I’m sure everyone has heard the saying “The pen is mightier than the sword”. Used by teachers everywhere trying to convince their classes to write, this phrase is just a synecdoche, symbolism extending the value of literature and writing over war and violence. You CANNOT, however, directly compare the two — pens and swords are used for entirely different purposes, so it would be meaningless to weigh the merits and demerits of each. What would be good to compare against pens are pencils — a tool used for generally the same purposes — so they can be utterly stomped into the ground, and snapped like the flimsy pieces of wood they are. And here’s why.
1. Pens are superior to pencils in feeling. Most pens come with some sort of grip, allowing you to hold it more easily and more comfortably. Pencils, on the other hand, come with laminated, thin sides that make it feel as if it’s barely there. You need support and weight, a feeling of comfort and stability to be reassured. The pencil simply fails to provide any of this. The weight of pens, no matter how cheap or lightweight they may be, still outclasses almost every type of pencil. It’s simply incomparable.
Even the lowliest pen is mightier than the greatest pencil. Source: National Pen Company
2. Using pens allows your ideas to flow better. Much like the ink that runs in the veins of these utensils, when writing with pens, you’ll find that your thoughts flow unhindered, coming out more fluently and gliding across the paper. There’s no “glide” with a pencil — maybe “skrschsks” is closer to how it feels. In fact, studies have shown that writing with pencils distracts from the writing process in many different forms. Andrew Pudewa sheds light on this issue in this piece for the Institute for Excellence in Writing. The drag of pencils change when they wear out, forcing you to adapt constantly. In comparison to pens, the tip remains constant and the ink flow comes steadily. When writing with pencils, sharpening both takes a significant amount of time and serves as a means of procrastination, and ultimately takes you away from your train of thought.
3. This is one of the more important reasons to use a pen over a pencil: pens allow you to carry yourself with dignity and self-respect. I only have one word for those who adamantly stick to using their trusty #2 pencils: insecure. By using a pencil, you’re implicitly admitting “Oh, I’m going to make a mistake and mess up at some point. Better to be safe rather than sorry”. This kind of self-doubt and lack of self-confidence can be terribly hindering to both your mindset and once again the flow of your thoughts. In the aforementioned article, it’s shown that it takes longer just to erase a sentence than to write an entirely new one. People who incessantly erase their work in hope of getting it perfect the first time are simply delusional — no one is perfect the first time. Pens allow you to embrace that and accept it, recognizing the mistakes that you’ve made and moving on rather than trying to hide them entirely. Erasing your previous work is akin to glossing over the past as if were nothing — why not leave it as it is and move towards the future with confidence?
4. Finally, pencils completely fail on an aesthetic level when compared to the beauty of pens. To begin with, the output of the writing utensils is a weak, ineffectual gray compared to the bold, black or blue strokes of the powerful pen. When you look at the actual utensils themselves, you will find gorgeous pens that could take your breath away, while no such alternative exists for pencils. Ballpoint pens and fountain pens are both proclaimed to be the writing utensils of kings, while pencils are for peasants. Writing in pen looks more professional overall, and can be used for decorative calligraphy, while pencils are used for simply grunt work.
In the end, pencils will always be inferior to pens, discounting some specialized circumstances. There’s a reason why millions of dollars were invested into making a pen that could write in outer space (regular pens don’t work because the ink doesn’t flow in no gravity). Sure, using a pencil would work as well, but it’s similar to working at McDonald’s versus working as a CEO. It’s just a matter of class.
This will be the first of a two-part series proclaiming the dominance of pens as a writing utensil. Next up: shoving the lead of mechanical pencils back up their ***. Feel free to give your opinions on this topic or contact me to fight.
Works Cited:
Pudewa, Andrew. “Convert … to Pens!” The Institute for Excellence in Writing, 14 Aug. 2017.
Hello friendo, after much time writing my own blog and struggling, I am here to comment on yours. As someone who is also a 0.3 mm lead user, I find that if my lead is any thicker, I would much rather use pens. My favorite, if I may say, are the pilot 0.38 and the muji 0.38 or 0.5 all pens that write so smoothly compared to pencils and there’s no worry of the change in thickness of your lines, big fan. My personal favorite for drawing however, is simply the cheap ballpoint pens we get from school, surprisingly, it’s smooth and is honestly the best for shading and calligraphy. Anywho, long tangent aside, I am glad for this post as it gives me more justification for my current obsessions with ballpoint and gel pens and also an excuse to continue to hoard pens.
Thanks Doris! I completely agree, even the cheap ballpoint pens are surprising nice and smooth to use. Not sure that I agree entirely with your use of mechanical pencil .3 mm lead (read pt 2 of this series), but pens are simply overall superior.
Hey buddy, we need to talk.
I would have to agree that, in a physical, aesthetic sense, pens have the flair. Ballpoint, fountain, you name it: pens have variety and can be ornate and decorative.
The problem I have is when it comes to practicality. Considering any math/science problem, where the work of your writing utensil is (especially for me) wrong, a pen’s writing is near impossible to undo. Sure, they have “erasable pens,” but those are nothing more than normal ink with a rubber smudger on top. So, unfortunately, I have to take pencils’ side on this one.
Insecure. If you go into your work assuming that you’re going to make a mistake, and covering up those flaws is your only way to cope, you will lead a weak and ineffectual life. Pens allow you to own your mistakes, recognizing the crossed out and scribbled over marks as places where you’ve fallen, where you won’t mess up next time. That way, when you finish a page with none of those scars on the paper, you’ll feel all the more better for it.