---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wanted to choose somewhere public…"
description: "\"I wanted to choose somewhere public, because I was scared of the KGB.\" — Mathias Rust"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/mathias-rust-28692_because_i-wanted-to-choose-somewhere-public-beca_1966240.jpg"
---

#  I wanted to choose somewhere public, because I was scared…

![“I wanted to choose somewhere public, because I was scared of the KGB.” quote by Mathias Rust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/mathias-rust-28692_because_i-wanted-to-choose-somewhere-public-beca_1966240.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/mathias-rust-28692_because_i-wanted-to-choose-somewhere-public-beca_1966240.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/mathias-rust-28692_because_i-wanted-to-choose-somewhere-public-beca_1966240.jpg)

> “I wanted to choose somewhere public, because I was scared of the KGB.”

[Mathias Rust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathias-rust/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He chose a public location out of fear of secret police surveillance.

**In simple terms:** He was scared of the KGB and wanted visibility.

Key Takeaway

Seek openness when feeling threatened.

Themes

fear surveillance publicity

Mood

anxious defensive

Type

personal political

When to use this quote

- political protest
- personal safety
- media attention

Key Concepts

psychology political risk

Questions to Reflect On

- How does visibility affect personal safety?
- When is secrecy better than openness?

A Different Perspective

Public exposure can increase risk of retaliation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Choose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choose/) [Choose Public](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choose-public-664656/) [Kgb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kgb/) [Public](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public/) [Public Scared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-scared-3273737/) [Scared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scared/) [Scared Kgb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scared-kgb-3273736/) [Somewhere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/somewhere/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) [Wanted Choose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-choose-1934376/)

## Related quotes

> [“I realized the only person standing in the way of what I wanted was me. You can choose to sit back and let things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruby-dixon/i-realized-the-only-person-standing-in-the-way-of-what-i-wanted-was/)

[Ruby Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruby-dixon/)

> [God wanted us to choose to love him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/god-wanted-us-to-choose-to-love-him/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [“If I wanted, I could choose to make my life a place that Brian could step into. He didn’t have any room to move,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-rivers/if-i-wanted-i-could-choose-to-make-my-life-a-place-that-brian-could/)

[Mary Ann Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-rivers/)

> [If I could have anything I wanted, I would choose story without end, and it seems I have lots of company in that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-barrows/if-i-could-have-anything-i-wanted-i-would-choose-story-without-end/)

[Annie Barrows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-barrows/)

> [Hillary Clinton wants to see that all Americans have the right to choose a public option in their health care exchange.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/hillary-clinton-wants-to-see-that-all-americans-have-the-right-to/)

[Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/)

> [If you ask the American people to choose, between public health and the economy, then it's no contest. No American is going to say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-cuomo/if-you-ask-the-american-people-to-choose-between-public-health-and/)

[Andrew Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-cuomo/)

> [But I don't want to be out there anymore; I don't want people asking me about my health issues, about my kids. I choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-braxton/but-i-don-t-want-to-be-out-there-anymore-i-don-t-want-people-asking/)

[Toni Braxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-braxton/)

> [You don't choose your public; your public chooses you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carine-roitfeld/you-don-t-choose-your-public-your-public-chooses-you/)

[Carine Roitfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carine-roitfeld/)

> [I believe there ought to be school choice, so that parents can choose within the public school system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-believe-there-ought-to-be-school-choice-so-that-parents-can-choose/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Made me feel ashamed of belonging to these overpowering, technical superior countries fighting against what seemed to me quite defenseless people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-blake/made-me-feel-ashamed-of-belonging-to-these-overpowering-technical/)

[George Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-blake/)

> [The experience of opposing mass movements was acquired by the KGB during perestroika. It was then that the politicians decided to develop and nourish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-bukovsky/the-experience-of-opposing-mass-movements-was-acquired-by-the-kgb/)

[Vladimir Bukovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-bukovsky/)

> [“There are scores of people who have never recovered, or been recovered, from an FSB interrogation. They’re a hard organization to describe because nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanya-thompson/there-are-scores-of-people-who-have-never-recovered-or-been-recovered/)

[Tanya Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanya-thompson/)

> [There was an intervention of the foreign states in the Russian Far East, Archangel of the West border of Russia. The foreign troops were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-semichastny/there-was-an-intervention-of-the-foreign-states-in-the-russian-far/)

[Vladimir Semichastny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-semichastny/)

> [Any society that starts forbidding certain words or expressions is a society you should be wary about, whether it's the KGB or social consensus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stellan-skarsgard/any-society-that-starts-forbidding-certain-words-or-expressions-is-a/)

[Stellan Skarsgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stellan-skarsgard/)

> [Now it's of peculiar interest to an Arab country that there is a company and a certain set of bankers who also finance the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/now-it-s-of-peculiar-interest-to-an-arab-country-that-there-is-a/)

[L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/)

## More by Mathias Rust

> [My parents were angry, but they were relieved that I was in good condition. They had been afraid the Russians would torture me. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathias-rust/my-parents-were-angry-but-they-were-relieved-that-i-was-in-good/)

[Mathias Rust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathias-rust/)

> [I had thought about landing in the Kremlin, but there wasn't enough space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathias-rust/i-had-thought-about-landing-in-the-kremlin-but-there-wasn-t-enough/)

