--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You shouldn't change your behavior…" description: "\"You shouldn't change your behavior because a government agency somewhere is doing the wrong thing. If you sacrifice your values because you're afraid, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13b/edward-snowden-555_agency_you-shouldn-t-change-your-behavior-becau_148466.jpg" --- # You shouldn't change your behavior because a government… ![“You shouldn't change your behavior because a government agency somewhere is doing the wrong thing. If you sacrifice your values because you're afraid, you don't care about those values very much.” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13b/edward-snowden-555_agency_you-shouldn-t-change-your-behavior-becau_148466.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13b/edward-snowden-555_agency_you-shouldn-t-change-your-behavior-becau_148466.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13b/edward-snowden-555_agency_you-shouldn-t-change-your-behavior-becau_148466.jpg) > “You shouldn't change your behavior because a government agency somewhere is doing the wrong thing. If you sacrifice your values because you're afraid, you don't care about those values very much.” [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. Compromising personal values due to fear of government actions shows a lack of true commitment to those values. **In simple terms:** Don’t abandon values because of fear. Key Takeaway Stand firm in your principles. Themes ethics politics integrity fear government Mood determined serious Type advice ethical When to use this quote - activism - whistleblowing - personal decision-making Key Concepts values courage principles Questions to Reflect On - What values are worth risking? - How do you balance safety and principle? A Different Perspective Fear can be a rational response to real threats. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agency/) [Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Behavior Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior-government-1658856/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Change Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-behavior-247984/) [Don-t-care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/don-t-care/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government agencies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-agencies/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice/) [Sacrifice Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice-values-367331/) [Shouldn Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shouldn-change-417722/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Values Afraid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values-afraid-1658855/) [Wrong things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-things/) ## Related quotes > [As Americans, we're not sure we share values. We're sometimes even afraid to use the word 'values.' We talk about teaching ethics in schools…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-giuliani/as-americans-we-re-not-sure-we-share-values-we-re-sometimes-even/) [Rudy Giuliani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-giuliani/) > [“NEVER SACRIFICE YOUR VALUES & MORALS FOR RICHES OR FAME. IT'S A PAYMENT THAT'S NON-REFUNDABLE”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sotero-m-lopez-ii/never-sacrifice-your-values-morals-for-riches-or-fame-it-s-a-payment/) [Sotero M Lopez II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sotero-m-lopez-ii/) > [“ Never commpromise on your Values and beliefs. But Sacrifice for values and beliefs”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manish/never-commpromise-on-your-values-and-beliefs-but-sacrifice-for-values/) [Manish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manish/) > [Obama, startled that components of government behave as interest groups, seems utterly unfamiliar with public choice theory. 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Go get happy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-seraphino/you-shouldn-t-change-your-mind-your-heart-go-get-happy/) [Ariel Seraphino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-seraphino/) > [My cousin, Rip Torn, persuaded me not to change my name. You shouldn't change what you are in the search for success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sissy-spacek/my-cousin-rip-torn-persuaded-me-not-to-change-my-name-you-shouldn-t/) [Sissy Spacek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sissy-spacek/) > [It may be hard to remember, but you are who you are. You shouldn't change for people who don't accept you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-may-be-hard-to-remember-but-you-are-who-you-are-you-shouldn-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Being a good person, or a better person, or whatever it is you're worried about and trying to fix? It shouldn't change who you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-perkins/being-a-good-person-or-a-better-person-or-whatever-it-is-you-re/) [Stephanie Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-perkins/) > [Whatever you do, be happy with you. Don't conform. You are who you are, and you shouldn't change that for anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-teegarden/whatever-you-do-be-happy-with-you-don-t-conform-you-are-who-you-are/) [Aimee Teegarden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-teegarden/) > [A woman's wardrobe shouldn't change every six months. You should be able to use the pieces you already own and add to them. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yves-saint-laurent/a-woman-s-wardrobe-shouldn-t-change-every-six-months-you-should-be/) [Yves Saint Laurent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yves-saint-laurent/) > [You shouldn't change for no one, so they should be happy with who you are](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-hayward/you-shouldn-t-change-for-no-one-so-they-should-be-happy-with-who-you/) [Courtney Hayward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-hayward/) ## 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." 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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. 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