The Story of Diogenes and the philosophy of marketing

End with A Story

Ideas are often better presented as stories, so, that is what we will do. This is a story about an old Greek philosopher named Diogenes.

The first thing to know about Diogenes is that, if he lived today, he would probably be immediately sent to a psychiatric ward or jail. This is a man who lived in clay houses he made on the street, urinated on people who ridiculed him and was often seen “pleasuring himself” publicly.

Yet, Diogenes is known as a brilliant man. He is the father of cynicism, and he lived his life in a way that questioned all the norms of his society. Diogenes wanted to live like an animal and was often compared to a dog (which he saw as a compliment). He believed that man had complicated our existence. He was envious of animals and believed that they were experiencing reality the correct way, without stressors that were artificially made by man.

Stressors like social status, putting too much importance on the things you own, finding a romantic partner, etc.… Diogenes saw these abstract social constructs that mean so much to us and chose to spend his life ignoring them.

Diogenes Meeting Alexander the Great

To get a better understanding of how intense Diogenes’ beliefs were, here is a story about when Diogenes met Alexander the Great. It is no surprise that Alexander the Great was incredibly powerful and influential. He heard of the stories and the writings of Diogenes and was intrigued. One day, Alexander decided to visit Diogenes in Athens.

When Alexander saw Diogenes on the street, he told him that he admired Diogenes and he would be willing to offer Diogenes anything he desired. He did this out of admiration and somewhat to brag about his status. Without hesitation, Diogenes cashed in his favor and asked Alexander to move out of his sunlight.

When Alexander left Athens, he said if he were not Alexander the great, he would wish to be Diogenes.

How Does Diogenes Relate to The Philosophy of Digital Marketing?

The question that should be asked is why are we talking about a man who shuffled through trash and lived on the street thousands of years after he passed? Diogenes did what every great marketing campaign hopes to do, he made people remember.

He was not the only homeless person in Athens, but with his quick wit, his ability to stay true to his beliefs, and his willingness to go against the norms, he garnered the attention of millions of people throughout history.

Let us learn from Diogenes and not fear going against standard marketing practices. We have to remember that the most important thing is user behavior and if people enjoy what you have to say. Stay true to the philosophy of digital marketing and make your content for people, not just for keywords.