in theend (Tudo da certo no final) placehopes for the future in the hands of fate rather than on individual actions.There is a belief that the future will provide and Things will get better tomorrow(Amanha tudo se resolve).Inpolitical terms, this oddly passive optimism might have been reinforced bygovernment propaganda proclaiming that Brazil is the country of tomorrow.This meant that given Brazilsabundance of arable land and natural resources, it was just a matter of timebefore it became a key economic power. Critics answer this by saying that Tomorrowis always tomorrow. O JeitinhoBrasileiroO jeitinho is the Brazilian means ofdealing creatively with lifes everyday complications. Literally translated asa little way, it can be taken to mean there has to be another way. Inpractice, it means that regardless of the rules or systems in place, wherethere is a will there has to be a way around them. If you take the countrysmaddening bureaucracy and add the Brazilian tendency to challenge authority,you will understand how it comes to exist.The jeitinho is so ingrained in daily lifethat you can see examples everywhere: managing to get a seat when all theplaces are booked up, traveling with more luggage than is allowed, orsuccessfully ordering something that is not on the restaurant menu. Even inlegal matters, if someone wants something that is not permitted, he or she willtry to figure out a loophole until they find an alternative way.Everyonefor themselvesThe lack ofsocial welfare is partially the reason for the high level of individualism inBrazilian society. Everyone has to fend for themselves and do the best theycan. If that means having to go over other peoples heads or take advantage ofcertain situations, some will chose to do so. Therefore, doing things likeusing a jeitinho to pay less tax (justified, perhaps, by saying thatpoliticians misuse taxpayer's money) becomes what many consider to be an acceptablepractice.Better latethan neverBraziliansfind it hard to organize their own time and schedule their day around fixedpoints. This could be due to an influence from the indigenous peoples, in whoseculture the notion of punctuality does not exist. Whatever the reason,Brazilians struggle to be on time. Being late is part of their culture andwhoever deals with them should remember that. The degree of lateness may varyaccording to the region, but it will always be a feature. Pride andprejudiceFor acountry that claims to have a racial democracy, the treatment of differentethnic groups is not always very egalitarian. Brazilians with fair skin,light-colored eyes and surnames that are difficult to pronounce are alreadyhalfway there when fighting for a better job. Also, those who considerthemselves white will be offended if referred to as mixed-race, even if theyactually are.As areaction to such white pride, members of Brazils black movement have beensuccessful in promoting black music and culture. But most dark-skinnedBrazilians also come from the poorest sectors of society, so even if they couldescape from the (veiled) racial prejudice, they would still face economicbarriers.The feelingof pride mixed with an inferiority complex seems to apply to the country as awhole. Brazilians are proud of their nationality and their countrys size,resources and beauty. However, they also feel disadvantaged when