Just as Prometheus delivered stolen fire to man, so Eve, and the serpent, delivered man into self-consciousness, setting him up, were it not for his short lifespan, as rival to God. At the same time, man’s self-consciousness removed him from nature into a life of toil, doubt, fear, guilt, shame, blame, enmity, loneliness, and frailty–and the product of this separation, the fruit and flower of this exile, is, of course, culture. ‘God, ’ said the writer Victor Hugo, ‘made only water, but man made wine. Neel Burton
About This Quote

Victor Hugo was speaking about the origin of culture and how it came to be. He describes how man used to live as a part of nature and as such, there was no need for culture. Then, as man became self-conscious, he began creating things that would separate him from nature and life as we knew it. Things such as religion, politics, art, music, theater, science, technology and philosophy.

Source: For Better For Worse: Should I Get Married?

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