La banalidad del bien

The imperative of self-realization turns each citizen into a publicist for himself. Good deeds are exchanged for exhibitionism and coups de effect. There is nothing more good than a multitude of goods by weight, used to flatter the good conscience of consumers. The banality of good puts emphasis on the word and trivializes the action. Courage gives way to gentleness and self-love to self-contempt. The mercurial values of soul capitalism - disruption, volatility, uncertainty - force us to float with the current, preventing us from taking root. In the culture of agitation - a concept brilliantly developed by Jorge Freire - the participatory citizen, subjected to successive states of exception, becomes his own caricature. Could it be that when good is not substantiated in a good life, there is nothing left but goodism? A proposal about the need and validity of thinking about ourselves, a brilliant speech enriched by profound wisdom and a reflection on the actions and actors of our time. That, among other things, is this essay by Jorge Freire, and with it he establishes himself as one of the sharpest and most original thinkers in this country.