--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man in a jail has more room, better…" description: "\"A man in a jail has more room, better food, and commonly better company\" — Samuel Johnson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d8/samuel-johnson-50_army-navy_a-man-in-a-jail-has-more-room-better-foo_3021848.png" --- # A man in a jail has more room, better food, and commonly… ![“A man in a jail has more room, better food, and commonly better company” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d8/samuel-johnson-50_army-navy_a-man-in-a-jail-has-more-room-better-foo_3021848.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d8/samuel-johnson-50_army-navy_a-man-in-a-jail-has-more-room-better-foo_3021848.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d8/samuel-johnson-50_army-navy_a-man-in-a-jail-has-more-room-better-foo_3021848.png) > “A man in a jail has more room, better food, and commonly better company” [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even a prisoner can have better living conditions than many free people, highlighting societal inequities. **In simple terms:** Jail can be better than normal life for some. Key Takeaway Recognize and address social inequality. Themes social justice inequality prison system Mood critical analytical Type sociological political When to use this quote - housing crisis - healthcare access - criminal justice reform Key Concepts economics human rights Questions to Reflect On - What makes jail seem better? - How can society improve living standards? A Different Perspective Comparison oversimplifies complex issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Army navy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army-navy/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Jail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jail/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nautical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nautical/) [Navy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/navy/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) [Sailing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sailing/) [Sailing ships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sailing-ships/) [Sailor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sailor/) [Sailors and the sea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sailors-and-the-sea/) [Ships at sea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ships-at-sea/) [Total war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/total-war/) ## Related quotes > [No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into a jail; for being in a ship is being in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/no-man-will-be-a-sailor-who-has-contrivance-enough-to-get-himself/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Sometimes you have to let things go so theres room for better things to come into your life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-you-have-to-let-things-go-so-theres-room-for-better-things/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We always need to keep pushing and there is always room to get better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-dias/we-always-need-to-keep-pushing-and-there-is-always-room-to-get-better/) [Ruben Dias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-dias/) > [A week alone in my room is better than a day with a stupid person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessel-jane-zozobrado/a-week-alone-in-my-room-is-better-than-a-day-with-a-stupid-person/) [Jessel Jane Zozobrado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessel-jane-zozobrado/) > [“would feel if we just had a really great guest room or a better kitchen, or if I got to speak here or write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/would-feel-if-we-just-had-a-really-great-guest-room-or-a-better/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [Sometimes you have to let things go, so theres room for better things to come in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-you-have-to-let-things-go-so-theres-room-for-better-things-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When someone walk out your life, let them.. They are just making more room for someone better to walk in :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-someone-walk-out-your-life-let-them-they-are-just-making-more/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [While it is true that many people simply can't afford to pay more for food, either in money or time or both, many more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/while-it-is-true-that-many-people-simply-can-t-afford-to-pay-more-for/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [Even if you don't think you can cook well, you can cook better than the food industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/even-if-you-don-t-think-you-can-cook-well-you-can-cook-better-than/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [Basically, there are two things we know: Everybody has less time, and the general public is demanding better food - better in terms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-flay/basically-there-are-two-things-we-know-everybody-has-less-time-and/) [Bobby Flay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-flay/) > [The doctrine of foods is of great ethical and political significance. Food becomes blood, blood becomes heart and brain, thoughts and mind stuff. Human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-feuerbach/the-doctrine-of-foods-is-of-great-ethical-and-political-significance/) [Ludwig Feuerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-feuerbach/) > [Let's feed the world better food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shervin-pishevar/let-s-feed-the-world-better-food/) [Shervin Pishevar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shervin-pishevar/) > [Make sure to surround yourself with good people, good pets, and better food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/make-sure-to-surround-yourself-with-good-people-good-pets-and-better/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Every peasant cuisine has incredible ingenious tricks for getting a lot of nutrition out of a small amount of ingredients. There are people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/every-peasant-cuisine-has-incredible-ingenious-tricks-for-getting-a/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [New Zealand has better food - sorry, America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-adams/new-zealand-has-better-food-sorry-america/) [Steven Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-adams/) ## More by Samuel Johnson > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [You can never be wise unless you love reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-can-never-be-wise-unless-you-love-reading/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [If our aim is to praise, we should forget to criticize; if our aim is to criticize, we should remember to praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-our-aim-is-to-praise-we-should-forget-to-criticize-if-our-aim-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [All theory is against free will; all experience is for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-theory-is-against-free-will-all-experience-is-for-it/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Had I learned to fiddle, I should have done nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/had-i-learned-to-fiddle-i-should-have-done-nothing-else/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [It is as foolish to make experiments upon the constancy of a friend, as upon the chastity of a wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-as-foolish-to-make-experiments-upon-the-constancy-of-a-friend/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Resolve not to be poor: whatever you have, spend less. Poverty is a great enemy to human happiness; it certainly destroys