--- title: "9 Stanford Quotes By Philip Zimbardo" description: "9 Stanford quotes by Philip Zimbardo. Plus more from Philip Zimbardo and more Stanford sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5f/philip-zimbardo-8654_class_the-stanford-prison-experiment-came-out_1280410.png" --- > [The Stanford prison experiment came out of class exercises in which I encouraged students to understand the dynamics of prison life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/the-stanford-prison-experiment-came-out-of-class-exercises-in-which-i/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5f/philip-zimbardo-8654_class_the-stanford-prison-experiment-came-out_1280410.png) > [I started studying shyness in adults in 1972. Shyness operates at so many different levels. Out of that research came the Stanford…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/i-started-studying-shyness-in-adults-in-1972-shyness-operates-at-so/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ef/philip-zimbardo-8654_adults_i-started-studying-shyness-in-adults-in_1787777.jpg) > [The first time I spoke publicly about the Stanford Prison Experiment, Stanley Milgram told me: "Your study is going to take all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/the-first-time-i-spoke-publicly-about-the-stanford-prison-experiment/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/philip-zimbardo-8654_ethical_the-first-time-i-spoke-publicly-about-th_485881.jpg) > [We like to think there is this core of human nature – that good people can't do bad things, and that good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/we-like-to-think-there-is-this-core-of-human-nature-that-good-people/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60e/philip-zimbardo-8654_bad-situation_we-like-to-think-there-is-this-core-of-h_1988869.png) > [There was zero time for reflection. We had to feed the prisoners three meals a day, deal with the prisoner breakdowns, deal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/there-was-zero-time-for-reflection-we-had-to-feed-the-prisoners-three/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a07/philip-zimbardo-8654_behind-my-back_there-was-zero-time-for-reflection-we-ha_2256391.png) > [ The \[Stanford Prison Experiment\] was readily approved by the Human Subjects Research committee because it seemed like college kids playing cops and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/the-stanford-prison-experiment-was-readily-approved-by-the-human/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/189/philip-zimbardo-8654_approved_the-stanford-prison-experiment-was-readi_274049.jpg) > [This is the woman who stopped the Stanford Prison Study. When I said it got out of control, I was the prison…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/this-is-the-woman-who-stopped-the-stanford-prison-study-when-i-said/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9d/philip-zimbardo-8654_boys_this-is-the-woman-who-stopped-the-stanfo_2462145.png) > [In one sense, the Stanford prison study is more like a Greek drama than a traditional experiment, in that we have humanity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/in-one-sense-the-stanford-prison-study-is-more-like-a-greek-drama/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbb/philip-zimbardo-8654_bad-situation_in-one-sense-the-stanford-prison-study-i_816170.jpg) > [We all like to think that the line between good and evil is impermeable--that people who do terrible things, such as commit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/we-all-like-to-think-that-the-line-between-good-and-evil-is/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eec/philip-zimbardo-8654_commit_we-all-like-to-think-that-the-line-betwe_2190546.png) ## Other authors on Stanford ## More by Philip Zimbardo > [One can't live mindfully without being enmeshed in psychological processes that are around us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/one-can-t-live-mindfully-without-being-enmeshed-in-psychological/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [When someone is anonymous, it opens the door to all kinds of antisocial behavior, as seen by the Ku Klux Klan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/when-someone-is-anonymous-it-opens-the-door-to-all-kinds-of/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [It was God who created hell as a place to store evil. He didn't do a good job of keeping it there though.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/it-was-god-who-created-hell-as-a-place-to-store-evil-he-didn-t-do-a/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [That human behavior is more influenced by things outside of us than inside. The 'situation' is the external environment. The inner environment is genes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/that-human-behavior-is-more-influenced-by-things-outside-of-us-than/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [The "Lucifer Effect" describes the point in time when an ordinary, normal person first crosses the boundary between good and evil to engage in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/the-lucifer-effect-describes-the-point-in-time-when-an-ordinary/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [Time perspective is one of the most powerful influences on all of human behavior. We're trying to show how people become biased to being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/time-perspective-is-one-of-the-most-powerful-influences-on-all-of/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [ The \[Stanford Prison Experiment\] was readily approved by the Human Subjects Research committee because it seemed like college kids playing cops and robbers, it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/the-stanford-prison-experiment-was-readily-approved-by-the-human/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [A good cult delivers on its promises. A good cult nourishes the needs of its members, has transparency and integrity, and creates provisions for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/a-good-cult-delivers-on-its-promises-a-good-cult-nourishes-the-needs/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [We can assume that most people, most of the time, are moral creatures. But imagine that this morality is like a gearshift that at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/we-can-assume-that-most-people-most-of-the-time-are-moral-creatures/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [I'm saying to be a hero is means you step across the line and are willing to make a sacrifice, so heroes always are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/i-m-saying-to-be-a-hero-is-means-you-step-across-the-line-and-are/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [Most of the evil of the world comes about not out of evil motives, but somebody saying 'get with the program, be a team…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/most-of-the-evil-of-the-world-comes-about-not-out-of-evil-motives-but/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [The first time I spoke publicly about the Stanford Prison Experiment, Stanley Milgram told me: "Your study is going to take all the ethical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/the-first-time-i-spoke-publicly-about-the-stanford-prison-experiment/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [Boys' brains are being digitally rewired for change, novelty, excitement and constant arousal. That means they're totally out of sync in