Small universes and their details

05/12/2025 Nilson Lattari

Small things may not be tiny, and we don’t have to imagine they are living in a world apart. Small things contain small universes; however small they are, these universes work in their on way despite the big universes around them.
Details are small, but they often make a difference. ‘The devil lives in the details’, but this saying does not mean to be evil or have a diabolical sense. It means that it’s impossible to build anything, even great ideas, if we don’t pay attention to details. For example, we think in detail when we choose the wrong colour among many, when an actor performs a role and changes the story, or an artisan makes a difference through his subtle work, instead of mass-produced objects. So, objects differ according to their details.
When we watch and enjoy a landscape and its surroundings, we notice details in a piece of the sea, a lake, or a strange shape of a mountain, and realise that these things make sense in nature.
Details appear in a garden, in the most colourful, flowery rose, or an isolated bench where a solitary person enjoys the day. Details bring joy to photographers who look for the best angle to capture their photos. How many people take a picture or paint the same place? Yet the details always make a difference between them.
The refrain of a melody is a detail that makes it a national anthem. A revolution starts with a small movement among people. Details are in the scent of perfume inside a small bottle or in fine beverages in small flasks, which enchant our taste. A plate of food looks more attractive when someone arranges it to make it more appetising.
Details help us to observe around calmly and with greater insight. Details are in a landscape that delights us or in a small gesture from someone who threatens us.
Perhaps the perfections or imperfections of tidy things affect us more than great movements that drag crowds.
Humble or small smart gestures build societies, while elegant and beautiful movements do not always attract us.
Tiny things capture our attention and calm us when we walk down the streets, and a small, delicate garden attracts us. A small flower that insists on surviving in a crack in the pavement shows us what courage and resilience are.
In silence, we can hear the soft buzzing of insects, the passing of the wind through the leaves, and the hidden birds singing among the trees. These details make up nature.
With magnifying glasses, we can observe small universes at work. On the green grass, two lovers maybe kissing, while, at the same time, nearby, a battle of life and death takes place between two small creatures fighting for survival.
When we evaluate the details of our personality, this behaviour can help us to reach another level in life, starting from small, careful steps.