In these different times, it is necessary to rethink the framework, policies, and instruments of National Defence. The author argues that several myths conditioning national thought must be dismantled, such as the false opposition between Europe and the Atlantic, the misconception of Portugal as a maritime power, the unrealistic view of Portugal as a hinge between North America and Europe, the fallacy of the archipelagic country, the non-existent strategic triangle of the mainland and islands, and the lingering cultural influence of Sebastianism, which reflects a culture of absence rather than serious progress.