Coisas que não mudam #41

@ dinner, the conversation was about portuguese culture, background music was Meu Alentejo by Dulce Pontes

she Why are the Portuguese depressed?
me Think about this. A small country fights hard to be different from its much larger neighbor and ends up controlling the world. The good fortune is short lived and this small country loses every single stronghold one by one returning to the place it deserves. Wouldn't you look to the past with nostalgia and melancholy? Now, add to this the effects of feeding a world empire: how many people were sent in ships to never come back? How many lives were given up for the higher objective? Remember, it's a tiny country. You can see this sad, nostalgic pattern in the literature, and in the music over and over. There are pieces by Camões, Pessoa, or Amália that can be described in one word: Portugal. The behavior towards loss is strikingly different. Frankly, I think some of my attitudes towards life are deeply influenced by my nationality... somethings never change.