--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The ancient Greeks told of a philosopher…" description: "\"“The ancient Greeks told of a philosopher eating bread and lentils for dinner. He was approached by another man, who lived sumptuously by flattering th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/527/john-robbins-13829_ancient-greek_the-ancient-greeks-told-of-a-philosopher_714345.png" --- # The ancient Greeks told of a philosopher eating bread and… ![“The ancient Greeks told of a philosopher eating bread and lentils for dinner. He was approached by another man, who lived sumptuously by flattering the king. Said the flatterer, "If you would learn to be subservient to the king, you would not have to live on lentils." The philosopher replied, "If…” quote by John Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/527/john-robbins-13829_ancient-greek_the-ancient-greeks-told-of-a-philosopher_714345.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/527/john-robbins-13829_ancient-greek_the-ancient-greeks-told-of-a-philosopher_714345.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/527/john-robbins-13829_ancient-greek_the-ancient-greeks-told-of-a-philosopher_714345.png) > ““The ancient Greeks told of a philosopher eating bread and lentils for dinner. He was approached by another man, who lived sumptuously by flattering the king. Said the flatterer, "If you would learn to be subservient to the king, you would not have to live on lentils." The philosopher replied, "If you would learn to live on lentils, you would not have to give up your independence in order to be docile and acquiescent to the king.”” [John Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-robbins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Independence is valued over comfort; compromising freedom for ease is warned against. **In simple terms:** Freedom matters more than comfortable subservience. Key Takeaway Prioritize autonomy over easy comforts. Themes freedom comfort independence Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career choices - political alignment - personal lifestyle Key Concepts philosophy ethics politics Questions to Reflect On - What comforts might you be sacrificing independence for? - How do you maintain independence in a demanding environment? A Different Perspective Comfort can sometimes be a subtle form of control. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancient greek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient-greek/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) ## Related quotes > [This man has conquered the world! What have you done?" The philosopher replied without an instant's hesitation, "I have conquered the need to conquer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/this-man-has-conquered-the-world-what-have-you-done-the-philosopher/) [Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/) > [“After he cut off their genitals, Chronos threw them into the sea, where they floated in a "white foam." 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