--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Is the prisoner a prisoner because he…" description: "\"Is the prisoner a prisoner because he lives in a cage or because he knows that he lives in a cage?\" — Michael Moorcock" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd1/michael-moorcock-8974_cage_is-the-prisoner-a-prisoner-because-he-li_3183322.jpg" --- # Is the prisoner a prisoner because he lives in a cage or… ![“Is the prisoner a prisoner because he lives in a cage or because he knows that he lives in a cage?” quote by Michael Moorcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd1/michael-moorcock-8974_cage_is-the-prisoner-a-prisoner-because-he-li_3183322.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd1/michael-moorcock-8974_cage_is-the-prisoner-a-prisoner-because-he-li_3183322.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd1/michael-moorcock-8974_cage_is-the-prisoner-a-prisoner-because-he-li_3183322.jpg) > “Is the prisoner a prisoner because he lives in a cage or because he knows that he lives in a cage?” [Michael Moorcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moorcock/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote questions whether imprisonment is physical or mental, suggesting awareness of confinement can be as limiting as actual bars. **In simple terms:** Freedom depends on perception of confinement. Key Takeaway Recognize mental cages and challenge them. Themes freedom perception consciousness Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - activism - mental health - education - leadership Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - Do you feel trapped by your own beliefs? - How can awareness change your sense of imprisonment? A Different Perspective Physical freedom alone may not free one if mental constraints remain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Because He Lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because-he-lives/) [Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cage/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) [Prisoner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prisoner/) ## Related quotes > [Benson Henderson is a professional; he's a champion. He knows how to handle himself in the cage and he knows how to win fights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chandler/benson-henderson-is-a-professional-he-s-a-champion-he-knows-how-to/) [Michael Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chandler/) > [A jailer is as much a prisoner as his prisoner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/a-jailer-is-as-much-a-prisoner-as-his-prisoner/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Personal lyricism is the outcry of prisoner to prisoner from the cell in solitary where each is confined for the duration of his life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/personal-lyricism-is-the-outcry-of-prisoner-to-prisoner-from-the-cell/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [An artist must never be a prisoner. Prisoner? An artist should never be a prisoner of himself, prisoner of style, prisoner of reputation, prisoner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-matisse/an-artist-must-never-be-a-prisoner-prisoner-an-artist-should-never-be/) [Henri Matisse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-matisse/) > [Put God and me in a cage, what do you think who will win. God, because I created him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/put-god-and-me-in-a-cage-what-do-you-think-who-will-win-god-because-i/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Those blue eyes that had stopped my heart the first time she looked at me found me in the crowd." -Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbi-glines/those-blue-eyes-that-had-stopped-my-heart-the-first-time-she-looked/) [Abbi Glines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbi-glines/) > [Work is not a drag for me. I like to get here early, hang out, catch up with the boys. I'll go in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-delgado/work-is-not-a-drag-for-me-i-like-to-get-here-early-hang-out-catch-up/) [Carlos Delgado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-delgado/) > [Humans are born free then put into cages, then convinced freedom is what being in a cage is, and what freedom is, is being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-stone/humans-are-born-free-then-put-into-cages-then-convinced-freedom-is/) [Craig Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-stone/) > [For many, whether they go to prison or not is far less about the choices they make and far more about what kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/for-many-whether-they-go-to-prison-or-not-is-far-less-about-the/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [A lion can't stay in a cage. A lion has to be on the pitch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-di-canio/a-lion-can-t-stay-in-a-cage-a-lion-has-to-be-on-the-pitch/) [Paolo Di Canio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-di-canio/) > [The most disgusting four letter word in the English language is 'cage'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-wollen/the-most-disgusting-four-letter-word-in-the-english-language-is-cage/) [Philip Wollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-wollen/) > [A black-sharded lady keeps me in a parrot cage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/a-black-sharded-lady-keeps-me-in-a-parrot-cage/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [Tis Vanth's cage. You can just move it out of the way." "I already have," he grumbles. "With my shin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/tis-vanth-s-cage-you-can-just-move-it-out-of-the-way-i-already-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The sight of a cage is only frightening to the bird that has once been caught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-field/the-sight-of-a-cage-is-only-frightening-to-the-bird-that-has-once/) [Rachel Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-field/) > [What do you fear, lady?' he asked. 