A young Brazilian writer who lived overseas visited Brazil and spent a few relaxed hours in the company of our people in Curitiba. He didn’t know that everyone he was with was either an instructor or student of the DeROSE Method. All the better, as he was receptive to the experience of spending time as part of our egregore, without any preconceived ideas about what it might be like. Below, is the text he wrote about this experience under the same title as the one that heads this article.

“It’s good to be around people who don’t care about politics. Nor current trends in contemporary literature. It’s good to be surrounded by people who laugh at themselves and others without any cruelty. People who don’t judge. It’s good to be surrounded by people.

I spent an enormously enjoyable evening with friends in Curitiba. Despite the fact that I knew the names of maybe two or three, I consider them all friends Because I felt completely at ease, like I hadn’t felt for years; at ease with who I am. And who am I? I ask myself this question surprisingly and depressingly frequently. I’m the one who was there, standing at the bar, eating a piece of bread with a lot of butter. Pleasure.

I spent five hours that evening without hearing a single serious conversation. No talk of conspiracy theories, complaints or fears. We were, once again, children in a playground – and it was so good! Upon returning home, I realised that we had spent five hours together – five hours! – inventing puns worthy of a tv show. We laughed, we laughed a lot. We were stupidly and deliciously happy.

You might be thinking that we were drunk. But…no! Not a single drop of alcohol was poured at this party. We were however inebriated off the unequivocal feeling of being together. We were all of the same generation, we had lived more or less the same lives, yet we sought things that were actually really diverse. But time brought us together. I always considered the Zeitgeist to be a monster. I discovered, during this night, that it can also be a friendly ghost.

I’m sorry to confess but I miss sharing time with people whose only objective in life is to feel these small and adorable moments of happiness. A happiness which doesn’t need explaining away with poetic or philosophical references. A happiness which simply is. We weren’t fools there in that house. Each one of us, I could see, knew themselves to be owner of a unique existence, with unique opinions. Everyone was admirable due to their individuality. Each one present was laudable because they didn’t seek pleasure in the massacring of what was different.

During that evening, I was happy. I said what I thought without fear of judgement. Better still: many times I said things I had not even thought. Nobody once raised their voice. Nobody made a face. Nobody shared an opinion with the aim of demonstrating their intelligence.

I left into the night with joy in my step. I tend to skip when I feel this way. The night was cold, even in November. The walk home seemed too safe, too reassuring. I got into bed. It was my friend Alessandro’s birthday. Needless to say, it was me who received the best present.”

Paulo Polzonoff Jr.