The scholarly translation presents a related challenge about a philosopher who has upset nobody, specifically in a remark about Plato. It supports the ancient connection, but the exact popular English phrasing was not pinned to an inspected edition.
“Of what use is a philosopher who doesn't hurt anybody's feelings?” — Diogenes of Sinope
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Plutarch, fragment 203, recorded through Themistios in Stobaeus 3.13.68; translated at Sententiae Antiquae, 28 May 2017.
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practiced philosophy for a long time
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Read the source ↗ — The scholarly translation presents a related challenge about a philosopher who has upset nobody, specifically in a remark about Plato. It supports the ancient connection, but the exact popular English phrasing was not pinned to an inspected edition.
The popular translation is not pinned. The linked contemporary translation also has its own wording; ancient authorship is not an English reuse license.
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Diogenes of Sinope is identified in the cited material as the ancient cynic philosopher. This page distinguishes the documented source trail from a claim of verbatim personal testimony.
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The primary source (Chicago)
Plutarch, fragment 203, recorded through Themistios in Stobaeus 3.13.68; translated at Sententiae Antiquae, 28 May 2017.
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Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘Of what use is a philosopher who doesn't hurt anybody's feelings?’?” Last verified 9 Nov 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/of-what-use-is-a-philosopher-who-doesnt-hurt-anybodys/