What distinguished man from animals was the human capacity for symbolic thought, the capacity which was inseparable from the development of language in which words were not mere signals, but signifiers of something other than themselves. Yet the first symbols were animals. What distinguished men from animals was born of their relationship with them.
John BergerWhat do drawings mean to me? I really don't know. The activity absorbs me. I forget everything else in a way that I don't think happens with any other activity.
John BergerEmigration, forced or chosen, across national frontiers or from village to metropolis, is the quintessential experience of our time.
John BergerA 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.
John BergerIf every event which occurred could be given a name, there would be no need for stories.
John Berger