--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There was a great joke that was forever…" description: "\"“There was a great joke that was forever doing the rounds in the jail and it was probably funny not because it had a humorous punchline but because it ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d50/h-m-forester-17957_humor_there-was-a-great-joke-that-was-forever_401004.jpg" --- # There was a great joke that was forever doing the rounds… ![“There was a great joke that was forever doing the rounds in the jail and it was probably funny not because it had a humorous punchline but because it was so very true at a deep psychological level. Put anyone in that jail and soon enough they'd actually become a cruel, twisted, sadistic and…” quote by H.M. Forester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d50/h-m-forester-17957_humor_there-was-a-great-joke-that-was-forever_401004.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d50/h-m-forester-17957_humor_there-was-a-great-joke-that-was-forever_401004.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d50/h-m-forester-17957_humor_there-was-a-great-joke-that-was-forever_401004.jpg) > ““There was a great joke that was forever doing the rounds in the jail and it was probably funny not because it had a humorous punchline but because it was so very true at a deep psychological level. Put anyone in that jail and soon enough they'd actually become a cruel, twisted, sadistic and heartless thug. And some of the prisoners were just as bad.”” [H.M. Forester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-m-forester/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A joke spreads in jail because it reflects deep truth: confinement breeds cruelty, and prisoners can become the very monsters they fear. **In simple terms:** Jail life reveals cruelty and dehumanization. Key Takeaway Recognize how environments shape behavior. Themes power psychology human nature Mood somber thoughtful Type literary psychological When to use this quote - prison reform - organizational culture - educational settings Key Concepts dehumanization environmental influence moral decay Questions to Reflect On - How does environment affect moral choices? - Can compassion counteract institutional cruelty? A Different Perspective May generalize beyond specific contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) [Prisoners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prisoners/) ## Related quotes > [Due to the fact that I experienced personally the situation of a political prisoner, I have an historical commitment to all those that were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dilma-rousseff/due-to-the-fact-that-i-experienced-personally-the-situation-of-a/) [Dilma Rousseff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dilma-rousseff/) > [I have a lot of fans who are in the prison system, where ramen noodles are a kind of staple. Prisoners are always sending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/i-have-a-lot-of-fans-who-are-in-the-prison-system-where-ramen-noodles/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [This is what happens in prisons I think you're not giving the prisoners the credit for how ingenious they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-davies/this-is-what-happens-in-prisons-i-think-you-re-not-giving-the/) Philip Davies > [“Any place you don’t want to stay becomes your prison! That’s why there are many prisoners all around the world who look like free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/any-place-you-don-t-want-to-stay-becomes-your-prison-that-s-why-there/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“The prisoners stand on the other side, three of whom require their own cages. He hands out the Eucharist through a sort of mail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-weber/the-prisoners-stand-on-the-other-side-three-of-whom-require-their-own/) Kerry Weber > [“It's too bad war makes people disappear like chess pieces, and that prisons turn prisoners into movie endings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/major-jackson/it-s-too-bad-war-makes-people-disappear-like-chess-pieces-and-that/) Major Jackson > [“Prisons are about addictions. Most prisoners are casualties of their own habits. They have all created victims, some in cruel and callous ways, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-reid/prisons-are-about-addictions-most-prisoners-are-casualties-of-their/) [Stephen Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-reid/) > [Better to make prime ministers out of prisoners than prisoners out of prime ministers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-caradon/better-to-make-prime-ministers-out-of-prisoners-than-prisoners-out-of/) Lord Caradon > [“Mirrors on the ceiling, The pink champagne on ice And she said 'We are all just prisoners here, of our own device' And in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-eagles/mirrors-on-the-ceiling-the-pink-champagne-on-ice-and-she-said-we-are/) [The Eagles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-eagles/) > [Prisoners at the bar, have you anything to say in your defence?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/prisoners-at-the-bar-have-you-anything-to-say-in-your-defence/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“This is far from the norm in other countries—like Germany, for instance, which allows (and even encourages) prisoners to vote.