'A cage,' she said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-do-you-fear-lady-he-asked-a-cage-she-said/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Michael Moorcock > [Introduce your main characters and themes in the first third of your novel. If you are writing a plot-driven genre novel make sure all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moorcock/introduce-your-main-characters-and-themes-in-the-first-third-of-your/) [Michael Moorcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moorcock/) > [ It remains a mystery to me why some of that \[pulp\] fiction should be judged inferior to the rafts and rafts of bad social… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moorcock/it-remains-a-mystery-to-me-why-some-of-that-pulp-fiction-should-be/) [Michael Moorcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moorcock/) > [“We would all be better off dead, useless eaters of the lotus that we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moorcock/we-would-all-be-better-off-dead-useless-eaters-of-the-lotus-that-we/) [Michael Moorcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moorcock/) > [“This gentleman is known the width and breadth of the comics world as "that bastard Klaw.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moorcock/this-gentleman-is-known-the-width-and-breadth-of-the-comics-world-as/) [Michael Moorcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moorcock/) > [“The sentiment may perceive and love the universe, but the universe cannot perceive and love the sentiment. The universe sees no distinction between the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moorcock/the-sentiment-may-perceive-and-love-the-universe-but-the-universe/) [Michael Moorcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moorcock/) > [Destiny's Champion, Fate's fool. Eternity's Soldier, Time's Tool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moorcock/destiny-s-champion-fate-s-fool-eternity-s-soldier-time-s-tool/) [Michael Moorcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moorcock/) > [I'd started doing fanzines from the age of nine. I'd been doing as many copies as you can get carbon paper into an upright…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moorcock/i-d-started-doing-fanzines-from-the-age-of-nine-i-d-been-doing-as/) [Michael Moorcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moorcock/) > [“Time is a dream - or a nightmare - from which there is never any waking. We who travel in Time are dreamers who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moorcock/time-is-a-dream-or-a-nightmare-from-which-there-is-never-any-waking/) [Michael Moorcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moorcock/) > [“IT IS THE colour of a bleached skull, his flesh; and the long hair which flows below his shoulders is milk-white. From the tapering,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moorcock/it-is-the-colour-of-a-bleached-skull-his-flesh-and-the-long-hair/) [Michael Moorcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moorcock/) > [The past is a script we are constantly rewriting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moorcock/the-past-is-a-script-we-are-constantly-rewriting/) [Michael Moorcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moorcock/) > [And you, Prince Elric? She attracted the albino's wandering attention. Do you know his story? Elric shook his head. I only know, he said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moorcock/and-you-prince-elric-she-attracted-the-albino-s-wandering-attention/) [Michael Moorcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moorcock/) > [Some of my earliest work was in comics. I tend to think in pictures and always like to write scenes possessing the dynamic you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moorcock/some-of-my-earliest-work-was-in-comics-i-tend-to-think-in-pictures/) [Michael Moorcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moorcock/) > [The problems for which I could find no solution in fact had no solution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moorcock/the-problems-for-which-i-could-find-no-solution-in-fact-had-no/) [Michael Moorcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moorcock/) > [“She had always been beautiful in his eyes, and admirable, too. He had worshipped her, in some ways, for her courage in adversity, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moorcock/she-had-always-been-beautiful-in-his-eyes-and-admirable-too-he-had/) [Michael Moorcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moorcock/) > [Because I had sought to challenge Destiny, Destiny had taken vengeance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moorcock/because-i-had-sought-to-challenge-destiny-destiny-had-taken-vengeance/) [Michael Moorcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moorcock/) [Explore all 76 Michael Moorcock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moorcock/) ## More Cage quotes > [“The cage has gotten bigger, and we can expect bigger beasts from it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mallory/the-cage-has-gotten-bigger-and-we-can-expect-bigger-beasts-from-it/) Jason