There's an aesthetics to wasting time. For those who cultivate sensations there's an unwritten handbook on inertia, with recipes for all the forms of lucidity. T develop the right strategy for fighting against the notion of social mores, against the impulses of all instincts and against the solicitations of sentiment requires a study that no every aesthete is prepared to undertake. A rigorous aetiology of our scruples should be followed by an ironic diagnosis of our concessions to normality. We must also learn how to ward off life's intrusions; a [unclear] caution is necessary to make us impervious to outside opinions, and a velvety indifference to insulate our soul again the invisible blows of coexisting with others.
Fernando Pessoa, The Book of Disquiet, no. 315
This is just about the most Pessoa-esque Pessoa statement imaginable - and also just about the most perfect statement to describe life in Portugal. Recently I read an article that that pointed out that Portugal is one of the least, if not the least, productive nations in Europe. My response was, "And this is yet another reason why I love them." I rankle every time I hear someone at Champlain champion the importance of productivity, which is one of the great diversionary attributes of late stage capitalism. Why are you not giving more to the corporation (even if the corporation is your university)? And, of course, what makes it even more insidious is that the same corporation (university) will mention work-life balance, which they're not concerned about in the least, but know that they can continue to grind you away if they've mentioned work-life balance in a public meeting. I never heard the response from the Portuguese to their low ranking on the productivity ranking, probably because they were at a café with family and friends. As I always opine, the Europeans are simply more sane than we are.
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