The strange power of art is sometimes it can show that what people have in common is more urgent than what differentiates them. It seems to me it's something that theatre can do, but it's rare; it's very rare.
John BergerRead
When we suffer anguish we return to early childhood because that is the period in which we first learnt to suffer the experience of total loss. It was more than that. It was the period in which we suffered more total losses than in all the rest of our life put together.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on how our early childhood experiences shape our understanding of loss and suffering.
In this quote, John Berger highlights how the profound experiences of anguish and loss during early childhood have a lasting impact on our emotional lives. He suggests that the intensity and frequency of these early losses can be so overwhelming that they leave a deep imprint, influencing how we perceive and cope with pain throughout our lives.
Themes
SufferingLossChildhoodAnguishEmotionsPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech on mental health, you might say this quote to emphasize the importance of addressing childhood trauma.
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We never look at just one thing; we are always looking at the relation between things and ourselves.
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The camera relieves us of the burden of memory. It surveys us like God, and it surveys for us. Yet no other god has been so cynical, for the camera records in order to forget.
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Propaganda requires a permanent network of communication so that it can systematically stifle reflection with emotive or utopian slogans. Its pace is usually fast.
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Being a unique superpower undermines the military intelligence of strategy. To think strategically, one has to imagine oneself in the enemy's place. If one cannot do this, it is impossible to foresee, to take by surprise, to outflank. Misinterpreting an enemy can lead to defeat. This is how empires fall.
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whatever is profound loves masks; what is most profound even hates image and parable.
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Perhaps we cannot prevent this world from being a world in which children are tortured. But we can reduce the number of tortured children.
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