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
Never again shall a single story be told as though it were the only one.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of recognizing multiple perspectives and narratives in understanding the world.
John Berger's quote highlights the danger of oversimplifying complex realities by relying on a singular narrative. It encourages us to appreciate the richness of diverse stories and experiences, as each individual narrative adds depth to our understanding of truth and human experience.
Themes
StoryNarrativePerspectiveTruthDiversity
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about cultural representation, one might quote this to illustrate the need for diverse voices.
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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The time has come to educate people, to cease all quarrels in the name of religion, culture, countries, different political or economic systems. Fighting is useless. Suicide.
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