--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can almost define a convict as one…" description: "\"“You can almost define a convict as one who lacks precisely the kind of wisdom and self-control necessary to derive long-term advantage from short-term..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/stephen-fry-573_convict_you-can-almost-define-a-convict-as-one-w_1670355.png" --- # You can almost define a convict as one who lacks precisely… ![“You can almost define a convict as one who lacks precisely the kind of wisdom and self-control necessary to derive long-term advantage from short-term discomfort.” quote by Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/stephen-fry-573_convict_you-can-almost-define-a-convict-as-one-w_1670355.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/stephen-fry-573_convict_you-can-almost-define-a-convict-as-one-w_1670355.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/stephen-fry-573_convict_you-can-almost-define-a-convict-as-one-w_1670355.png) > ““You can almost define a convict as one who lacks precisely the kind of wisdom and self-control necessary to derive long-term advantage from short-term discomfort.”” [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A convict is defined by a lack of wisdom and self‑control, preventing them from turning short‑term pain into long‑term benefit. **In simple terms:** Convicts lack self‑control. Key Takeaway Develop self‑discipline. Themes wisdom self‑control short‑term discomfort long‑term advantage Mood reflective serious Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - addiction recovery - financial planning - stress management Key Concepts behavioral economics psychology ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can you strengthen self‑control in daily life? - What short‑term discomfort could you endure for future gain? A Different Perspective Self‑control is difficult to maintain under pressure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Convict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convict/) [Convict Lacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convict-lacks-851472/) [Define Convict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/define-convict-851471/) [Self control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-control/) [Term Discomfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term-discomfort-851473/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [“To expect a convict to have the strength to give up smoking is to expect a leopard to change his spots, become vegetarian and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/to-expect-a-convict-to-have-the-strength-to-give-up-smoking-is-to/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [What can I do if everyone from the president to a junior bureaucrat is dying to convict me. If I am such a criminal,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asif-ali-zardari/what-can-i-do-if-everyone-from-the-president-to-a-junior-bureaucrat/) [Asif Ali Zardari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asif-ali-zardari/) > [“They even convict and execute the dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-berry/they-even-convict-and-execute-the-dead/) [Julie Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-berry/) > [Our constitutionally-based criminal justice system places a high value on protecting the innocent. Among its central tenets is the idea that it is better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-shapiro/our-constitutionally-based-criminal-justice-system-places-a-high/) [Robert Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-shapiro/) > [“Of course, 85 per cent won’t be enough by itself to convict him, but it makes him someone you want to take seriously.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-bolton/of-course-85-per-cent-won-t-be-enough-by-itself-to-convict-him-but-it/) [S.J. Bolton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-bolton/) > [I'm the only convict who couldn't get into Australia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-goad/i-m-the-only-convict-who-couldn-t-get-into-australia/) [Jim Goad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-goad/) > [“The most honest man I bet I’ve ever known, I and met him in prison.” “The nicest woman I ever knew, and she took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cara-mckenna/the-most-honest-man-i-bet-i-ve-ever-known-i-and-met-him-in-prison-the/) [Cara McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cara-mckenna/) > [You could accuse Republicans of a lot of things, but you could never convict us of being too conservative!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-demint/you-could-accuse-republicans-of-a-lot-of-things-but-you-could-never/) [Jim DeMint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-demint/) > [“Every prisoner knows perfectly that he is a convict and a reprobate, and knows the distance which separates him from his superiors; but neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoieffsky/every-prisoner-knows-perfectly-that-he-is-a-convict-and-a-reprobate/) [Dostoieffsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dostoieffsky/) > [I'm enormously proud of being the ancestor of a convict. That's mad, isn't it, but I really am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-reid/i-m-enormously-proud-of-being-the-ancestor-of-a-convict-that-s-mad/) [Anne Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-reid/) > [“The witch-hunt narrative is a really popular story that goes like this: Lots of people were falsely convicted of child sexual abuse in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-cheit/the-witch-hunt-narrative-is-a-really-popular-story-that-goes-like/) [Ross Cheit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-cheit/) > [“Brother, these last two months I've found in myself a new man. A new man has risen up in me. He was hidden in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/brother-these-last-two-months-i-ve-found-in-myself-a-new-man-a-new/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [I've been a biker, I've been a convict, I've been a husband, father, and son.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-chapman/i-ve-been-a-biker-i-ve-been-a-convict-i-ve-been-a-husband-father-and/) [Duane Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-chapman/) > [“Farragut's first visitor was his wife. He was raking leaves in yard Y when the PA said that 734-508-32 had a visitor. He jogged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/farragut-s-first-visitor-was-his-wife-he-was-raking-leaves-in-yard-y/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [No matter how corrupt and unjust a convict may be, he loves fairness more than anything else. If the people placed over him are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/no-matter-how-corrupt-and-unjust-a-convict-may-be-he-loves-fairness/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) ## More by Stephen Fry > [“...Catholic versus Protestant, essentially. It's that kind of fight. ... And it goes on to this day. Will we never learn? Who knows? Religion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/catholic-versus-protestant-essentially-it-s-that-kind-of-fight-and-it/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [How dare you? How dare you create a world in which there is such misery that is not our fault? It's not right, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/how-dare-you-how-dare-you-create-a-world-in-which-there-is-such/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [“Look at the kind of people who most object to the childishness and cheapness of celebrity culture. Does one really want to side