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.
History always constitutes the relation between a present and its past. Consequently fear of the present leads to mystification of the past
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the connection between our current experiences and historical events, suggesting that fear can distort our understanding of the past.
John Berger's quote emphasizes the intricate relationship between the present and the past, indicating that our perceptions of history are often influenced by our current fears and anxieties. When individuals or societies are fearful of their present circumstances, they may romanticize or distort their understanding of history, leading to a misunderstanding of past events and their significance. This observation encourages a critical examination of how our emotions and experiences shape our interpretations of history.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a history class discussing how current events shape our interpretations of past eras.
More from John Berger
All quotes βUnlike any other visual image, a photograph is not a rendering, an imitation or an interpretation of its subject, but actually a trace of it. No painting or drawing, however naturalist, belongs to its subject in the way that a photograph does.
We never look at just one thing; we are always looking at the relation between things and ourselves.
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.
Propaganda requires a permanent network of communication so that it can systematically stifle reflection with emotive or utopian slogans. Its pace is usually fast.
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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Morality [or ethics] is not a subject; it is a life put to the test in dozens of moments.
Who would fare better in this world of fitful time? Those who have seen the future and live only one life? Or those who have not seen the future and wait to live life? Or those who deny the future and live two lives?
Some men, at the approach of a dispute, neigh like horses.
Science can purify religion from error and superstition. Religion can purify science from idolatry and false absolutes.
In a repressive society, a writer can be deeply influential, but in a society that's filled with glut and repetition and endless consumption, the act of terror may be the only meaningful act.
From where Winston stood it was just possible to read, picked out on its white face in elegant lettering, the three slogans of the Party:_x000D_ _x000D_ WAR IS PEACE_x000D_ _x000D_ FREEDOM IS SLAVERY_x000D_ _x000D_ IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.