liberty, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/resolve-not-to-be-poor-whatever-you-have-spend-less-poverty-is-a/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The basis of all excellence is truth: he that professes love ought to feel its power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-basis-of-all-excellence-is-truth-he-that-professes-love-ought-to/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Words are daughters of earth but ideas are sons of heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/words-are-daughters-of-earth-but-ideas-are-sons-of-heaven/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The composition of Shakespeare is a forest, in which oaks extend in the air, interspersed sometimes with weeds and brambles, and sometimes giving shelting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-composition-of-shakespeare-is-a-forest-in-which-oaks-extend-in/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The cherubim were never intended as an object of worship, because they were only the appendices to another thing. But a thing is then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-cherubim-were-never-intended-as-an-object-of-worship-because-they/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Nobody has the right to put another under such a difficulty that he must either hurt the person by telling the truth or hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/nobody-has-the-right-to-put-another-under-such-a-difficulty-that-he/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [That kind of life is most happy which affords us most opportunities of gaining our own self-esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/that-kind-of-life-is-most-happy-which-affords-us-most-opportunities/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The time will come to every human being when it must be known how well he can bear to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-time-will-come-to-every-human-being-when-it-must-be-known-how/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Explore all 1,998 Samuel Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## More Army navy quotes > [As long as there are prisons, police, armies, navies; we are not civilized. When the Earth joins together and uses the Earth intelligently, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/as-long-as-there-are-prisons-police-armies-navies-we-are-not/) [Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/) > [“Laws and ethics are what make an army or a navy something different than a mob of assholes with guns.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-kay/laws-and-ethics-are-what-make-an-army-or-a-navy-something-different/) [Elliott Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-kay/) > [“A language is a dialect that has an army and a navy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-weinreich/a-language-is-a-dialect-that-has-an-army-and-a-navy/) Max Weinreich > [The greatest general is he who makes the fewest mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/the-greatest-general-is-he-who-makes-the-fewest-mistakes/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [I have just realized that it is due to you, and to Mr. James Thomas and his staff of the Army Navy Country Club…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/i-have-just-realized-that-it-is-due-to-you-and-to-mr-james-thomas-and/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [In the weakness of one kind of authority, and in the fluctuation of all, the officers of an army will remain for some time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-the-weakness-of-one-kind-of-authority-and-in-the-fluctuation-of/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [A good Navy is not a provocation to war. It is the surest guaranty of peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/a-good-navy-is-not-a-provocation-to-war-it-is-the-surest-guaranty-of/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [“The war in Europe was over. Germans called it die Stunde Null, zero hour. Cities lay in ruins. Allied bombing had destroyed more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-jacobsen/the-war-in-europe-was-over-germans-called-it-die-stunde-null-zero/) [Annie Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-jacobsen/) > [Forts, arsenals, garrisons, armies, navies, are means of security and defence, which were invented in half-civilized times and in feudal or despotic countries; but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/forts-arsenals-garrisons-armies-navies-are-means-of-security-and/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) > [Those who served, and those who continue to serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard took an oath to uphold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hayes/those-who-served-and-those-who-continue-to-serve-in-the-army-navy-air/) [Robin Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hayes/) > [In time, the church will actually be organized more as a military force with an army, navy, air force, etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-joyner/in-time-the-church-will-actually-be-organized-more-as-a-military/) [Rick Joyner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-joyner/) > [The royal navy of England hath ever been its greatest defence and ornament; it is its ancient and natural strength, - the floating bulwark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blackstone/the-royal-navy-of-england-hath-ever-been-its-greatest-defence-and/) [William Blackstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blackstone/) > [In armies, navies, cities, or families, in nature herself, nothing more relaxes good order than misery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/in-armies-navies-cities-or-families-in-nature-herself-nothing-more/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [I got into boxing for two reasons. One was that my father was a boxer. Secondly when I was young, all healthy men in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-london/i-got-into-boxing-for-two-reasons-one-was-that-my-father-was-a-boxer/) Brian London > [I want the very best in the Army, the Navy and the Air Force and we are determined to get them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-williamson/i-want-the-very-best-in-the-army-the-navy-and-the-air-force-and-we/) [Gavin Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-williamson/) [Browse all 34 Army navy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army-navy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A man in a jail has more room, better food, and commonly better company", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samuel Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/a-man-in-a-jail-has-more-room-better-food-and-commonly-better-company/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Army navy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/a-man-in-a-jail-has-more-room-better-food-and-commonly-better-company/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d8/samuel-johnson-50_army-navy_a-man-in-a-jail-has-more-room-better-foo_3021848.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d8/samuel-johnson-50_army-navy_a-man-in-a-jail-has-more-room-better-foo_3021848.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d8/samuel-johnson-50_army-navy_a-man-in-a-jail-has-more-room-better-foo_3021848.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A man in a jail has more room, better food, and commonly better company” — Samuel Johnson", "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": "Samuel Johnson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A man in a jail has...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/a-man-in-a-jail-has-more-room-better-food-and-commonly-better-company/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/a-man-in-a-jail-has-more-room-better-food-and-commonly-better-company/#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 } } ] } ```