Essays originally written in Portuguese and thoughtfully adapted for English-speaking audiences. These pieces preserve the distinct perspective of Portuguese philosophical tradition while making core ideas accessible across cultural contexts.
In a world that increasingly demands absolute positions, the space between conviction and uncertainty becomes the most fertile terrain for genuine thought. Yet this middle ground is rapidly disappearing from our conversational landscape.
In a world that glorifies perpetual productivity, understanding our tiredness becomes an act of resistance—perhaps even wisdom. Yet when exhaustion envelops us, we rarely pause to consider its nature, its message, its particular weight.
In our relentless pursuit of productivity, we’ve inverted an ancient wisdom: leisure isn’t what remains after work, but the foundation from which meaningful work emerges.
Categorizing capabilities as “hard” or “soft” skills fragments what is fundamentally whole. This artificial division reflects a philosophy that reduces humans to skill assemblages rather than integrated beings, potentially blinding us to the qualities that make us fully human.
In our digital age of endless chatter, true conversation has become rare. Perhaps our most radical act is to cultivate silence—not as absence, but as the fertile ground where genuine connection grows. When we learn to be alone well, we discover how to be with others deeply.
Conversation’s greatest value emerges when we abandon the pursuit of utility. Like art or contemplation, its importance lies in its apparent uselessness—creating meaning and connection that transcends instrumental purpose.
