--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: First of all, I never set out to be a…" description: "\"First of all, I never set out to be a whistleblower. Secondly, I never expected that my story would be interesting to anybody. Third of all, you know, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65b/katharine-gun-13326_actually_first-of-all-i-never-set-out-to-be-a-whi_1165436.jpg" --- # First of all, I never set out to be a whistleblower… ![“First of all, I never set out to be a whistleblower. Secondly, I never expected that my story would be interesting to anybody. Third of all, you know, I was actually terrified of being named, of being identified.” quote by Katharine Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65b/katharine-gun-13326_actually_first-of-all-i-never-set-out-to-be-a-whi_1165436.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65b/katharine-gun-13326_actually_first-of-all-i-never-set-out-to-be-a-whi_1165436.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65b/katharine-gun-13326_actually_first-of-all-i-never-set-out-to-be-a-whi_1165436.jpg) > “First of all, I never set out to be a whistleblower. Secondly, I never expected that my story would be interesting to anybody. Third of all, you know, I was actually terrified of being named, of being identified.” [Katharine Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-gun/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She unintentionally became a whistleblower, fearing exposure despite her story’s relevance. **In simple terms:** She became a whistleblower despite fear. Key Takeaway Weigh risks before exposing truth. Themes whistleblowing fear truth ethics Mood cautious serious Type political ethical When to use this quote - journalism - government transparency - legal protection - ethical decision making Key Concepts law politics personal safety Questions to Reflect On - Are you prepared for consequences of speaking out? - When is it justified to stay silent? A Different Perspective Exposure can cause personal danger. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Terrified](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrified/) [Whistleblower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whistleblower/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not actually terrified of technology. Though I'm certainly not an early adopter, either.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-whannell/i-m-not-actually-terrified-of-technology-though-i-m-certainly-not-an/) [Leigh Whannell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-whannell/) > [I am actually terrified of horror films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samara-weaving/i-am-actually-terrified-of-horror-films/) [Samara Weaving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samara-weaving/) > [I'm not a technical person. It's not something I personally do love. I'm actually terrified of it, and that is what's interesting to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-arquette/i-m-not-a-technical-person-it-s-not-something-i-personally-do-love-i/) [Patricia Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-arquette/) > [My defenses were so great. The cocky rock and roll hero who knows all the answers was actually a terrified guy who didn't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/my-defenses-were-so-great-the-cocky-rock-and-roll-hero-who-knows-all/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [“Being called a traitor by Dick Cheney is the highest honor you can give to an American.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/being-called-a-traitor-by-dick-cheney-is-the-highest-honor-you-can/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [There is not adequate whistleblower protection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-plame/there-is-not-adequate-whistleblower-protection/) [Valerie Plame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-plame/) > [“I'm worried that the government might kill Edward Snowden with a drone. --Ron Paul”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/i-m-worried-that-the-government-might-kill-edward-snowden-with-a/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [ “I was right outside the NSA \[on 9/11\], so I remember the tension on that day. I remember hearing on the radio, 'the plane's… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/i-was-right-outside-the-nsa-on-9-11-so-i-remember-the-tension-on-that/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [We should stop thinking of Snowden, to the extent that we ever were, as a hero. We should stop thinking of him as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/we-should-stop-thinking-of-snowden-to-the-extent-that-we-ever-were-as/) [Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/) > [That's a problem. I mean, like any sort of growing startup organization, we are sort of overwhelmed by our growth. And that means we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/that-s-a-problem-i-mean-like-any-sort-of-growing-startup-organization/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [As for labeling someone a whistleblower, I think it does them - it does all of us - a disservice, because it "otherizes" us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/as-for-labeling-someone-a-whistleblower-i-think-it-does-them-it-does/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [“Group minds are a result of collective discussion and working out of a consensus, which can be listened to (unlike an unreadable mind). Arriving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-turchin/group-minds-are-a-result-of-collective-discussion-and-working-out-of/) Peter Turchin > [You will be a far more effective whistleblower if you operate within a legal framework.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-wylie/you-will-be-a-far-more-effective-whistleblower-if-you-operate-within/) [Christopher Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-wylie/) > [The thing that I realized in my journey as a whistleblower... is that the reaction that I got from a lot of law enforcement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-wylie/the-thing-that-i-realized-in-my-journey-as-a-whistleblower-is-that/) [Christopher Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-wylie/) > [“Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) is largely an interrogation agency for whistle-blowers that extracts their full range of knowledge without upholding their legal rights.