Great post! One of my college professors told a story about Diogenes that has always stuck with me:

Once, when the city of Corinth was under imminent attack and its citizens were running around in a panic, Diogenes began calmly pushing his tub up and down a hill. Someone asked him (essentially), "What the hell are you doing?" Diogenes replied (essentially), "Just making myself as useful as the rest of you people."