with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/look-at-the-kind-of-people-who-most-object-to-the-childishness-and/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [“The object of love should feel honoured or flattered, responsible in some way. Instead he felt insulted, degraded and revolted. More than that, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/the-object-of-love-should-feel-honoured-or-flattered-responsible-in/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [The only people who are obsessed with food are anorexics and the morbidly obese. That, in erotic terms, is the Catholic church, in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/the-only-people-who-are-obsessed-with-food-are-anorexics-and-the/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [To me, reason is as spiritual as anything else, the beauty of reason seems to me indelible and ineffable and numinous... the spirit is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/to-me-reason-is-as-spiritual-as-anything-else-the-beauty-of-reason/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [The stranger might laugh and seem to enjoy the writing, but you hug to yourself the thought that they didn't quite understand its force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/the-stranger-might-laugh-and-seem-to-enjoy-the-writing-but-you-hug-to/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [“The future is a much bigger deal than the past,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/the-future-is-a-much-bigger-deal-than-the-past/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [I gather a repulsive nobody writing in a paper no one of any decency would be seen dead with has written something loathesome and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/i-gather-a-repulsive-nobody-writing-in-a-paper-no-one-of-any-decency/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [I've never had any illusions about being a lead actor in films, because lead actors have to be of a certain kind. Apart from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/i-ve-never-had-any-illusions-about-being-a-lead-actor-in-films/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [Because, let's face it, I do not get offered the parts that Brad Pitt has just turned down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/because-let-s-face-it-i-do-not-get-offered-the-parts-that-brad-pitt/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [I will defend the absolute value of Mozart over Miley Cyrus, of course I will, but we should be wary of false dichotomies. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/i-will-defend-the-absolute-value-of-mozart-over-miley-cyrus-of-course/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [You can't just say there is a god because the world is beautiful. You have to account for bone cancer in children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/you-can-t-just-say-there-is-a-god-because-the-world-is-beautiful-you/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [If you know someone who's depressed, please resolve never to ask them why. Depression isn't a straightforward response to a bad situation; depression just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/if-you-know-someone-who-s-depressed-please-resolve-never-to-ask-them/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [It's as if scientists exert every effort of will they possess deliberately to find the least significant problems in the world and explain them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/it-s-as-if-scientists-exert-every-effort-of-will-they-possess/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) [Explore all 466 Stephen Fry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) ## More Convict quotes > [No matter how corrupt and unjust a convict may be, he loves fairness more than anything else. If the people placed over him are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/no-matter-how-corrupt-and-unjust-a-convict-may-be-he-loves-fairness/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“Farragut's first visitor was his wife. He was raking leaves in yard Y when the PA said that 734-508-32 had a visitor. He jogged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/farragut-s-first-visitor-was-his-wife-he-was-raking-leaves-in-yard-y/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [I've been a biker, I've been a convict, I've been a husband, father, and son.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-chapman/i-ve-been-a-biker-i-ve-been-a-convict-i-ve-been-a-husband-father-and/) [Duane Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-chapman/) > [“Brother, these last two months I've found in myself a new man. A new man has risen up in me. He was hidden in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/brother-these-last-two-months-i-ve-found-in-myself-a-new-man-a-new/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“The witch-hunt narrative is a really popular story that goes like this: Lots of people were falsely convicted of child sexual abuse in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-cheit/the-witch-hunt-narrative-is-a-really-popular-story-that-goes-like/) [Ross Cheit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-cheit/) > [I'm enormously proud of being the ancestor of a convict. That's mad, isn't it, but I really am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-reid/i-m-enormously-proud-of-being-the-ancestor-of-a-convict-that-s-mad/) [Anne Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-reid/) > [“Every prisoner knows perfectly that he is a convict and a reprobate, and knows the distance which separates him from his superiors; but neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoieffsky/every-prisoner-knows-perfectly-that-he-is-a-convict-and-a-reprobate/) [Dostoieffsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dostoieffsky/) > [You could accuse Republicans of a lot of things, but you could never convict us of being too conservative!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-demint/you-could-accuse-republicans-of-a-lot-of-things-but-you-could-never/) [Jim DeMint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-demint/) > [“The most honest man I bet I’ve ever known, I and met him in prison.” “The nicest woman I ever knew, and she took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cara-mckenna/the-most-honest-man-i-bet-i-ve-ever-known-i-and-met-him-in-prison-the/) [Cara McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cara-mckenna/) > [I'm the only convict who couldn't get into Australia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-goad/i-m-the-only-convict-who-couldn-t-get-into-australia/) [Jim Goad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-goad/) > [“Of course, 85 per cent won’t be enough by itself to convict him, but it makes him someone you want to take seriously.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-bolton/of-course-85-per-cent-won-t-be-enough-by-itself-to-convict-him-but-it/) [S.J. Bolton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-bolton/) > [Our constitutionally-based criminal justice system places a high value on protecting the innocent. Among its central tenets is the idea that it is better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-shapiro/our-constitutionally-based-criminal-justice-system-places-a-high/) [Robert Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-shapiro/) > [“They even convict and execute the dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-berry/they-even-convict-and-execute-the-dead/) [Julie Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-berry/) > [What can I do if everyone from the president to a junior bureaucrat is dying to convict me. 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