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/this-is-far-from-the-norm-in-other-countries-like-germany-for/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [If you take into account prisoners, a large majority of African American men in some urban areas, like Chicago, have been labeled felons for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/if-you-take-into-account-prisoners-a-large-majority-of-african/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [They came to know the incorrigible sorrow of all prisoners and exiles, which is to live in company with a memory that serves no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/they-came-to-know-the-incorrigible-sorrow-of-all-prisoners-and-exiles/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The same things that we hurray and support in other places, like people like Nelson Mandela, our prisoners were doing the same thing, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sekou-odinga/the-same-things-that-we-hurray-and-support-in-other-places-like/) [Sekou Odinga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sekou-odinga/) > [Prisoners have benefited disproportionately from 'rights inflation' - the expansion of human rights into unforeseen nooks and crannies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-raab/prisoners-have-benefited-disproportionately-from-rights-inflation-the/) [Dominic Raab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-raab/) ## More by H.M. Forester > [“It's no use preaching to the choir. The rulebook, evidence, and good, old-fashioned fact-checking – let alone human decency – have been thrown out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-forester/it-s-no-use-preaching-to-the-choir-the-rulebook-evidence-and-good-old/) [H.M. Forester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-m-forester/) > [“Now, sorcery rules the world. Of course, most don't call it sorcery; indeed, many would be horrified by such a notion. Instead, they use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-forester/now-sorcery-rules-the-world-of-course-most-don-t-call-it-sorcery/) [H.M. Forester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-m-forester/) > [“Smoking is suicide by instalments.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-forester/smoking-is-suicide-by-instalments/) [H.M. Forester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-m-forester/) > [“A motto of many politicians, public servants and money bags: Ask not 'What can I do for you?' but 'What can I do you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-forester/a-motto-of-many-politicians-public-servants-and-money-bags-ask-not/) [H.M. Forester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-m-forester/) > [“An angry man will find himself in an angry world, and a swindler will find himself in a world of thieves whom he dare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-forester/an-angry-man-will-find-himself-in-an-angry-world-and-a-swindler-will/) [H.M. Forester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-m-forester/) > [“All those old myths and legends and fairytales didn't just appear out of nowhere for no good reason, you know. They came about because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-forester/all-those-old-myths-and-legends-and-fairytales-didn-t-just-appear-out/) [H.M. Forester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-m-forester/) > [“Their methods were especially crude and most of these former friends were now born again model citizens; lobotomized; or burnt out shells.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-forester/their-methods-were-especially-crude-and-most-of-these-former-friends/) [H.M. Forester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-m-forester/) > [“The use of drugs is not an effective means of facilitating real escape. It merely gives that erroneous and illusive impression. Well, illusive with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-forester/the-use-of-drugs-is-not-an-effective-means-of-facilitating-real/) [H.M. Forester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-m-forester/) > [ “These technical impediments \[... things like ignorance, impatience, unexamined assumptions, habit ...\] get in the way of what would otherwise occur or develop quite… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-forester/these-technical-impediments-things-like-ignorance-impatience/) [H.M. Forester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-m-forester/) > [“The worst of all was to be faced with the interrogation technique of Thirty Seconds. The interrogator would say something and you had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-forester/the-worst-of-all-was-to-be-faced-with-the-interrogation-technique-of/) [H.M. Forester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-m-forester/) > [“When it came to dealing with feral dissidents, there was only one unwritten law that superseded all others: "An' it secure a conviction, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-forester/when-it-came-to-dealing-with-feral-dissidents-there-was-only-one/) [H.M. Forester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-m-forester/) > [“Welcome to Level 2. Or, as it is sometimes affectionately referred to by the Friends: God's Little Joke.