Setting: A sunny Saturday morning in São Paulo. Lucas is sipping coffee on the balcony of his apartment when his longtime friend Mariana walks in, carrying a small paper bag.
Mariana: (cheerfully) Bom dia, Lucas! I brought you something.
Lucas: If it’s pão de queijo, you’re my favorite person today.
Mariana: Even better. Rock salt.
Lucas: …What? Did I miss some sort of cooking emergency?
Mariana: (grinning as she sets the bag down on his table) No, silly. It’s for protection. I noticed last time you don’t have salt in the corners of your living room. That could explain your string of bad luck lately.
Lucas: [Raises an eyebrow] Are we really doing the salt thing again, Mari?
Mariana: [Sits down and shrugs] You know I believe in energy. Salt absorbs negativity. My grandmother always said it’s like a spiritual vacuum cleaner. She’d toss a handful behind the door after visitors left — especially the ones who didn’t bring gifts.
Lucas: That sounds like a great way to start a war with your cleaning lady.
Mariana: Don’t mock it! Remember last year, when my ex tried to come back? I had salt in every corner and — boom! — he tripped on his shoelaces at the gate and left.
Lucas: Mari, that’s correlation, not causation. You might as well thank gravity for saving you from bad decisions.
Mariana: [Laughs] Maybe gravity is spiritual.
Lucas: OK, let’s talk science for a second. Salt is sodium chloride. It doesn’t have mystical bad-vibe magnets built in. The reason people feel comforted isn’t because of the salt — it’s because of the ritual. It’s psychological.
Mariana: Exactly! And if it helps my mind feel lighter, isn’t that valid too? Placebo or not, it works for me.
Lucas: Fair point. But wouldn’t it be better to deal with anxiety by addressing the root cause, like therapy or a guided meditation app, instead of sprinkling your apartment like it’s a giant margarita rim?
Mariana: Wow. Did you just call my living room a cocktail?
Lucas: I’m just saying — if you spilled that salt and slipped on it, would that be considered bad luck or just poor housekeeping?
Mariana: Depends. Did I land on my butt or in front of someone cute?
Lucas: [Laughing] That’s very on brand.
Mariana: Look, Lucas. I know it’s not in the textbooks. But in Brazil, traditions like this aren’t just about logic. They’re part of our identity — a mix of African, Indigenous, and Portuguese roots. Maybe the science isn’t there, but the culture is.
Lucas: I respect that, truly. Culture matters. But when people start making big decisions based on superstition — like refusing to buy a house because a black cat crossed the path — that’s where I draw the line.
Mariana: Fair. I’d never let salt decide my mortgage. I just want a little extra “oomph” in my corner, you know?
Lucas: Just promise me you’re not burying lemons under your mattress next.
Mariana: Of course not. That’s ridiculous. Lemons go in the freezer with cloves to attract money — duh.
Lucas: [Sighs dramatically] I’m losing this battle, aren’t I?
Mariana: You’re not losing. You’re participating in a cultural exchange. With snacks.
Lucas: Fine. But if I wake up tomorrow and my floor looks like a kitchen exploded, you’re cleaning it.
Mariana: Deal. And when your week goes unusually well, you’ll thank me.
Lucas: Or I’ll thank my barista for getting my name right for once.
Mariana: That too. But you’ll know deep down — it was the salt.
[They clink coffee mugs and laugh, knowing neither will change the other’s mind completely, but happy in the comfort of being heard.]
Science Vs Superstition 
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