--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ultimately, if people lose their…" description: "\"Ultimately, if people lose their willingness to recognize that there are times in our history when legality becomes distinct from morality, we aren't j..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2df/edward-snowden-555_government_ultimately-if-people-lose-their-willingn_2918629.jpg" --- # Ultimately, if people lose their willingness to recognize… ![“Ultimately, if people lose their willingness to recognize that there are times in our history when legality becomes distinct from morality, we aren't just ceding control of our rights to the government, but our futures.” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2df/edward-snowden-555_government_ultimately-if-people-lose-their-willingn_2918629.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2df/edward-snowden-555_government_ultimately-if-people-lose-their-willingn_2918629.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2df/edward-snowden-555_government_ultimately-if-people-lose-their-willingn_2918629.jpg) > “Ultimately, if people lose their willingness to recognize that there are times in our history when legality becomes distinct from morality, we aren't just ceding control of our rights to the government, but our futures.” [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When law diverges from morality, surrendering rights to the state endangers future freedoms. **In simple terms:** Legal and moral gaps threaten liberty. Key Takeaway Guard moral integrity in law. Themes rights law morality government Mood urgent thought‑provoking Type political activist When to use this quote - legislative debates - activism - community organizing Key Concepts civil liberties ethical governance public policy Questions to Reflect On - What moral standards should guide legislation? - How can citizens hold governments accountable? A Different Perspective Legal frameworks can be reformed without radical change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Distinct Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distinct-morality-4240821/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Futures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-futures-4240824/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Legality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-legality-4240822/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Legality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legality/) [Loses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loses/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Morality Aren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality-aren-4240823/) [Our future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-future/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Ultimately People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ultimately-people-2405762/) [Willingness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willingness/) ## Related quotes > [Before anybody knew who I was, I was just working on what I love and having fun with it, and I'm sticking with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriella-wilson/before-anybody-knew-who-i-was-i-was-just-working-on-what-i-love-and/) [Gabriella Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriella-wilson/) > [Those who govern must see how the people react to administration. Ultimately, the people are the final arbiters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lal-bahadur-shastri/those-who-govern-must-see-how-the-people-react-to-administration/) [Lal Bahadur Shastri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lal-bahadur-shastri/) > [And ultimately the people who produce my records, they know that they're here to serve the purpose of me expressing who I am at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alanis-morissette/and-ultimately-the-people-who-produce-my-records-they-know-that-they/) [Alanis Morissette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alanis-morissette/) > [ Ultimately, the people \[who\] are going to help you make your film are the people who believe in you and believe in the story.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-rees/ultimately-the-people-who-are-going-to-help-you-make-your-film-are/) [Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/) > [-I'm seventeen and he's 34 -OMG,I'm sure it's not legal! - Age is just a number - Yeah, and so is 911, and jail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/najwa-wahbi/i-m-seventeen-and-he-s-34-omg-i-m-sure-it-s-not-legal-age-is-just-a/) [Najwa Wahbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/najwa-wahbi/) > [Morality and legality have nothing to do with one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashly-lorenzana/morality-and-legality-have-nothing-to-do-with-one-another/) [Ashly Lorenzana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashly-lorenzana/) > [“You can’t be a person without a birthday, they seemed to say.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/you-can-t-be-a-person-without-a-birthday-they-seemed-to-say/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [The terrorist and the policeman both come from the same basket. Revolution, legality--counter-moves in the same game; forms of idleness at bottom identical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-terrorist-and-the-policeman-both-come-from-the-same-basket/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [If anybody wants to engage in any kind of sexual activity with any consenting partner, that is their business. I don't feel that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/if-anybody-wants-to-engage-in-any-kind-of-sexual-activity-with-any/) [Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/) > [I don't feel that people should glom onto other people. I feel that relationships should be nice and easy and convenient and happy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/i-don-t-feel-that-people-should-glom-onto-other-people-i-feel-that/) [Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/) > [China has a history of thousands of years of feudalism and is still lacking in socialist democracy and socialist legality. We are now working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deng-xiaoping/china-has-a-history-of-thousands-of-years-of-feudalism-and-is-still/) [Deng Xiaoping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deng-xiaoping/) > [The worst sinners, according to Jesus, are not the harlots and publicans, but the religious leaders with their insistence on proper dress and grooming,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-nibley/the-worst-sinners-according-to-jesus-are-not-the-harlots-and/) [Hugh Nibley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-nibley/) > [Historically, international law lent a measure of legality to the colonial system, and allowed the West to set the rules for participation as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-a-falk/historically-international-law-lent-a-measure-of-legality-to-the/) [Richard A. Falk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-a-falk/) > [A critical component of White House Scandal Defense 101 is rallying the partisan base. This keeps approval ratings in territory where the wheels don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-barr/a-critical-component-of-white-house-scandal-defense-101-is-rallying/) [Bob Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-barr/) > [“What did “good government” really mean? Langlie and his brotherhood promised an end to political corruption. (There’s no evidence that Langlie ever even took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sharlet/what-did-good-government-really-mean-langlie-and-his-brotherhood/) [Jeff Sharlet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sharlet/) ## More by Edward Snowden > [It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised - and it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-is-afraid-of-an-informed-angry-public-demanding-the-constitutional/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Much of what I saw in Geneva really disillusioned me about how my government functions and what its impact is in the world. