--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: this model of control has the great…" description: "\"“this model of control has the great advantage of simultaneously creating the illusion of freedom. The compulsion to obedience exists in the individual..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/446/glenn-greenwald-1215_freedom_this-model-of-control-has-the-great-adva_2951439.jpg" --- # this model of control has the great advantage of… ![“this model of control has the great advantage of simultaneously creating the illusion of freedom. The compulsion to obedience exists in the individual’s mind. Individuals choose on their own to comply, out of fear that they are being watched. That eliminates the need for all the visible hallmarks…” quote by Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/446/glenn-greenwald-1215_freedom_this-model-of-control-has-the-great-adva_2951439.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/446/glenn-greenwald-1215_freedom_this-model-of-control-has-the-great-adva_2951439.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/446/glenn-greenwald-1215_freedom_this-model-of-control-has-the-great-adva_2951439.jpg) > ““this model of control has the great advantage of simultaneously creating the illusion of freedom. The compulsion to obedience exists in the individual’s mind. Individuals choose on their own to comply, out of fear that they are being watched. That eliminates the need for all the visible hallmarks of compulsion, and thus enables control over people who falsely believe themselves to be free. For this reason, every oppressive state views mass surveillance as one of its most critical instruments of control.”” [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 creates a false sense of freedom by making people self‑police, so overt coercion isn’t needed. **In simple terms:** People think they’re free while they’re actually being watched. Key Takeaway Recognize and question self‑imposed compliance. Themes surveillance control freedom psychology Mood anxious critical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - government policy - workplace monitoring - online privacy - personal relationships Key Concepts social engineering self‑regulation state power Questions to Reflect On - How does self‑surveillance affect personal autonomy? - What can protect against invisible control? A Different Perspective People may resist overt control but still comply due to internal fear. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Compulsion Enables](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compulsion-enables-4449884/) [Compulsion Obedience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compulsion-obedience-4449883/) [Control People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control-people/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom Compulsion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-compulsion-4015327/) [Mass Surveillance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass-surveillance-535845/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [“The basic trouble with the modern world … is the intellectual fallacy that freedom and compulsion are opposites. To solve the gigantic problems crushing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-basic-trouble-with-the-modern-world-is-the-intellectual-fallacy/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“Surveillance cheerleaders essentially offer only one argument in defense of mass surveillance: it is only carried out to stop terrorism and keep people safe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/surveillance-cheerleaders-essentially-offer-only-one-argument-in/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Mass surveillance by the state is therefore inherently repressive, even in the unlikely case that it is not abused by vindictive officials to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/mass-surveillance-by-the-state-is-therefore-inherently-repressive/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“mass surveillance kills dissent in a deeper and more important place as well: in the mind, where the individual trains him- or herself to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/mass-surveillance-kills-dissent-in-a-deeper-and-more-important-place/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [No matter the specific techniques involved, historically mass surveillance has had several constant attributes. Initially, it is always the country’s dissidents and marginalized who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/no-matter-the-specific-techniques-involved-historically-mass-2/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“mass surveillance is a universal temptation for any unscrupulous power.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/mass-surveillance-is-a-universal-temptation-for-any-unscrupulous-power/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [History shows that the mere existence of a mass surveillance apparatus, regardless of how it is used, is in itself sufficient to stifle dissent.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/history-shows-that-the-mere-existence-of-a-mass-surveillance/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“No matter the specific techniques involved, historically mass surveillance has had several constant attributes. Initially, it is always the country’s dissidents and marginalized who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/no-matter-the-specific-techniques-involved-historically-mass/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [If you want to control other people, first control yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abu-bakr/if-you-want-to-control-other-people-first-control-yourself/) [Abu Bakr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abu-bakr/) > [I have used mass surveillance to target people, so I do know how it works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/i-have-used-mass-surveillance-to-target-people-so-i-do-know-how-it/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Someone recently talked about mass surveillance and the NSA revelations as being the atomic moment for computer scientists. The atomic bomb was the moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/someone-recently-talked-about-mass-surveillance-and-the-nsa/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [If we don't do anything, if we go along with the status quo, we are going to have a mass surveillance world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-we-don-t-do-anything-if-we-go-along-with-the-status-quo-we-are/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [“Love and Freedom of Thoughts is a fast-acting antidote against the misanthropic cold sword of mass surveillance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-kristian-goldmund-aumann/love-and-freedom-of-thoughts-is-a-fast-acting-antidote-against-the/) [sir Kristian Goldmund Aumann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-kristian-goldmund-aumann/) > [I don't