--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have been studying how I may compare…" description: "\"I have been studying how I may compare this prison where I live unto the world; Shut up in the prison of their own consciences.\" — James Ussher" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/james-ussher-49994_compare_i-have-been-studying-how-i-may-compare-t_2342154.png" --- # I have been studying how I may compare this prison where I… ![“I have been studying how I may compare this prison where I live unto the world; Shut up in the prison of their own consciences.” quote by James Ussher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/james-ussher-49994_compare_i-have-been-studying-how-i-may-compare-t_2342154.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/james-ussher-49994_compare_i-have-been-studying-how-i-may-compare-t_2342154.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/james-ussher-49994_compare_i-have-been-studying-how-i-may-compare-t_2342154.png) > “I have been studying how I may compare this prison where I live unto the world; Shut up in the prison of their own consciences.” [James Ussher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ussher/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He likens society to a prison where individuals are trapped by their own conscience, suggesting internal moral constraints are as limiting as external ones. **In simple terms:** Our conscience can imprison us like a physical jail. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge self‑imposed mental limits. Themes morality consciousness freedom self‑control Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal decision making - political activism - spiritual practice - creative expression Key Concepts philosophy ethics psychology Questions to Reflect On - What internal rules hold you back? - Can you transform self‑criticism into growth? A Different Perspective Self‑consciousness can also inspire positive self‑regulation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Compare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compare/) [Compare Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compare-prison-1404955/) [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Consciences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciences/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) [Prison Consciences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison-consciences-5672308/) [Shut Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shut-prison-721329/) [Shut up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shut-up/) [Study](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/study/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Shut up in the prison of their own consciences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ussher/shut-up-in-the-prison-of-their-own-consciences/) [James Ussher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ussher/) > [I have been studying how I may compare This prison where I live unto the world; And, for because the world is populous, And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-have-been-studying-how-i-may-compare-this-prison-where-i-live-unto/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“In the case of Albertine, I felt that I should never discover anything, that, out of that tangled mass of details of fact and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/in-the-case-of-albertine-i-felt-that-i-should-never-discover-anything/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [Corporations aren't people. They have no brains, no consciences, no capacity for intent or guilt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/corporations-aren-t-people-they-have-no-brains-no-consciences-no/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [Some people say they will follow their conscience..many of us have dead consciences. Your conscience is no longer a safe guide. You've harden it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/some-people-say-they-will-follow-their-conscience-many-of-us-have/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [I wanted my own words. But the ones I use have dragged through I don't know how many consciences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wanted-my-own-words-but-the-ones-i-use-have-dragged-through-i-don-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Consciences keep silence more often than they should, that's why laws were created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/consciences-keep-silence-more-often-than-they-should-that-s-why-laws/) [Jose Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [Our president is a Christian? So was Adolf Hitler. What can be said to our young people, now that psychopathic personalities, which is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/our-president-is-a-christian-so-was-adolf-hitler-what-can-be-said-to/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Nonviolent action does not have to get others to be nice. It can in effect force them to consult their consciences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-deming/nonviolent-action-does-not-have-to-get-others-to-be-nice-it-can-in/) [Barbara Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-deming/) > [I think writers write for their consciences, they write for their own true audiences, for their souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-yan/i-think-writers-write-for-their-consciences-they-write-for-their-own/) [Mo Yan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-yan/) > [Rather than dull our consciences to the unmitigated violence of abortion, the passage of time has only enabled us to see and, frankly, better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-smith/rather-than-dull-our-consciences-to-the-unmitigated-violence-of/) [Chris Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-smith/) > [Men's consciences ought in no sort to be violated, urged, or constrained. And whenever men have attempted any thing by this violent course, whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-williams/men-s-consciences-ought-in-no-sort-to-be-violated-urged-or/) [Roger Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-williams/) > [“There is a way by which persons can keep their consciences clear before God and man, and that is to preserve within them the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorenzo-snow/there-is-a-way-by-which-persons-can-keep-their-consciences-clear/) [Lorenzo Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorenzo-snow/) > [We must enter and take possession of the consciences of the children, of the consciences of the young, because they do belong, and should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarco-elias-calles/we-must-enter-and-take-possession-of-the-consciences-of-the-children/) [Plutarco Elias Calles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarco-elias-calles/) > [“...those impious epicures, libertines, atheists, hypocrites, infidels, worldly, secure, impenitent, unthankful, and carnal-minded men, that attribute all to natural causes, that will acknowledge no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burton/those-impious-epicures-libertines-atheists-hypocrites-infidels/) [Robert Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-burton/) ## More by James Ussher > [If good people would but make goodness agreeable, and smile instead of frowning in their virtue, how many they would win to the good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ussher/if-good-people-would-but-make-goodness-agreeable-and-smile-instead-of/) [James Ussher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ussher/) > [If good people would make their goodness agreeable, and smile instead of frowning in their virtue, how many would they win to the good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ussher/if-good-people-would-make-their-goodness-agreeable-and-smile-instead/) [James Ussher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ussher/) > [There is no dallying with God .