When Innocent Logic Collides with a World of Compromise

Father’s Note:
Some conversations seem small but carry a lot within them. This one was born in the back seat, on a calm morning drive to school when the world felt briefly at peace.

Letter

My sons,

This morning, on our way to school, everything went as it should. We left on time, no rush, everyone in good spirits — one of those rare mornings when the world feels aligned.

Then Tito suddenly asked:

“Dad, why was Brazil’s president, Lula, in prison?”

At the time, I gave you the simple answer — because he had been accused and allegedly convicted of corruption. And that’s true. He was tried and, allegedly, sentenced for involvement in corruption schemes, having served time in prison. What I didn’t explain — because it’s still difficult to grasp at your age — is that later, he managed to return to politics and was even elected president again.

You then asked, very logically:

“But if he was in prison, how can he be president again?”

I remember smiling, not out of amusement, but because I realised how important that question was. You were seeing the world as it should be — fair, simple, coherent.

The problem is, the adult world rarely works that way.

Sometimes people don’t choose what’s right, but what’s convenient. Other times, they believe the loudest voice, even when it has already proven untrustworthy.

Some vote for a politician because they truly believe he can change things for the better. Others vote out of fear — fear of losing what little they already have. And there are those who don’t fully understand what’s happening, or who live in realities where reading, studying, and thinking freely are luxuries few can afford.

But there’s another group — perhaps the most dangerous — made up of those who benefit directly from keeping things exactly as they are. People who thrive within corrupt systems, who profit from loopholes, and gain money, power, or influence precisely because the rules stay bent. Those are the ones who push and fund certain leaders — not out of conviction, but self-interest.

And here lies one of the hardest truths to accept: corruption is part of human nature.
It’s not inevitable, but it’s constant.
Since the beginning of time, humans have been tempted to choose what’s easy instead of what’s right. The line between integrity and greed is thin — and that’s why awareness matters so much.

Corruption doesn’t start when someone steals; it starts much earlier — when one decides to look away, justify a wrong, or stay silent to keep an advantage. That’s how the silence that protects corruption is built.

But what I want you to understand, my sons, isn’t about Lula or Brazil. It’s about the questions you asked. They matter. Asking why is the beginning of almost everything worth knowing.

Don’t let the world teach you to accept things as they are.

Question them. Observe. Try to understand not only what happens, but why it happens.
There isn’t always a single right answer — but searching for the truth is what will make you better, fairer, more human.

And maybe one day, when you’re older and read this, you’ll realise that conversation in the car wasn’t about politics at all. It was about integrity. About thinking for yourselves. About not letting anyone buy your honesty with easy promises.

It was, in the end, about the kind of men I hope you become.

With love,
Dad