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/much-of-what-i-saw-in-geneva-really-disillusioned-me-about-how-my/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [If it comes to a question of law, the charges they brought against me - the Espionage Act - is called the quintessential political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-it-comes-to-a-question-of-law-the-charges-they-brought-against-me/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [The NSA and Israel wrote Stuxnet together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-nsa-and-israel-wrote-stuxnet-together/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [As a general rule, so long as you have any choice at all, you should never route through or peer with the UK under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/as-a-general-rule-so-long-as-you-have-any-choice-at-all-you-should/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [ \[Brazil\] went to the UN and said, "We need new standards for this." We need to take a look at what they're calling "data… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/brazil-went-to-the-un-and-said-we-need-new-standards-for-this-we-need/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [You are also asked to take an oath, and that's the oath of service. The oath of service is not to secrecy, but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/you-are-also-asked-to-take-an-oath-and-that-s-the-oath-of-service-the/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [We need to think about encryption not as this sort of arcane, black art. It's a basic protection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/we-need-to-think-about-encryption-not-as-this-sort-of-arcane-black/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [A lot of people in 2008 voted for Obama. I did not vote for him. I voted for a third party. But I believed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/a-lot-of-people-in-2008-voted-for-obama-i-did-not-vote-for-him-i/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Too often we forget that social and political movements don't happen overnight. They don't bring change immediately - you have to build a critical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/too-often-we-forget-that-social-and-political-movements-don-t-happen/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [ There was a real choice when \[Barack Obama\] became president. It was a very difficult choice - to say, "We're not going to hold… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/there-was-a-real-choice-when-barack-obama-became-president-it-was-a/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [We've learned that we've allowed technological capabilities to dictate policies and practices, rather than ensuring that our laws and values guide our technological capabilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/we-ve-learned-that-we-ve-allowed-technological-capabilities-to/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [It's much easier, I think, to protect communications while they're in transit at least, than it is to enforce legislation in every country in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-s-much-easier-i-think-to-protect-communications-while-they-re-in/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [If an adversary didn't target our power plants but they did target the core routers, the backbones that tie our internet connections together, entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-an-adversary-didn-t-target-our-power-plants-but-they-did-target/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [I care more about the country than what happens to me. But we can't allow the law to become a political weapon or agree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/i-care-more-about-the-country-than-what-happens-to-me-but-we-can-t/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) [Explore all 478 Edward Snowden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) ## More Government quotes > [We could form a government of national unity fighting corruption. The ordinary Afghan is sick and tired of it, because it's she or he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/we-could-form-a-government-of-national-unity-fighting-corruption-the/) [Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/) > [For the Scottish government, the practice of having meetings in different parts of the country is well established, but for the U.K. government, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/for-the-scottish-government-the-practice-of-having-meetings-in/) [Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/) > [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [Right now we're concerned about budget. Right now we're concerned about the prospect of interest rate rise. We're concerned about government corruption, government handing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/right-now-we-re-concerned-about-budget-right-now-we-re-concerned/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [One of the worst things to come out of the Consumer Protection Board's misleading claims is the impression that government resources are to hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/one-of-the-worst-things-to-come-out-of-the-consumer-protection-board/) [Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/) > [It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised - and it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-is-afraid-of-an-informed-angry-public-demanding-the-constitutional/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Louisiana's spicy, colorful politics have saddled our state with a reputation for tolerating lax ethical standards in government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kennedy/louisiana-s-spicy-colorful-politics-have-saddled-our-state-with-a/) [John Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kennedy/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [He is almost a statesman. He lies well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/he-is-almost-a-statesman-he-lies-well/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/i-mean-those-people-who-are-interested-in-good-government-will/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [We can't have a government that will collapse in three months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-varadkar/we-can-t-have-a-government-that-will-collapse-in-three-months/) [Leo Varadkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-varadkar/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) [Browse all 21,248 Government quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Ultimately, if people lose their willingness to recognize that there are times in our history when legality becomes distinct from morality, we aren't just ceding control of our rights to the government, but our futures.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edward Snowden" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/ultimately-if-people-lose-their-willingness-to-recognize-that-there/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Government" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/ultimately-if-people-lose-their-willingness-to-recognize-that-there/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2df/edward-snowden-555_government_ultimately-if-people-lose-their-willingn_2918629.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2df/edward-snowden-555_government_ultimately-if-people-lose-their-willingn_2918629.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2df/edward-snowden-555_government_ultimately-if-people-lose-their-willingn_2918629.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Ultimately, if people lose their willingness to recognize that there are times in our history when legality…” — Edward Snowden", "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": "Edward Snowden", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Ultimately, if people lose their willingness...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/ultimately-if-people-lose-their-willingness-to-recognize-that-there/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/ultimately-if-people-lose-their-willingness-to-recognize-that-there/#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 } } ] } ```