--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that there are excesses that…" description: "\"I think that there are excesses that exist in all societies. I won't say it's normal to have them, but it's natural to have them. I'm watching very clo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bd/ilya-ponomarev-29984_done_i-think-that-there-are-excesses-that-exi_2788167.jpg" --- # I think that there are excesses that exist in all… ![“I think that there are excesses that exist in all societies. I won't say it's normal to have them, but it's natural to have them. I'm watching very closely ... what Snowden has done. I don't know him personally. I wanted to talk to him, but all of the security people didn't allow me to. But I…” quote by Ilya Ponomarev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bd/ilya-ponomarev-29984_done_i-think-that-there-are-excesses-that-exi_2788167.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bd/ilya-ponomarev-29984_done_i-think-that-there-are-excesses-that-exi_2788167.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bd/ilya-ponomarev-29984_done_i-think-that-there-are-excesses-that-exi_2788167.jpg) > “I think that there are excesses that exist in all societies. I won't say it's normal to have them, but it's natural to have them. I'm watching very closely ... what Snowden has done. I don't know him personally. I wanted to talk to him, but all of the security people didn't allow me to. But I think that he took the wrong approach to a very right thing which he was doing. Just the implementation was wrong. There was a clear platform to what he was doing, although of course that there were some mistakes made.” [Ilya Ponomarev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilya-ponomarev/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker argues that societies inevitably contain excesses; while not normal, they are natural. He critiques Snowden’s methods as flawed despite his noble intent, noting missteps in execution and platform choice. **In simple terms:** Societies have inherent excesses; Snowden’s approach was misguided despite good goals. Key Takeaway Recognize good intentions but evaluate tactics. Themes politics ethics surveillance activism mistakes Mood critical reflective Type analytical political ethical When to use this quote - journalism - human rights advocacy - government oversight - digital security - public discourse Key Concepts liberalism civil liberties whistleblowing policy implementation Questions to Reflect On - How can activists balance moral goals with effective methods? - What safeguards prevent good intentions from becoming counterproductive? A Different Perspective Even well‑intended actions can cause harm if poorly executed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Closely Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/closely-snowden-3359901/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Edward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/edward/) [Excesses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excesses/) [Excesses Exist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excesses-exist-3359902/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Right thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-thing/) [Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security/) [Think Excesses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-excesses-3359903/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Wrong Approach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-approach-1824981/) ## Related quotes > [It's quite different writing for films and for myself. 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I won't say it's normal to have them, but it's natural to have them. I'm watching very closely ... what Snowden has done. I don't know him personally. I wanted to talk to him, but all of the security people didn't allow me to. But I think that he took the wrong approach to a very right thing which he was doing. Just the implementation was wrong. 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