosophy begins with the discovery of nature; Socratic philosophy begins with the discovery of man's soul.”

“We humans are unhappy in large part because we are insatiable; after working hard to get what we want, we routinely lose interest in the object of our desire. Rather than feeling satisfied, we feel a bit bored, and in response to this boredom, we go on to form new, even grander desires.”