The underlying philosophy governing Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) within the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) centers on a rigorous balance between the absolute protection of investigative and national security information and the absolute prohibition against concealing misconduct.

Distinct from private-sector agreements designed to shield commercial interests or corporate reputations, the DOJ’s framework is predicated on safeguarding the integrity of the justice system. While grand jury matters and classified information are afforded uncompromising confidentiality, the misuse of NDAs for organizational self-preservation or the concealment of wrongdoing is strictly forbidden. Consequently, the incorporation of statutory anti-gag provisions is legally mandated to ensure that lawful disclosures to Congress or oversight bodies remain unimpeded.

Fundamentally, this approach reflects a high standard of institutional discipline: rigorously protecting judicial secrets while ensuring that public accountability and the public interest are never compromised.

As long as you have that pure desire —to share the exact same space, look the people who love and listen to you in the eye, and create something together—

then I believe you can always fine-tune your craft to close the gap and make it work.

Though, honestly, I don’t know when that day will come. The moment where I can truly feel, from the absolute bottom of my heart, “Yeah, this is genuinely fun.”

I don’t know. Maybe it’ll never happen in my lifetime.

But at the very least, I know it’s worth continuing. So, I’m just going to keep moving forward.