: let brexit be a lesson :

The day after brought the usual rude awakening. Levelheadedness returned with repercussions and regret and a very deep sense of unease. All across Great Britain, the day after voting to leave the European Union, people nervously googled, in essence, what have we done?

As they hyperventilated over that information, they quickly googled ‘move to Canada’ — a surprisingly American reaction. I thought the British had better sense than we do, cooler heads, stiff upper lips, and all that. They’re supposed to be the grown-ups in the room.

What is happening and why is everyone so intent on self-destructive behavior? What are we afraid of? The wrong things, that’s what.

The gasbags telling us to run for our lives, instilling fear and suspicion, they’re the dangers. Pompous blowhards like the NRA. The American Medical Association. The pharmaceutical industry. Short-fingered politicians; all politicians, in general. Lawyers. Off the top of my head.

Fear keeps them relevant and thriving. If we aren’t terrified, their livelihoods are at stake. It’s called loss aversion; people are far more afraid of losing what they have than in gaining rewards. Preying on those fears is a common strategy used in elections and advertising and negotiations. It’s a great little motivator.

If you don’t vote for (candidate name here), you’ll lose freedom or status or power, something big. And if you don’t buy Brand X, you’ll lose friends or prestige, your health or social standing. Frankly, loss aversion has turned us into cowards. C’mon, buck up.

Ignore the fear mongers, stop voting for them and stop buying their doomsday messages. Let’s get on with things, for chrissakes. Just as important, let’s stop punishing Canada for having the good sense and temerity to elect sensible adults to run their country. We could have done that, too, you know.