We Won't Let You Be Eaten

A hidden epidemic has invaded the Western World…

Chronic internal fatigue.

If you feel more tired than you’ve ever been, you’re not alone. According to psychologist Michael Gervais, we’re waging an inner battle against “FOPO,” or Fear Of People’s Opinions. Am I doing enough… being enough… for THEM?

There’s a powerful biological motivation for FOPO. Once upon a time, ostracism meant death. If we offended the tribe, we’d be turned out on the savannah, shortly to be eaten by lions.

Granted, we’re living in a far less dangerous world than our ancestors, but the barrage of social messaging has exacerbated FOPO to an alarming degree. And an internal foe is more complicated to combat than an external one.

So what’s the solution?

There are encyclopedias of thought on that. But for me, and perhaps for you, it’s travel. There’s nothing like new surroundings to jolt me out of vitality-draining FOPO.

I like to think of IL as a contrarian tribe… a group that finds the unusual invigorating and the unknown intriguing.

This month, recently retired IL contributor Tim Ward writes about his anxiety over a “purposeless” life… until he traveled to France. There, he and his wife learned the art of flâning, which puts a new spin on “doing nothing.” Then there’s Dede Fulk, who, despite warnings from her US tribe, traveled to Colombia for a life-altering treatment.

If mountains are what moves you, turn to this month’s feature story on three alpine towns spanning three countries. Graced with blessedly cool summer weather, the region has long been a favorite for sweating Europeans. And now you know about it, too…

Decidedly less cool—but no less inspiring—is Dubai. Jeff Opdyke dubs it “The Land of Never-Ending Wow,” a place in the world that’s truly mesmerizing. From New Zealand to Japan to Portugal to Costa Rica, there’s plenty more inspiration from the IL tribe in this month’s Travel Issue.

Fear not—we won’t let you be eaten.