Luciano Duarte | Literature and philosophy

Endless Tyranny

Seeking meaning through external phenomena is a mechanism that, although common, will never lead to independence. To attach value to uncontrollable judgments, when not simply unfair, is to level oneself down and show a lack of autonomy. It is worse to see that acceptance, when effected, does nothing but points out the types of flocks—the absolute majority—that, although they do not perceive, will never leave the condition of vassals, because to see the medium as sovereign is to submit to an endless tyranny.

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Between Humility and Shame

At first, to voluntarily sit in the dock. Then proceed with the condemnation. The obvious result: the contraindication of oneself. Loss of illusions, perhaps some apathy, silence, and many hours of reflection. Thus, between humility and shame, it is possible to draw some plan of action…

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The Story That Kafka Did Not Write

A very banal guy keeps, for fifteen years, the same cell phone number. He has thus built up an extensive network of personal and professional contacts. He is, above all, dependent on this number. Suddenly, he receives between 100 and 150 daily calls during business hours from companies trying to sell him some kind of financial product. Between 100 and 150 calls from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.: doing the bakery math, the number is equivalent to approximately one call every five minutes. The guy, or better, the young misanthrope is forced to answer them all since there is the possibility of finding a possible customer among the unknown numbers. The number is also a work number. Every five minutes, the phone rings. The young man attends with rudeness, dismisses the invasive company very irritated for being called to listen about products that he has no interest, without having ever granted opening in order such calls were made. So his routine becomes hell. He cannot concentrate on anything, the phone does not stop ringing. He has to answer, he becomes rude in the first word, mistreats professional contacts by mistake. “Mr. Luciano Duarte, please…”, “Kindly Mr. Luciano…”, “At this number I can talk to Mr. Luciano…”. Oh, Kafka, brother, help that your character!

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Pleasure in the Verb

It is truly impressive how the human being likes to talk, talk, talk when the silence is infinitely more pleasurable. To relate or, in other words, to engage in an irritating and endless war of vanities… Meeting people: what is that, God? Time, that finite good, spent in a pernicious way. But there is worse: the verb, the shaking of the vocal cords is rarely the fruit of a noble motivation. Bad intention, unpleasant results… and we continue to collect inconveniences…

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