Mallory > [“If you can choose your way into a cage, you can choose your way out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-kempton/if-you-can-choose-your-way-into-a-cage-you-can-choose-your-way-out/) [Beth Kempton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-kempton/) > [If you have the mentality that Jon Jones has when he steps into the cage, no one will beat you on the mat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-anderson/if-you-have-the-mentality-that-jon-jones-has-when-he-steps-into-the/) [Corey Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-anderson/) > [I underestimated the difference of fighting in a cage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mirko-cro-cop/i-underestimated-the-difference-of-fighting-in-a-cage/) [Mirko Cro Cop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mirko-cro-cop/) > [“Because knowledge is only a cage if you dwell in isolation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-reid/because-knowledge-is-only-a-cage-if-you-dwell-in-isolation/) [Penny Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-reid/) > [What do you fear, lady?' he asked. 'A cage,' she said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-do-you-fear-lady-he-asked-a-cage-she-said/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Soon, I found myself locked in my own cage of fear and desperation, where my experience of life was getting smaller and smaller.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-moorjani/soon-i-found-myself-locked-in-my-own-cage-of-fear-and-desperation/) [Anita Moorjani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-moorjani/) > [Everyone at home sitting on their couches, they think it's so easy to fight. Stepping inside that cage is probably the hardest thing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-cerrone/everyone-at-home-sitting-on-their-couches-they-think-it-s-so-easy-to/) [Donald Cerrone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-cerrone/) > [It's life or death for me every single time I step in the cage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-gaethje/it-s-life-or-death-for-me-every-single-time-i-step-in-the-cage/) [Justin Gaethje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-gaethje/) > [The sight of a cage is only frightening to the bird that has once been caught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-field/the-sight-of-a-cage-is-only-frightening-to-the-bird-that-has-once/) [Rachel Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-field/) > [“Do you want to be kept in a little cage? No! Because it is a horror! But then why do you keep a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/do-you-want-to-be-kept-in-a-little-cage-no-because-it-is-a-horror-but/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > ['Luke Cage' is a gift. There's so many different ways you can look at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-younge/luke-cage-is-a-gift-there-s-so-many-different-ways-you-can-look-at-it/) [Adrian Younge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-younge/) > [“They let us be, here, in the cage of our ignorance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/they-let-us-be-here-in-the-cage-of-our-ignorance/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [Tis Vanth's cage. You can just move it out of the way." "I already have," he grumbles. "With my shin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/tis-vanth-s-cage-you-can-just-move-it-out-of-the-way-i-already-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Don’t be a bird that can be restricted from flying by putting in the cage. Be the one, which can fly with the cage.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lovely-goyal/don-t-be-a-bird-that-can-be-restricted-from-flying-by-putting-in-the/) [Lovely Goyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lovely-goyal/) [Browse all 431 Cage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cage/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Is the prisoner a prisoner because he lives in a cage or because he knows that he lives in a cage?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Moorcock" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moorcock/is-the-prisoner-a-prisoner-because-he-lives-in-a-cage-or-because-he/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cage" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moorcock/is-the-prisoner-a-prisoner-because-he-lives-in-a-cage-or-because-he/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd1/michael-moorcock-8974_cage_is-the-prisoner-a-prisoner-because-he-li_3183322.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd1/michael-moorcock-8974_cage_is-the-prisoner-a-prisoner-because-he-li_3183322.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd1/michael-moorcock-8974_cage_is-the-prisoner-a-prisoner-because-he-li_3183322.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Is the prisoner a prisoner because he lives in a cage or because he knows that he lives in a cage?” — Michael Moorcock", "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": "Michael Moorcock", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moorcock/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Is the prisoner a prisoner because...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moorcock/is-the-prisoner-a-prisoner-because-he-lives-in-a-cage-or-because-he/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moorcock/is-the-prisoner-a-prisoner-because-he-lives-in-a-cage-or-because-he/#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 } } ] } ```