Here’s a good way to think about it:

…jet travel is safe enough that when someone suffers form fear of flying, he is asked to seek treatment. Flight attendants don’t grab the microphone and say, "We have someone on board who is afraid to fly. This means we are all in great danger." Yet in regard to terrorism, the most frightened voters are being allowed to dictate security policy. Unless you are personally anxious, you are considered unrealistic in the face of the terrorist threat, and politicians feel forced to be "strong on security," meaning that they must appeal to fear rather than to courage, patience, and trust. Therefore, it is up to each individual to nurture those qualities at home and spread their influence to others. Security is a quality of consciousness and always has been. Now is the time when personal security needs to come forward to counter mass insecurity.

— How to Feel Safe and Secure (Part 2), Deepak Chopra, Huffington Post, September 28, 2007 | 03:21 PM (EST)

Or, as Bruce Schneier keeps saying, "refuse to be terrorized."

-jsq