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-forester/welcome-to-level-2-or-as-it-is-sometimes-affectionately-referred-to/) [H.M. Forester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-m-forester/) > [“All those old myths and legends and fairytales didn't just appear out of nowhere for no good reason, you know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-forester/all-those-old-myths-and-legends-and-fairytales-didn-t-just-appear-out-2/) [H.M. Forester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-m-forester/) > [“Real patience is not the same as waiting impatiently for something for a long time. Patience is having patience with patience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-forester/real-patience-is-not-the-same-as-waiting-impatiently-for-something/) [H.M. Forester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-m-forester/) > [“And yes, given our circumstances, in this post-enlightenment era of post-trust, post-truth, post-rationality, post-honour, and post-chivalry; as meaningless non-entities in a disenchanted and mechanistic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-forester/and-yes-given-our-circumstances-in-this-post-enlightenment-era-of/) [H.M. Forester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-m-forester/) [Explore all 36 H.M. Forester quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-m-forester/) ## More Humor quotes > ['Mad TV' is one of my most favorite shows of all time and is a huge part of my obsession with sketch comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-dawson/mad-tv-is-one-of-my-most-favorite-shows-of-all-time-and-is-a-huge/) [Shane Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-dawson/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [In my opinion, sexiness comes down to three things: chemistry, sense of humor, and treatment of waitstaff at restaurants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhoda-janzen/in-my-opinion-sexiness-comes-down-to-three-things-chemistry-sense-of/) [Rhoda Janzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhoda-janzen/) > [“...I haven't guessed where your shirt is from yet Bane, but I don't think it'll matter once it's underwater!' Tristan looked at Bane questioningly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-k-munt/i-haven-t-guessed-where-your-shirt-is-from-yet-bane-but-i-don-t-think/) S.K. Munt > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [“Not wise, perhaps, to be rude to the Pope's favorite son, but my viper tongue still required a fool now and then on which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-quinn/not-wise-perhaps-to-be-rude-to-the-pope-s-favorite-son-but-my-viper/) [Kate Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-quinn/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [If you were to send a werewolf to the moon, would he be a werewolf permanently?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-schaal/if-you-were-to-send-a-werewolf-to-the-moon-would-he-be-a-werewolf/) [Kristen Schaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-schaal/) > [“I only have two words to say More or Less”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timbur/i-only-have-two-words-to-say-more-or-less/) TimBur > [“ “Do Southerners laugh at different things than Northerners do? Yes, I say--Northerners.” Roy Blount, Jr., Roy Blount’s Book of Southern Humor”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/do-southerners-laugh-at-different-things-than-northerners-do-yes-i/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [There's a difference between delivering real funny and just silly funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-rel-howery/there-s-a-difference-between-delivering-real-funny-and-just-silly/) [Lil Rel Howery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-rel-howery/) > [I love being my silly ole self! Lifes a lot better when you have a good sense of humor and you smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-love-being-my-silly-ole-self-lifes-a-lot-better-when-you-have-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) [Browse all 33,155 Humor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There was a great joke that was forever doing the rounds in the jail and it was probably funny not because it had a humorous punchline but because it was so very true at a deep psychological level. Put anyone in that jail and soon enough they'd actually become a cruel, twisted, sadistic and heartless thug. And some of the prisoners were just as bad.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "H.M. Forester" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-forester/there-was-a-great-joke-that-was-forever-doing-the-rounds-in-the-jail/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Humor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-forester/there-was-a-great-joke-that-was-forever-doing-the-rounds-in-the-jail/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d50/h-m-forester-17957_humor_there-was-a-great-joke-that-was-forever_401004.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d50/h-m-forester-17957_humor_there-was-a-great-joke-that-was-forever_401004.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d50/h-m-forester-17957_humor_there-was-a-great-joke-that-was-forever_401004.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There was a great joke that was forever doing the rounds in the jail and it was probably funny not because…” — H.M. Forester", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "H.M. Forester", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-m-forester/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“There was a great joke that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-forester/there-was-a-great-joke-that-was-forever-doing-the-rounds-in-the-jail/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-forester/there-was-a-great-joke-that-was-forever-doing-the-rounds-in-the-jail/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```