Integrity is the strong observance of moral and ethical standards, even under adverse circumstances. Edward Snowden is the most poignant real-life example of that. A contractor of America by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), while at the job, Snowden discovered that the agency had mass surveillance programs against the citizen’s privacy and constitutional rights. However, he bore the evil consequences of this breach-the exile and imprisonment that will result from this revelation.

It reflects how much value Edward Snowden places on principles of transparency and accountability, as weighty as the cost may be, when it refuses to be complicit in unethical practices even under pressure.The act sparked worldwide debate over privacy, government encroachment, and how security should be played off against civil liberties. Hard as it may seem, drawing a fine line between the two certainly winds up in controversy. His case, however, illustrates an adamant refusal to trade integrity for personal purposes. Thus, it is quite imperative to abide by one’s values, no matter how inconvenient life can be when acting in passion against principle.