traditional classes, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/boys-brains-are-being-digitally-rewired-for-change-novelty-excitement/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [Research shows that the deciscions of a group as a whole are more thoughtful and creative when there is minority dissent than when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/research-shows-that-the-deciscions-of-a-group-as-a-whole-are-more/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [Boys are 30 percent more likely than girls to drop out of school. In Canada, five boys drop out for every three girls. Girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/boys-are-30-percent-more-likely-than-girls-to-drop-out-of-school-in/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stanford/philip-zimbardo/#itemlist", "name": "9 Stanford Quotes By Philip Zimbardo", "numberOfItems": 9, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Stanford prison experiment came out of class exercises in which I encouraged students to understand the dynamics of prison life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Philip Zimbardo" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/the-stanford-prison-experiment-came-out-of-class-exercises-in-which-i/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5f/philip-zimbardo-8654_class_the-stanford-prison-experiment-came-out_1280410.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5f/philip-zimbardo-8654_class_the-stanford-prison-experiment-came-out_1280410.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5f/philip-zimbardo-8654_class_the-stanford-prison-experiment-came-out_1280410.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The Stanford prison experiment came out of class exercises in which I encouraged students to understand the…” — Philip Zimbardo", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I started studying shyness in adults in 1972. 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Infact, when we look at the Stanford prison studies, that we put good people in an evil place, and we saw who won. 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We had to feed the prisoners three meals a day, deal with the prisoner breakdowns, deal with their parents, run a parole board. By the third day I was sleeping in my office. I had become the superintendent of the Stanford county jail. That was who I was: I'm not the researcher at all. Even my posture changes--when I walk through the prison yard, I'm walking with my hands behind my back, which I never in my life do, the way generals walk when they're inspecting troops.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Philip Zimbardo" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/there-was-zero-time-for-reflection-we-had-to-feed-the-prisoners-three/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a07/philip-zimbardo-8654_behind-my-back_there-was-zero-time-for-reflection-we-ha_2256391.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a07/philip-zimbardo-8654_behind-my-back_there-was-zero-time-for-reflection-we-ha_2256391.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a07/philip-zimbardo-8654_behind-my-back_there-was-zero-time-for-reflection-we-ha_2256391.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There was zero time for reflection. 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You must distinguish hind sight from fore sight, knowing what you know now after the study is quite different from what most people imagined might happen before the study began.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Philip Zimbardo" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/the-stanford-prison-experiment-was-readily-approved-by-the-human/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/189/philip-zimbardo-8654_approved_the-stanford-prison-experiment-was-readi_274049.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/189/philip-zimbardo-8654_approved_the-stanford-prison-experiment-was-readi_274049.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/189/philip-zimbardo-8654_approved_the-stanford-prison-experiment-was-readi_274049.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The [Stanford Prison Experiment] was readily approved by the Human Subjects Research committee because it…” — Philip Zimbardo", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 7, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "This is the woman who stopped the Stanford Prison Study. When I said it got out of control, I was the prison superintendent. I didn't know it was out of control. I was totally indifferent. She came down, saw that madhouse and said, \"You know what, it's terrible what you're doing to those boys. They're not prisoners, they're not guards, they're boys, and you are responsible.\" And I ended the study the next day. 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The question is, does the goodness of the people overwhelm the bad situation, or does the bad situation overwhelm the good people?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Philip Zimbardo" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/in-one-sense-the-stanford-prison-study-is-more-like-a-greek-drama/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbb/philip-zimbardo-8654_bad-situation_in-one-sense-the-stanford-prison-study-i_816170.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbb/philip-zimbardo-8654_bad-situation_in-one-sense-the-stanford-prison-study-i_816170.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbb/philip-zimbardo-8654_bad-situation_in-one-sense-the-stanford-prison-study-i_816170.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In one sense, the Stanford prison study is more like a Greek drama than a traditional experiment, in that we…” — Philip Zimbardo", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We all like to think that the line between good and evil is impermeable--that people who do terrible things, such as commit murder, treason, or kidnapping, are on the evil side of this line, and the rest of us could never cross it. But the Stanford Prison Experiment and the Milgram studies revealed the permeability of that line. Some people are on the good side only because situations have never coerced or seduced them to cross over.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Philip Zimbardo" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/we-all-like-to-think-that-the-line-between-good-and-evil-is/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eec/philip-zimbardo-8654_commit_we-all-like-to-think-that-the-line-betwe_2190546.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eec/philip-zimbardo-8654_commit_we-all-like-to-think-that-the-line-betwe_2190546.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eec/philip-zimbardo-8654_commit_we-all-like-to-think-that-the-line-betwe_2190546.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We all like to think that the line between good and evil is impermeable--that people who do terrible things…” — Philip Zimbardo", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stanford/philip-zimbardo/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stanford/philip-zimbardo/", "name": "Stanford Quotes by Philip Zimbardo", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stanford/philip-zimbardo/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5f/philip-zimbardo-8654_class_the-stanford-prison-experiment-came-out_1280410.png" }, "description": "9 Stanford quotes by Philip Zimbardo. 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