think there's anything, any threat out there today that anyone can point to, that justifies placing an entire population under mass surveillance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/i-don-t-think-there-s-anything-any-threat-out-there-today-that-anyone/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [When we look at the full-on mass surveillance watching everyone in the country, in the United States, it doesn't work. It didn't stop the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/when-we-look-at-the-full-on-mass-surveillance-watching-everyone-in/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) ## More by Glenn Greenwald > [In essence, I see the value of journalism as resting in a twofold mission: informing the public of accurate and vital information, and its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/in-essence-i-see-the-value-of-journalism-as-resting-in-a-twofold/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“The evidence shows that assurances that surveillance is only targeted at those who “have done something wrong” should provide little comfort, since a state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/the-evidence-shows-that-assurances-that-surveillance-is-only-targeted/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“It's almost hard to imagine anything more undemocratic than the view that political officials should not debate American wars in public, but only express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-almost-hard-to-imagine-anything-more-undemocratic-than-the-view/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [It's hardly news that the Obama administration is intensely and, in many respects, unprecedentedly hostile toward the news-gathering process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-hardly-news-that-the-obama-administration-is-intensely-and-in/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [Only In America can a renowned and devoted terrorism supporter like Peter King be the arbiter of national security and treason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/only-in-america-can-a-renowned-and-devoted-terrorism-supporter-like/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Above even our physical well-being, a central value is keeping the state out of the private realm—our “persons, houses, papers, and effects,” as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/above-even-our-physical-well-being-a-central-value-is-keeping-the/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“That capability at any time could be turned around on the American people and no American would have any privacy left, such is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/that-capability-at-any-time-could-be-turned-around-on-the-american/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Converting the Internet into a system of surveillance thus guts it of its core potential. Worse, it turns the Internet into a tool of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/converting-the-internet-into-a-system-of-surveillance-thus-guts-it-of/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“the desire for privacy is shared by us all as an essential, not ancillary, part of what it means to be human. 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 Freedom quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [We live in the greatest country in the world because of the veterans who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and the security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-husted/we-live-in-the-greatest-country-in-the-world-because-of-the-veterans/) [Jon Husted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-husted/) > [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/) > [“No one was more surprised than I to realize that my newfound freedom had been purchased by giving up on eternity and settling for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-jessop/no-one-was-more-surprised-than-i-to-realize-that-my-newfound-freedom/) [Carolyn Jessop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-jessop/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“In any case, white people, who had robbed black people of their liberty and who profited by this theft every hour that they lived,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/in-any-case-white-people-who-had-robbed-black-people-of-their-liberty/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [“It breaks my heart. Better than your words, your eye tells me all your peril. You are not yet free, you still search for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-breaks-my-heart-better-than-your-words-your-eye-tells-me-all-your/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [I don't want to be famous famous. I'm happy on the second tier, where I have autonomy on a professional level but I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-reece/i-don-t-want-to-be-famous-famous-i-m-happy-on-the-second-tier-where-i/) [Gabrielle Reece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-reece/) [Browse all 30,110 Freedom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“this model of control has the great advantage of simultaneously creating the illusion of freedom. The compulsion to obedience exists in the individual’s mind. Individuals choose on their own to comply, out of fear that they are being watched. That eliminates the need for all the visible hallmarks of compulsion, and thus enables control over people who falsely believe themselves to be free. For this reason, every oppressive state views mass surveillance as one of its most critical instruments of control.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Glenn Greenwald" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/this-model-of-control-has-the-great-advantage-of-simultaneously/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Freedom" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/this-model-of-control-has-the-great-advantage-of-simultaneously/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/446/glenn-greenwald-1215_freedom_this-model-of-control-has-the-great-adva_2951439.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/446/glenn-greenwald-1215_freedom_this-model-of-control-has-the-great-adva_2951439.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/446/glenn-greenwald-1215_freedom_this-model-of-control-has-the-great-adva_2951439.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“this model of control has the great advantage of simultaneously creating the illusion of freedom. The…” — Glenn Greenwald", "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": "Glenn Greenwald", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“this model of control has the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/this-model-of-control-has-the-great-advantage-of-simultaneously/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/this-model-of-control-has-the-great-advantage-of-simultaneously/#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 } } ] } ```