I’ve had this conversation more times than I can count.

Whenever I mention what we’re doing—where we’re going, what we’re building, the options we’re creating for our family—I see it happen: that flash of confusion before the questions start.

–> “Why would you go there?”

–> “That country’s corrupt!”

–> “What are you, a traitor?”

And then there are the people I meet in those same “questionable” destinations—the ones others dismiss—who hit me with the opposite reaction:

–> “You came here? Why would you come here? We want to go there!”

The same move that seems crazy to one person is someone else’s dream. They’re both right—from their perspective.

The person who thinks a place isn’t worth considering already has something better. The one desperate to leave doesn’t. Neither can see what I see, because they’re not standing where I’m standing.

Why Perspective Changes Everything

We all evaluate opportunity through the lens of what we already have. That’s why your decisions—whether pursuing second residency, dual citizenship, or a global mobility strategy—often sound strange to others.

They’re not judging your plan. They’re filtering it through their own reality. And from where they stand, your path genuinely doesn’t make sense.

What Makes Sense Depends on Where You Start

If you hold a U.S. passport, you already travel visa-free to most of the developed world. A Canadian passport doesn’t add much.

But a South American passport? That unlocks access your U.S. passport can’t: deeper integration into Mercosur (Portuguese spelling: Mercosul)—the trade and mobility bloc that includes Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and several associate members.

Different hemisphere. Different rulebook. Different upgrade.

If you’re Irish, your passport already gives you full access to the European Union and visa-free entry to the United States. Stacking another EU passport may sound sophisticated, but it adds almost no mobility diversification. It’s a trophy, not a tool.

A Latin American passport, however, can transform your freedom. It brings you into a fast-growing region that’s becoming central for remote professionals, entrepreneurs, and expat families building parallel lives. It opens Mercosur markets, mobility rights, and tax advantages that don’t exist in your current sphere.

If you’re Brazilian, it’s the reverse: a Canadian passport adds exponentially more value than a Colombian one. Why? Because it connects you to a completely different financial system, education infrastructure, and mobility network—a whole new hemisphere of opportunity.

Geography isn’t destiny. Strategy is.

Why Confusion Is Proof You’re Doing It Right

Every time someone looks at me with that puzzled expression—“Why would you go there?”—I’ve learned to take it as confirmation that I’m building something they don’t need.

They’re not wrong to be confused. From their vantage point, my decisions truly don’t make sense.

They already have the access I’m trying to gain. Or they lack the access I’m trying to diversify beyond.

The person who thinks I’m crazy for pursuing residency in a “risky” country doesn’t understand what strategic access means beyond their comfort zone. The person who thinks I’m crazy for expanding past a “strong” passport doesn’t understand why someone would build optionality beyond one powerful document.

Both reactions are rational. Both are limited. Both assume their reality is universal. It isn’t.

The Bottom Line: Freedom Isn’t Universal

Perspective dictates strategy.

If your passport opens doors in one direction, look the opposite way. If your citizenship ties you to one system, build bridges to another. If your network is concentrated in one region, cultivate access elsewhere.

Freedom isn’t one-size-fits-all. Neither is intelligent preparation.

So when someone dismisses your plan as unnecessary—or questions your loyalty or judgment—don’t argue. They’re probably correct for them. But they can’t see your starting point, your values, or your intended destination.

They can’t see that the place they’d never consider might offer you something strategic. Or that the place they idolize might not serve your family’s future.

Your strategy isn’t meant to make sense through someone else’s lens. It’s meant to make sense through yours. And that’s the only perspective that matters.