[Mathias Rust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathias-rust/)

> [I moved away for three years and went to Trinidad where I met my wife, Athena.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathias-rust/i-moved-away-for-three-years-and-went-to-trinidad-where-i-met-my-wife/)

[Mathias Rust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathias-rust/)

> [I ended up injuring her with a knife I had on me. I can't really remember what happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathias-rust/i-ended-up-injuring-her-with-a-knife-i-had-on-me-i-can-t-really/)

[Mathias Rust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathias-rust/)

> [After that I couldn't show my face outside. I lost my identity and balance. I was still living with my parents, and they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathias-rust/after-that-i-couldn-t-show-my-face-outside-i-lost-my-identity-and/)

[Mathias Rust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathias-rust/)

> [I didn't tell anybody about my plan because I was convinced my family or friends would stop me. I didn't think much about what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathias-rust/i-didn-t-tell-anybody-about-my-plan-because-i-was-convinced-my-family/)

[Mathias Rust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathias-rust/)

> [You have to be young to be able to do things like that. Now I'm more cautious. I'm proud that I was able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathias-rust/you-have-to-be-young-to-be-able-to-do-things-like-that-now-i-m-more/)

[Mathias Rust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathias-rust/)

> [I got my private pilot's license in autumn 1986.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathias-rust/i-got-my-private-pilot-s-license-in-autumn-1986/)

[Mathias Rust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathias-rust/)

> [My plan was to land in Red Square, but there were too many people and I thought I'd cause casualties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathias-rust/my-plan-was-to-land-in-red-square-but-there-were-too-many-people-and/)

[Mathias Rust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathias-rust/)

> [I now work for a finance company in Luxembourg with projects in South America and the Caribbean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathias-rust/i-now-work-for-a-finance-company-in-luxembourg-with-projects-in-south/)

[Mathias Rust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathias-rust/)

> [I approached Red Square three times, trying to find somewhere to land, before discovering a wide bridge nearby. I landed there and taxied into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathias-rust/i-approached-red-square-three-times-trying-to-find-somewhere-to-land/)

[Mathias Rust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathias-rust/)

> [Imprisonment hit me so hard - much harder than I had thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathias-rust/imprisonment-hit-me-so-hard-much-harder-than-i-had-thought/)

[Mathias Rust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathias-rust/)

> [I regret what happened. I saw no other possibility to achieve my goal. It was not hooliganism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathias-rust/i-regret-what-happened-i-saw-no-other-possibility-to-achieve-my-goal/)

[Mathias Rust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathias-rust/)

> [My parents came to visit every two months and brought plenty of books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathias-rust/my-parents-came-to-visit-every-two-months-and-brought-plenty-of-books/)

[Mathias Rust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathias-rust/)

> [The defence and air defence ministers were both replaced and more than 2,000 officers lost their jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathias-rust/the-defence-and-air-defence-ministers-were-both-replaced-and-more/)

[Mathias Rust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathias-rust/)

[Explore all 19 Mathias Rust quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathias-rust/)

## More Because 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/)

> [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/)

[Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/)

> [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/)

[David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/)

> [There were songs that we cut out after we chose the name, because 'Praise Break' turned out to be an underlying concept that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-caesar/there-were-songs-that-we-cut-out-after-we-chose-the-name-because/)

[Daniel Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-caesar/)

> [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/)

[Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/)

> [I was also known as Frodo because I was an early adopter of 'The Lord of the Rings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/i-was-also-known-as-frodo-because-i-was-an-early-adopter-of-the-lord/)

[Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/)

> [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/)

[Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/)

> [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/)

[Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/)

> [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/)

[Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/)

> [Sometimes, when full and in fear that I will continue to eat unwanted food just because it's staring at me, I will place my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-nichols/sometimes-when-full-and-in-fear-that-i-will-continue-to-eat-unwanted/)

[Rachel Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-nichols/)

> [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I was contacted by Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, MP, through the Pune Film Institute and offered the post in the NFDC. I accepted it for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suresh-gopi/i-was-contacted-by-rajyavardhan-singh-rathore-mp-through-the-pune/)

[Suresh Gopi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suresh-gopi/)

> [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/)

[Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

[Browse all 15,485 Because quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I wanted to choose somewhere public, because I was scared of the KGB.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mathias Rust"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathias-rust/i-wanted-to-choose-somewhere-public-because-i-was-scared-of-the-kgb/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Because"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathias-rust/i-wanted-to-choose-somewhere-public-because-i-was-scared-of-the-kgb/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/mathias-rust-28692_because_i-wanted-to-choose-somewhere-public-beca_1966240.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/mathias-rust-28692_because_i-wanted-to-choose-somewhere-public-beca_1966240.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/mathias-rust-28692_because_i-wanted-to-choose-somewhere-public-beca_1966240.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I wanted to choose somewhere public, because I was scared of the KGB.” — Mathias Rust",
                "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": "Mathias Rust",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathias-rust/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I wanted to choose somewhere public,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathias-rust/i-wanted-to-choose-somewhere-public-because-i-was-scared-of-the-kgb/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathias-rust/i-wanted-to-choose-somewhere-public-because-i-was-scared-of-the-kgb/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
