Wikiquote gives this sunshine version of the reply to Alexander. The accessible Laërtius text instead says “Stand out of my light.” The anecdote is traceable, but this English translation is not pinned.
“Stand a little out of my sunshine” — Diogenes of Sinope
Can you use it?
? We couldn’t establish where this was first published, so there’s no rights status to give. Credit it as shown above — just don’t present it as public domain, and get permission for commercial or published reuse.
Image direction — grounded in this quote’s real context; paste into your image tool
In context
Evoking the world of Diogenes of Sinope — Ancient Cynic philosopher. Theme: "Stand a little out of my sunshine". Atmospheric and restrained, cinematic directional light, a muted period-appropriate palette, fine grain and texture. Compose with generous empty space for the quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
Minimalist
Minimalist editorial slide for the quote "Stand a little out of my sunshine". Clean background, a single muted accent color, generous negative space, subtle paper or linen texture, no literal illustration — let the words carry it. Reserve clear space for a serif quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
Provenance
What the source establishes
Documented trail
Plutarch, Alexander 14; wording and reference supplied by Wikiquote. Compare Diogenes Laërtius 6.38.
Evidence
Attribution and wording limits stated below
Stand out of my light.
A short excerpt from the cited source; it may differ from the popular wording above.
Read the source ↗ — Wikiquote gives this sunshine version of the reply to Alexander. The accessible Laërtius text instead says “Stand out of my light.” The anecdote is traceable, but this English translation is not pinned.
The exact sunshine version is not tied to a dated English translation; no public-domain claim is made for it.
Rights status is our research, not legal advice — and copyright varies by country and edition. For commercial or published use, confirm with the rightsholder. See terms.
Explore
Filed under
More provenance-checked quotes on the same theme, each with its reuse status.
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.
For writers & researchers
Cite this
The primary source (Chicago)
Plutarch, Alexander 14; wording and reference supplied by Wikiquote. Compare Diogenes Laërtius 6.38.
This verification page
Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘Stand a little out of my sunshine’?” Last verified 9 Nov 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/stand-a-little-out-of-my-sunshine/