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/occupational-safety-health-administration-osha-is-largely-an/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) ## More by Katharine Gun > [Why did the British authorities wait eight months before charging me - and then drop the charges, claiming there was insufficient evidence for prosecution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-gun/why-did-the-british-authorities-wait-eight-months-before-charging-me/) [Katharine Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-gun/) > [I've never met Snowden, I've never spoken with him personally. I mean, he's extremely smart. Very, very smart. I guess he was a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-gun/i-ve-never-met-snowden-i-ve-never-spoken-with-him-personally-i-mean/) [Katharine Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-gun/) > [It is vital to speak up in a democracy. Otherwise we are living in dictatorships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-gun/it-is-vital-to-speak-up-in-a-democracy-otherwise-we-are-living-in/) [Katharine Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-gun/) > [I'm a fairly happy-go-lucky person, generally fairly optimistic, but there were points when I was down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-gun/i-m-a-fairly-happy-go-lucky-person-generally-fairly-optimistic-but/) [Katharine Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-gun/) > [If my own country is subverting the rule of law and sending its own citizens, its military, into harm's way on the basis of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-gun/if-my-own-country-is-subverting-the-rule-of-law-and-sending-its-own/) [Katharine Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-gun/) > [After the invasion of Afghanistan, when the focus suddenly turned toward Iraq, I suddenly thought, 'What on earth had Iraq got to do with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-gun/after-the-invasion-of-afghanistan-when-the-focus-suddenly-turned/) [Katharine Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-gun/) > [I know my own flaws only too well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-gun/i-know-my-own-flaws-only-too-well/) [Katharine Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-gun/) > [I know people have tried to make citizens' arrests on Tony Blair and so on, but really it's time the international criminal court has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-gun/i-know-people-have-tried-to-make-citizens-arrests-on-tony-blair-and/) [Katharine Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-gun/) > [You just have to get on with life, there's no alternative. You could curl up in a ball on your bed, but that's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-gun/you-just-have-to-get-on-with-life-there-s-no-alternative-you-could/) [Katharine Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-gun/) > [I'm not a politician; I don't have a well-organised PR machine to craft my every word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-gun/i-m-not-a-politician-i-don-t-have-a-well-organised-pr-machine-to/) [Katharine Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-gun/) > [I work for the British people. I do not gather intelligence so the government can lie to the British people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-gun/i-work-for-the-british-people-i-do-not-gather-intelligence-so-the/) [Katharine Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-gun/) > [I felt guilty - like, I leaked this memo, and now there's going to be a witch hunt for the person who did it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-gun/i-felt-guilty-like-i-leaked-this-memo-and-now-there-s-going-to-be-a/) [Katharine Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-gun/) > [I did everything I could to remain anonymous for as long as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-gun/i-did-everything-i-could-to-remain-anonymous-for-as-long-as-possible/) [Katharine Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-gun/) > [Cheering crowds have never been my sort of thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-gun/cheering-crowds-have-never-been-my-sort-of-thing/) [Katharine Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-gun/) > [I grew up in Taiwan, which was a military dictatorship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-gun/i-grew-up-in-taiwan-which-was-a-military-dictatorship/) [Katharine Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-gun/) [Explore all 51 Katharine Gun quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-gun/) ## More Actually quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [I actually like getting out of my comfort zone. It shakes me up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-sheehy/i-actually-like-getting-out-of-my-comfort-zone-it-shakes-me-up/) [Gail Sheehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-sheehy/) > [You have to talk about why things happened the way they did. You can't actually explain my political life except by a series of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lange/you-have-to-talk-about-why-things-happened-the-way-they-did-you-can-t/) [David Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lange/) > [Failure actually makes you strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-sharma/failure-actually-makes-you-strong/) [Neha Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-sharma/) > [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/) [L.A. Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-weatherly/) > [I'm from Europe, England, and I actually lived in Italy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/i-m-from-europe-england-and-i-actually-lived-in-italy/) [Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/) > [The alternative comedy scene is actually pretty small, I guess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-wilson/the-alternative-comedy-scene-is-actually-pretty-small-i-guess/) [Casey Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-wilson/) > [I was a very good student. Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) > [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [I actually do sing sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morten-harket/i-actually-do-sing-sometimes/) [Morten Harket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morten-harket/) > [I've actually got quite a good memory. I've good recall. It's often things which other people might not notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-frame/i-ve-actually-got-quite-a-good-memory-i-ve-good-recall-it-s-often/) [Ronald Frame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-frame/) > [Because there is actually something very interesting in Goodfellas, how the style of the film changes as time goes by and based on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/because-there-is-actually-something-very-interesting-in-goodfellas/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) > ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) Browse all 4,248 Actually quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "First of all, I never set out to be a whistleblower. 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