[10,21] Καὶ πότερον ἄμεινον, εἶπεν, ἀκούοντα ὧν χρὴ καταδῦσαι τὸν ἥλιον ἢ βαδίζοντα μάτην; ὁμοίως δ´ ἐπὶ πάντων σχεδὸν ὅσων ἄπεστιν ἐμπειρία τοῦ χρῆσθαι χαλεπὸν τὸ προθυμεῖσθαι, μείζω δὲ τὴν βλάβην γενέσθαι εἰκὸς ἀπὸ τῶν μειζόνων. ἦ οὖν δοκεῖ σοι ὁμοία εἶναι ἡ ὄνου χρῆσις τῇ ἵππου; Πόθεν; Τί δέ; ἡ ἀνθρώπου τῇ θεοῦ; Ἀλλ´ οὐδὲ λέγειν ἄξιον, ἔφη, ὦ Διόγενες. Ἔστιν οὖν ὃς αὑτῷ χρῆσθαι δύναται, οὐ γιγνώσκων αὑτόν; Καὶ πῶς; εἶπεν. Ὁ γὰρ ἄνθρωπον ἀγνοῶν ἀδύνατος ἀνθρώπῳ χρῆσθαι. Ἀδύνατος γάρ.

[10,21] "And is it not botter," said he, " to let the sun go down if one is listening to useful words than to go on an idle journey? "And likewise in almost all cases where practical experience in 'using' is lacking, it is difficult to be zealous, and the damage is likely to be greater where the things concerned are greater. Do you, then, think that the ` use ' of an ass is like the 'use' of a horse ? " "Of course not." "Well, then, is the use of a man like the `use' of a god? " "But that question does not deserve an answer, Diogenes," said he. " Is there anyone, then, who can make use of himself who does not know himself? " "How could he? " replied the other. "Because the one who does not understand man is unable to 'use' man? " "Yes, because he cannot."

[10,22] Ὁ δὴ αὑτὸν ἀγνοῶν οὐκ ἂν ἔχοι αὑτῷ χρῆσθαι; Δοκεῖ μοι. Ἤδη οὖν ἀκήκοας τὸ ἐν Δελφοῖς γράμμα τὸ Γνῶθι σαυτόν; Ἔγωγε. Οὔκουν δῆλον ὅτι ὁ θεὸς κελεύει πᾶσιν ὡς οὐκ εἰδόσιν αὑτούς; Ἔοικεν. Εἷς ἄρα τῶν πάντων καὶ σὺ εἴης ἄν; Πῶς γὰρ οὔ; Οὐκ ἄρα οὐδὲ σὺ γιγνώσκεις αὑτόν; Οὔ μοι δοκῶ. Σεαυτὸν δὲ ἀγνοῶν ἄνθρωπον ἀγνοεῖς, ἄνθρωπον δὲ οὐκ εἰδὼς χρῆσθαι ἀνθρώπῳ οὐ δυνατὸς εἶ, ἀνθρώπῳ δὲ χρῆσθαι ἀδύνατος ὢν θεῷ ἐπιχειρεῖς, ὃ τῷ παντὶ μεῖζον καὶ χαλεπώτερον ἐκείνου ὁμολογοῦμεν εἶναι.

[10,22]"So he who does not understand himself would not be able to make use of himself, would he ? " "I believe not." " Have you ever heard of the inscription at Delphi : Know thyself ' ? " " I have." "Is it not plain that the god gives this command to all, in the belief that they do not know themselves? " "It would seem so." "You, therefore, would be included in the `all' ? " " Certainly." " So then you also do not know yourself ? " "I believe not." "And not knowing yourself, you do not know man ; and not knowing man, you are unable to 'use ' man ; and yet, although you are unable to ' use' a man, you are attempting to 'use' a god, an attempt which we agree is altogether the greater and more difficult of the two.