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ussher/there-is-no-dallying-with-god/) [James Ussher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ussher/) > [Shut up in the prison of their own consciences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ussher/shut-up-in-the-prison-of-their-own-consciences/) [James Ussher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ussher/) > [Lust is the base of most physical ills, and like a tapeworm in the system, it feeds on our best energies and vitality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ussher/lust-is-the-base-of-most-physical-ills-and-like-a-tapeworm-in-the/) [James Ussher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ussher/) > [We have assurance that we shall be heard in what we pray, because we pray to that God that heareth prayer, and is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ussher/we-have-assurance-that-we-shall-be-heard-in-what-we-pray-because-we/) [James Ussher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ussher/) [Explore all 7 James Ussher quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ussher/) ## More Compare quotes > [I have touched with a sense of art some people-they felt the love and the life. Can you offer me anything to compare to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-cassatt/i-have-touched-with-a-sense-of-art-some-people-they-felt-the-love-and/) [Mary Cassatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-cassatt/) > [Its extremely dangerous to compare anyone else to Shakespeare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/its-extremely-dangerous-to-compare-anyone-else-to-shakespeare/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [I think, however, that Astaire's coordination is better than Kelly's... his sense of rhythm is uncanny. Kelly, on the other hand, is the stronger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyd-charisse/i-think-however-that-astaire-s-coordination-is-better-than-kelly-s/) [Cyd Charisse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyd-charisse/) > [To fashion stars out of dog dung, that is the Great Work. To take a negative experience and, by comparing it to something worse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-david-neel/to-fashion-stars-out-of-dog-dung-that-is-the-great-work-to-take-a/) [Alexandra David-Neel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-david-neel/) > [Rien ne se peut comparer a' Paris. Nothing can compare to Paris.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eustache-deschamps/rien-ne-se-peut-comparer-a-paris-nothing-can-compare-to-paris/) [Eustache Deschamps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eustache-deschamps/) > [Some twins feel like they need to compare themselves to each other, but we're not that way. That's because of my parents, though, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-olsen/some-twins-feel-like-they-need-to-compare-themselves-to-each-other/) [Ashley Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-olsen/) > [One of my favorite poets, Neruda, writes close to the bone. Though I know only a little Spanish, I like to compare the Spanish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-diament/one-of-my-favorite-poets-neruda-writes-close-to-the-bone-though-i/) [Anita Diament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-diament/) > [Nothing will kill what you've been called to do more than comparing yourself to someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/nothing-will-kill-what-you-ve-been-called-to-do-more-than-comparing/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [Once an activity has been socialized, it is impossible to point out, by concrete example, how men in a free market could better conduct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-read/once-an-activity-has-been-socialized-it-is-impossible-to-point-out-by/) [Leonard Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-read/) > [Don't compare your career to anyone else's. It's tough when you're in a business that's competitive. I was having a difficult time with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-brooks/don-t-compare-your-career-to-anyone-else-s-it-s-tough-when-you-re-in/) [Danielle Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-brooks/) > [The terrorists-those nineteen people, with hundreds or maybe thousands behind them-did the worst thing you can possibly imagine. But tens of millions people did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-terrorists-those-nineteen-people-with-hundreds-or-maybe-thousands/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [Nobody can really compare a relationship in which the victim is 15 years old to one where she's 6. While both criminal, they're very different circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/nobody-can-really-compare-a-relationship-in-which-the-victim-is-15/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [Those who have high business acumen display specific, identifiable cognitive skills that permit them to perform better than their peers. Once we understand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-menkes/those-who-have-high-business-acumen-display-specific-identifiable/) [Justin Menkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-menkes/) > [In the formation of such a government, it is not only the right, but the indispensable duty of every citizen to examine the principles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-webster/in-the-formation-of-such-a-government-it-is-not-only-the-right-but/) [Noah Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-webster/) > [ Rather than comparing \[war\] to art we could more accurately compare it to commerce, which is also a conflict of human interests and activities;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/rather-than-comparing-war-to-art-we-could-more-accurately-compare-it/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) [Browse all 1,596 Compare quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compare/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have been studying how I may compare this prison where I live unto the world; Shut up in the prison of their own consciences.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Ussher" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ussher/i-have-been-studying-how-i-may-compare-this-prison-where-i-live-unto-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Compare" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ussher/i-have-been-studying-how-i-may-compare-this-prison-where-i-live-unto-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/james-ussher-49994_compare_i-have-been-studying-how-i-may-compare-t_2342154.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/james-ussher-49994_compare_i-have-been-studying-how-i-may-compare-t_2342154.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/james-ussher-49994_compare_i-have-been-studying-how-i-may-compare-t_2342154.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have been studying how I may compare this prison where I live unto the world; Shut up in the prison of…” — James Ussher", "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": "James Ussher", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ussher/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I have been studying how I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ussher/i-have-been-studying-how-i-may-compare-this-prison-where-i-live-unto-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ussher/i-have-been-studying-how-i-may-compare-this-prison-where-i-live-unto-2/#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 } } ] } ```