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.
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.
In the laboratory of love, chemistry gets the credit, but physics governs our connections. While poets speak of burning passion and hearts growing cold, couples negotiate a more literal thermal equilibrium—where compatibility is measured in degrees Celsius (or Fahrenheit).
From Lisbon's sloping streets to open countryside, rain transforms ordinary landscapes into sensory marvels. A contemplation of how water shapes our experiences—and how we can simultaneously cherish something while longing for its absence.
Emotional bureaucracy—the internalization of administrative logic into our most intimate psychological processes—transforms how we experience life itself. We become both bureaucrat and bureaucratized, simultaneously administering and being administered by our own hearts.
In our obsession with excellence, we’ve become slaves to arbitrary metrics. The concept of ‘good enough’ isn’t surrendering to mediocrity, but recognizing that sustainable achievement often emerges precisely when we stop demanding perfection from ourselves and others.
In our obsession with productivity, we've forgotten the value of uselessness. Paradoxically, history shows our greatest breakthroughs often emerge from seemingly 'useless' activities—the mind at play accomplishes what the mind at work cannot.
