Should I be worried about government surveillance and does it actually affect my daily life?

The honest answer: yes, it exists. No, you're probably not the target. But that misses the point. Surveillance's real cost isn't that they're watching you specifically—it's that the possibility of being watched changes how you think, speak, and move. It's quieter than a cage; it's more like fog. You start self-editing without anyone asking you to. That's the damage. I notice it in myself: hesitation before typing something honest into a search bar, even knowing rationally that my searches don't matter. The Taoist doesn't ignore power; they understand it flows in invisible directions. So here's what matters: know it's happening. Decide consciously what you'll accept. Some people encrypt communications; others accept the tradeoff for convenience. Neither is wrong if it's intentional. The problem is drifting—letting surveillance happen without ever deciding whether you're comfortable with it. So examine your own comfort honestly. What actually changes your behavior? Start there, not with fear. That's acting in accordance with reality, not imagination.