--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The best kind of prisoner is one who…" description: "\"“The best kind of prisoner is one who doesn’t even know he’s in prison.”\" — Pittacus Lore" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb4/pittacus-lore-1736_crime_the-best-kind-of-prisoner-is-one-who-doe_2443742.png" --- # The best kind of prisoner is one who doesn’t even know… ![“The best kind of prisoner is one who doesn’t even know he’s in prison.” quote by Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb4/pittacus-lore-1736_crime_the-best-kind-of-prisoner-is-one-who-doe_2443742.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb4/pittacus-lore-1736_crime_the-best-kind-of-prisoner-is-one-who-doe_2443742.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb4/pittacus-lore-1736_crime_the-best-kind-of-prisoner-is-one-who-doe_2443742.png) > ““The best kind of prisoner is one who doesn’t even know he’s in prison.”” [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True freedom comes from ignorance of one’s constraints. **In simple terms:** Freedom can be unknowing of imprisonment. Key Takeaway Seek awareness to gain genuine freedom. Themes freedom ignorance self‑awareness prison Mood thoughtful introspective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - social activism - education - mental health Key Concepts philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - What constraints are you unaware of? - How does awareness change your choices? A Different Perspective Ignorance can also prevent recognizing oppression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) [Prisoner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prisoner/) ## Related quotes > [Blind certainty, a close-mindedness that amounts to an imprisonment so total that the prisoner doesn't even know he's locked up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster/blind-certainty-a-close-mindedness-that-amounts-to-an-imprisonment-so/) [David Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster/) > [“Before you can act fully and truly, you must know the prison in which you are living, how it has been created; and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/before-you-can-act-fully-and-truly-you-must-know-the-prison-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [“This too I know - and wise it were If each could know the same - That every prison that men build Is built…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/this-too-i-know-and-wise-it-were-if-each-could-know-the-same-that/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [If you want to know how many prison cells to build, look at the number of third graders who can't read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-landrieu/if-you-want-to-know-how-many-prison-cells-to-build-look-at-the-number/) [Mary Landrieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-landrieu/) > [You never know you are in a prison unless you try the door](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bageant/you-never-know-you-are-in-a-prison-unless-you-try-the-door/) [Joe Bageant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bageant/) > [And I never thought about how the lights don't go out, so you never really rest, in that way. I never really thought about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-schilling/and-i-never-thought-about-how-the-lights-don-t-go-out-so-you-never/) [Taylor Schilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-schilling/) > [“you see it.” Gurdjieff, a great spiritual teacher who taught in Europe and America in the early decades of the twentieth century, noted that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/you-see-it-gurdjieff-a-great-spiritual-teacher-who-taught-in-europe/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [You know you are in prison when you try to please everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewshy-crazyness/you-know-you-are-in-prison-when-you-try-to-please-everyone/) Ewshy Crazyness > [as soon as you know you are in prison, you have a possibility to escape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/as-soon-as-you-know-you-are-in-prison-you-have-a-possibility-to-escape/) [William S. 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And it's hard to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-moskos/there-s-no-straight-line-between-closing-the-mental-institutions-and/) [Peter Moskos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-moskos/) > [“A prisoner is imprisoned by the crime that he has committed. A jailer is imprisoned — in the very same prison — by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/a-prisoner-is-imprisoned-by-the-crime-that-he-has-committed-a-jailer/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Arrival = Prison, and the artist must never be a prisoner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-matisse/arrival-prison-and-the-artist-must-never-be-a-prisoner/) [Henri Matisse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-matisse/) > [In the innermost recesses of humanism, as its very soul, there rages a frantic prisoner who, as a Fascist, turns the world into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-the-innermost-recesses-of-humanism-as-its-very-soul-there-rages-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Pittacus Lore > [“We’re Garde,’ I say, correcting this billion-year-old godlike energy force, because what the hell, we’ve come this far. ‘We’re here for your help.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittacus-lore/we-re-garde-i-say-correcting-this-billion-year-old-godlike-energy/) [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) > [“We don't have to be defined by the things we did or didn't do in our past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittacus-lore/we-don-t-have-to-be-defined-by-the-things-we-did-or-didn-t-do-in-our/) [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) > [I've learned that some memories surprise you and reveal a sharp edge just when you least expect it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittacus-lore/i-ve-learned-that-some-memories-surprise-you-and-reveal-a-sharp-edge/) [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) > [And I'm certain one day, you'll make it back home. With love, Your friend and Cêpan, -H](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittacus-lore/and-i-m-certain-one-day-you-ll-make-it-back-home-with-love-your/) [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) > [That ugly freak has spent so much time in my head, I should be charging him rent." -Four](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittacus-lore/that-ugly-freak-has-spent-so-much-time-in-my-head-i-should-be/) [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) > [ “\[John\] ‘You guys saved me first,’ I reply. \[Sarah\] ‘Yeah, obviously. So return the favor and save our planet.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittacus-lore/john-you-guys-saved-me-first-i-reply-sarah-yeah-obviously-so-return/) [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) > [I don’t know; I still like the name Six. Maren Elizabeth was when I was a different person, and right now Six just feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittacus-lore/i-don-t-know-i-still-like-the-name-six-maren-elizabeth-was-when-i-was/) [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) > [“I frown, not stating the obvious, that Eight could be the one who was killed down in Florida.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittacus-lore/i-frown-not-stating-the-obvious-that-eight-could-be-the-one-who-was/) [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) > [If you ever know a man who tries to drown his sorrows, kindly inform him his sorrows know how to swim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittacus-lore/if-you-ever-know-a-man-who-tries-to-drown-his-sorrows-kindly-inform/) [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) > [Never underestimate human stupidity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittacus-lore/never-underestimate-human-stupidity/) [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) > [“I work my hardest and she still kicks the crap out of me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittacus-lore/i-work-my-hardest-and-she-still-kicks-the-crap-out-of-me/) [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) > [“But a place is only as good as the people you know in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittacus-lore/but-a-place-is-only-as-good-as-the-people-you-know-in-it/) [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) > [“Maybe it's a reminder from Henri that you're supposed to rake the lawn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittacus-lore/maybe-it-s-a-reminder-from-henri-that-you-re-supposed-to-rake-the-lawn/) [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) > [During the fire: 'Some of the drunker ones don't move. Some of them laugh. One person says, "Where's the marshmallows?" Mark slaps him across…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittacus-lore/during-the-fire-some-of-the-drunker-ones-don-t-move-some-of-them/) [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) > [You will be known as the One who protected the Eight.” - Hilde to One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittacus-lore/you-will-be-known-as-the-one-who-protected-the-eight-hilde-to-one/) [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) [Explore all 205 Pittacus Lore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) ## More Crime quotes > [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/) > [“Crime and punishment can be summed up in two classifications: there are bad people and there are people who get into bad situations. 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I don't want to make the same mistakes the criminals do! ;)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/taking-notes-while-watching-forensic-files-and-snapped-i-don-t-want/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Nations sometimes flourish by denying the crimes that brought them into being. 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