Someone I know posted this to Facebook:
“Courage is not living without fear. Courage is being scared to death and doing the right thing anyway.”
What does this have to do with Snowden? Well, think about it. Did he weigh the consequences of his actions? Did he think about what would happen if he went ahead with his revelations? I’m sure he realized that there would be negative consequences for his actions. When he made the choice, I’m certain he knew that there would be repercussions and his choice would have a negative impact on him. But as he made the discoveries that would send him down this path, did he know that the evidence he had uncovered would be worth risking his life and future?
I’m sure he didn’t make a sudden snap decision. He must’ve spent some time looking at data he had access to, and developed a sense over time that the information was so important that he had to do what he did. I’m very curious because it was a life changing decision that he made.