The Zen of Brazil
By B. Michael Rubin
It’s a cliché to say it takes longer to get things done in Brazil. Everyone knows life moves a little more slowly in the developing world than in developed countries. From an American perspective, Brazilians are never in a hurry, and therefore, it’s impossible to be late in Brazil, which does have some advantages.
The travel books for Brazil warn Americans to expect delays because life is less structured here. For example, don’t expect too much help from the authorities, whether those authorities are the police or the court system. Also, visitors to Brazil should be prepared for insurmountable and incomprehensible bureaucracy, and the requisite long lines and frustration that accompany it. Americans view Brazilians as lacking organizational skills because of these delays. Likewise, some Brazilians envy life in the faster, developed world.
The truth of clichés is they describe the obvious, so people tend to forget them. However, there is something in this cliché worth remembering about the inability of Brazilians to plan ahead or handle deadlines. Brazilians have an inherent faith that everything will work out in the end, one way or another, even if it’s not as planned. And if things don’t work out in the end, it’s because you haven’t reached the end yet, so just be patient.
This relaxed Brazilian attitude is an old and deep tale, deeper than a cliché, more like a myth. As with many myths, there’s an important lesson behind it, like when Moses parted the Red Sea. (This is in contrast to the unimportant myths, such as when your mother tells you to wear a scarf in the winter or you’ll catch a cold.)
What I’m curious about is, What’s the reason life moves more slowly in Brazil than in the US?
When I asked this question of Brazilians, I received a variety of answers. My mother-in-law, who turns 82 in January, grew up in the small coastal town of Antonina. Today she lives in Curitiba, and she can’t comprehend how life could be any faster than it is already. She says it’s my imagination when I tell her Brazil is slower than the US, and she blames my distorted perspective on homesickness.
Other Brazilians I’ve asked think warmer weather encourages slowness. There are people who honestly believe that warm weather is essential to happiness. I overheard a Brazilian girl, who had been living in Paris and was asked about her life there, reply, “Paris is cold and gray in the winter. Many people commit suicide because of the melancholy caused by the cold weather.”
The theory of warm-weather slowness could apply to the north of Brazil and its equatorial climate, but what about Curitiba or Rio Grande do Sul, where temperatures reach freezing and it’s cold enough to snow?
I want to propose that life moves more slowly in Brazil for another reason, which has nothing to do with the weather. My theory is that all people, from all over the world, would prefer to move slowly. What rational human being welcomes the stress and frustration of deadlines, or the anxiety of being late for an appointment while trying to navigate through rush-hour traffic? People who are forced to deal with constant stress, which could possibly blossom into a life-threatening disease, are those who have no choice. They accept anxiety and speed in their lives as an unfortunate and unavoidable consequence of living in a developed country.
Another way to look at it is people in Brazil move more slowly because they, too, have no choice. There are the long lines at the supermarket and the lottery ticket office. The paperwork involved in getting a driver’s license or opening a new business is voluminous. Thus, someone who grows up in Brazil is accustomed to delays and circuitous routes to completion. Patience is learned at an early age, even by children, who must wait an entire year before they can enjoy panettone at Christmas.
It’s no surprise, then, that the Portuguese language fits perfectly with the Brazilian relaxed approach. It takes longer to say something in Portuguese than it does in English because English is more precise and has more words. Additionally, it’s rude for a Brazilian to address a subject directly. His words dance around the topic, so even if his language is precise, he will inevitably take longer to say it. Does the structure of the Portuguese language reflect a slower culture, or is Brazil a slower culture because the language necessitates it?
Whatever the answer, the myth is still intact. Whether it’s the weather, the language, the lines at the supermarket, or the natural rhythm of humanity, life is slower in Brazil. However, as far as I’m concerned, the lesson of this myth is that the slow lane here is surprisingly the fast lane to happiness – less speed means less stress, and that means more time for fun and relaxation. Enjoying one day at a time, with less focus on schedules, is the Brazilian way. I view it as Brazil’s version of Zen, which could be described as “being present in the moment.” Being present each day and living with patience and gratitude is more than enough for me.
Michael Rubin is an American living in Curitiba. He can be contacted at rubin.brazil@gmail.com
