--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: mass surveillance kills dissent in a…" description: "\"“mass surveillance kills dissent in a deeper and more important place as well: in the mind, where the individual trains him- or herself to think only i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/glenn-greenwald-1215_dissent_mass-surveillance-kills-dissent-in-a-dee_165454.jpg" --- # mass surveillance kills dissent in a deeper and more… ![“mass surveillance kills dissent in a deeper and more important place as well: in the mind, where the individual trains him- or herself to think only in line with what is expected and demanded.” quote by Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/glenn-greenwald-1215_dissent_mass-surveillance-kills-dissent-in-a-dee_165454.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/glenn-greenwald-1215_dissent_mass-surveillance-kills-dissent-in-a-dee_165454.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/glenn-greenwald-1215_dissent_mass-surveillance-kills-dissent-in-a-dee_165454.jpg) > ““mass surveillance kills dissent in a deeper and more important place as well: in the mind, where the individual trains him- or herself to think only in line with what is expected and demanded.”” [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Surveillance shapes thought, making people self‑censor to match expectations, thus killing dissent at its mental root. **In simple terms:** Surveillance forces people to think only what’s allowed. Key Takeaway Guard your mental independence. Themes privacy control psychology politics Mood cautious reflective Type critical philosophical When to use this quote - online behavior - workplace culture - public discourse - education - personal reflection Key Concepts self‑censorship authoritarianism mind control Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize when you’re self‑censoring? - What habits protect independent thinking? 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We all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/the-desire-for-privacy-is-shared-by-us-all-as-an-essential-not/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [I don't have a 'side'—I'm responsible for what I say and nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/i-don-t-have-a-side-i-m-responsible-for-what-i-say-and-nothing-else/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Encryption matters, and it is not just for spies and philanderers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/encryption-matters-and-it-is-not-just-for-spies-and-philanderers/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Among other devices, the agency intercepts and tampers with routers and servers manufactured by Cisco to direct large amounts of Internet traffic back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/among-other-devices-the-agency-intercepts-and-tampers-with-routers/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“NSA has increasingly made use of a secret technology that enables it to enter and alter data in computers even if they are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/nsa-has-increasingly-made-use-of-a-secret-technology-that-enables-it/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [A key purpose of journalism is to provide an adversarial check on those who wield the greatest power by shining a light on what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/a-key-purpose-of-journalism-is-to-provide-an-adversarial-check-on/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“We all instinctively understand that the private realm is where we can act, think, speak, write, experiment, and choose how to be, away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/we-all-instinctively-understand-that-the-private-realm-is-where-we/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) [Explore all 270 Glenn Greenwald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) ## More Dissent quotes > [Majority decisions tend to be made without engaging the systematic thought and critical thinking skills of the individuals in the group. 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White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-g-white/) > [The original crime of niggers and lesbians is that they prefer themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/the-original-crime-of-niggers-and-lesbians-is-that-they-prefer/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [It is dissent from government policies which defines the true Patriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/it-is-dissent-from-government-policies-which-defines-the-true-patriot/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [In America, you can segregate the people, but the problems will travel. 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