--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is the woman who stopped the…" description: "\"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 o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9d/philip-zimbardo-8654_boys_this-is-the-woman-who-stopped-the-stanfo_2462145.png" --- # This is the woman who stopped the Stanford Prison Study… ![“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…” quote by Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9d/philip-zimbardo-8654_boys_this-is-the-woman-who-stopped-the-stanfo_2462145.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9d/philip-zimbardo-8654_boys_this-is-the-woman-who-stopped-the-stanfo_2462145.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9d/philip-zimbardo-8654_boys_this-is-the-woman-who-stopped-the-stanfo_2462145.png) > “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. The good news is I married her the next year.” [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A single courageous voice can halt unethical practices and restore moral accountability. **In simple terms:** One voice can stop injustice. Key Takeaway Act when you see harm. Themes courage ethics authority accountability Mood determined urgent Type activist ethical When to use this quote - research oversight - workplace harassment - institutional abuse Key Concepts social psychology moral responsibility Questions to Reflect On - Who will you speak up for? - What risks do you face when challenging authority? A Different Perspective Power structures often suppress dissent, making intervention risky. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/) [Good news](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-news/) [Madhouses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madhouses/) [News](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/news/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) [Prisoner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prisoner/) [Superintendents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superintendents/) ## Related quotes > [In one sense, the Stanford prison study is more like a Greek drama than a traditional experiment, in that we have humanity, represented by…](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/) > [As a result of the prison study, I really became more aware of the central role of power in our lives. I became more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/as-a-result-of-the-prison-study-i-really-became-more-aware-of-the/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [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/) > [ 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/) > [There was zero time for reflection. We had to feed the prisoners three meals a day, deal with the prisoner breakdowns, deal with their…](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/) > [“Zimbardo demonstrated this in the early 1970s when he carried out his infamous Stanford Prison Experiment. The mock jail he set up in Stanford’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zimbardo/zimbardo-demonstrated-this-in-the-early-1970s-when-he-carried-out-his/) Zimbardo > [Dr. Margaret Oda, a true trailblazer in education, served as Honolulu school district superintendent and was the driving force behind the middle-school concept and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hanabusa/dr-margaret-oda-a-true-trailblazer-in-education-served-as-honolulu/) [Colleen Hanabusa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hanabusa/) > [Convulsions in nature, disorders, prodigies, miracles, though the most opposite of the plan of a wise superintendent, impress mankind with the strongest sentiments of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/convulsions-in-nature-disorders-prodigies-miracles-though-the-most/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [A republican form of government, without intelligence in the people, must be, on a vast scale, what a mad-house, without superintendent or keepers, would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/a-republican-form-of-government-without-intelligence-in-the-people/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) > [My grandmother was a teacher, my sister was a teacher, my daughter was a teacher and is now a superintendent in northern California, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loni-anderson/my-grandmother-was-a-teacher-my-sister-was-a-teacher-my-daughter-was/) [Loni Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loni-anderson/) > [Women should have equal pay for equal work and they should be considered equally eligible to the offices of principal and superintendent, professor and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-b-anthony/women-should-have-equal-pay-for-equal-work-and-they-should-be/) [Susan B. 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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. 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