Diogenes Posting is the internet practice of writing greentext stories and philosopher-panel memes about Ancient Greek Cynic Diogenes of Sinope, casting him as the original shitposter of Western thought. It started on 4chan's /his/ board in October 2015 and jumped to Tumblr and Reddit through 2016 into 2018, powered by real anecdotes like the plucked-chicken argument and the Alexander sunlight line.
Origin
The trend started on October 31, 2015, the same day 4chan opened its History & Humanities board, /his/[3]. In an early philosophy thread that day, posters called Diogenes "based," and follow-up threads across the next week labeled him "the original shitposter" and "/ourguy/." By November his image was being requested as board mascot material, and the "chad Diogenes vs virgin Plato" shorthand had settled in among /his/ regulars.
- Platform: 4chan /his/ (viral spread on Tumblr and Reddit)
- Creator: Unknown
- Date: 2015
Overview
Diogenes Posting is the practice of building greentext stories and philosopher-panel memes around the Ancient Greek Cynic Diogenes of Sinope, staged as if his real biographical anecdotes were proto-4chan shitposts. The most recycled bit is the "Behold the Man" argument, where Diogenes plucked a chicken and dropped it in Plato's Academy to refute Plato's definition of a human as a "featherless biped"[1].
In captioned philosopher panels he is drawn as the "chad" answer opposite a "virgin" Plato, with posters picking a real Diogenes story or dropping him into panels where he answers a modern debate with the bluntest, most obscene reply. The character owes his meme popularity to a mix of genuine ancient bite and the /his/ tradition of naming historical figures as "based" or "the original shitposter"[3].
How It Spread
The bit jumped off 4chan in 2016 via Tumblr. On October 1, 2016, user librarianarchy retold the "Behold the Man" story in a short post that gathered more than 205,000 notes over the following two and a half years. On January 5, 2017, user nonlinear-nonsubjective replied to a Tumblr thread arguing that a coconut could count as a mammal by dropping the plucked-chicken anecdote, and that reply rolled past 491,000 notes[1]. Both posts were reposted to Reddit soon after.
By August 2018 the philosopher-panel format took off on r/animemes, where Plato, Aristotle and Diogenes gave takes on divisive topics and Diogenes was usually drawn as the weeaboo of the three[3]. Explainer videos on YouTube also fed the trend, including a well-viewed Sam O'Nella Academy clip on the philosopher that handed newcomers the source anecdotes[2].
How to Use
Posters typically pick a real Diogenes story, like the plucked chicken or telling Alexander the Great to stop blocking his sunlight, and stage it as a greentext or a labelled philosopher panel. A common convention is drawing him as the "chad" or the weeaboo opposite a "virgin" Plato and having him answer a modern discourse question with the bluntest, most obscene reply[1].
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Diogenes Posting?
Greentext stories and philosopher-panel memes that cast the Ancient Greek Cynic Diogenes as an internet-era shitposter, often built around his real anecdotes such as the "Behold the Man" chicken argument against Plato[1].
Where did Diogenes Posting come from?
It began as 4chan /his/ greentexts in 2015 and reached wider audiences via viral Tumblr posts in 2016 and 2017 that retold Diogenes' anecdotes such as the plucked-chicken argument against Plato[1].
What does Diogenes Posting mean?
It treats Diogenes' real biographical stories, like him plucking a chicken to refute Plato's definition of a human as a "featherless biped," as proto-shitposts and jokes about him as the original online troll[1].
How do you use Diogenes Posting?
Take a Diogenes anecdote, such as the plucked-chicken retort to Plato's "featherless biped," and stage it as a greentext or as a philosopher-panel meme opposite Plato and Aristotle[1].
Is Diogenes Posting still popular?
It settled into a classic 4chan /his/ and philosophy-meme staple, and YouTube explainers like the Sam O'Nella Academy Diogenes clip still introduce new viewers to the source anecdotes[2].
