"What I like to drink most is wine that belongs to others"

Diogenes, the famously sardonic philosopher of ancient Greece, was known for his sharp wit, flouting of social conventions, and a keen sense of human folly. His remark about preferring wine that belongs to others operates on multiple levels, blending humor, irony, and a provocative perspective on human nature and societal values.

At the most superficial level, the statement is witty and irreverent, it is amusing to admit, without apology, a preference for enjoying things at others’ expense. This humor exposes a universal tendency toward self-interest: many people, whether they will admit it or not, enjoy pleasures more when they come without personal cost or effort. Drinking someone else’s wine is, in effect, the ultimate free ride, a moment of indulgence without responsibility.

On a deeper level, Diogenes’ mock-confession highlights attitudes toward property, generosity, and entitlement. By expressing a preference for someone else’s possession, he challenges the sanctity of ownership, a concept he often derided. Diogenes, who famously lived with few possessions and scorned material excess, turns the tables on societal expectations, suggesting a certain absurdity in craving or hoarding wealth. Wine, a luxurious and symbolic commodity, stands in for all the goods and pleasures people covet and guard, yet take less seriously when shared.

There is also a satirical critique of social dynamics at play. Drinking someone else’s wine could allude to the hypocrisy and self-indulgence present in the upper circles of Athenian society, where hospitality was often less about generosity and more about appearances. By laying bare his own “vice” in such a bald fashion, Diogenes exposes the pretense of propriety and shows how everyone, regardless of their philosophies or social status, harbors desires that contradict the ideals they profess.

Ultimately, the remark is quintessential Diogenes: a blend of comic mischief and philosophical provocation, encouraging laughter while inviting reflection on the nature of desire, ownership, and the pleasures of subverting societal norms.