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
A man's presence suggests what he is capable of doing to you or for you. By contrast, a woman's presence... defines what can and cannot be done to her.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the differing societal perceptions of men's and women's roles and capabilities in interpersonal relationships.
John Berger's quote emphasizes the contrast in how men's and women's presences are perceived in society. A man's presence is often associated with his potential impact on others, suggesting power and capability, while a woman's presence is framed within the confines of what she allows or disallows in her interactions with others. This reflects broader themes of gender dynamics and societal expectations.
Themes
GenderPresenceCapabilityDynamicsRelationships
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on gender dynamics, this quote could serve to highlight the differing expectations placed on men and women.
More from John Berger
All quotes →Unlike 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.
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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.
John BergerRead
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.
John BergerRead
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