Andrew McCarthy: 'We Make A Lot Of Our Political Decisions Based On Fear'

He's best known for his roles in classic movies like "Less Than Zero," "Weekend at Bernie's" and, of course, "Pretty in Pink," which he modestly describes as a silly movie about a girl.

But now Andrew McCarthy has written a book, "The Longest Way Home: One Man's Quest for the Courage to Settle Down," in which he urges readers to get over their fears.

"I started traveling 25 years ago and started writing stuff down and then about 10 years ago, I started writing for various magazines. I just started writing about travel because it changed my life. It helped me get over a lot of fear," McCarthy told me. "When I went out into the world alone without an agenda, I came back a better person for it."

Making it clear that he loves America, Andrew believes that Americans on the whole would all be better off if they traveled more.

"I think America is a great place and everything, but I think we certainly make a lot of our political decisions based on fear. And I think a lot of people do; fear masquerades as a lot of things, and I think travel obliterates that. You can't go out into the world -- I'm not talking about vacations -- and depend on the kindness of strangers without walking through a lot of fear. And most people don't travel, certainly alone, because they are afraid to," said Andrew. "We have lots of excuses: America's great, we have got it all here -- and I think the reason you go is not for the places, but the people and the culture. I solve my problems by traveling. Some people go to therapy, I travel."

He added, "Fear rules a lot of people and there's a way out of it."

"The Longest Way Home: One Man's Quest for the Courage to Settle Down" is available now.

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