The Pen is Mightier than the Sword
The phrase "the pen is mightier than the sword" is commonly attributed to the old English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton, who coined the phrase in his 1839 play, Richelieu; Or the Conspiracy, though it has appeared in many forms prior. For example, in 1600, Shakespeare in Hamlet stated (through the character Rosencrantz) that "many wearing rapiers are afraid of goosequills." And the Greek playwright Euripides (who died in 406 BC) had supposedly written, "the tongue is mightier than the blade." Before that, the Old and New Testaments state, "Indeed the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart."
Clearly, this powerful phrase has penetrated the hearts and souls of many - and stood the test of time.
This got me thinking - what would a more updated version of this concept be? After all, writing implements have long gone to the wayside (with the advent of computers) and the only time we see swords are in fencing matches (or movies).
Hmmm... how about the keyboard is mightier than the semi-automatic machine gun? Or facebook and twitter and mightier than the atomic bomb?
Perhaps there's something to be said about our society, where everything is already electronic (or in the process of going electronic). For today's youth, there's little concept of a non-virtual universe, let alone electronic relics, like record players, cassettes, land lines, or even remote-less TVs. They've become dependent on a online world that they've assumed will exist forever (simply because it's existed all their lives).
When today's archaeologists dig up the past, they find physical evidence of stone tablets and withered papyrus sheets, filled with cryptic symbols that they struggle to decipher. Even so, for them, there's concrete evidence that these civilizations took the time to (thoughtfully) solidify their thoughts and opinions in a highly accessible medium (possibly for the benefit of future generations).
What happens when future generations dig up our past, only to find plastic shells, silicon chips, and magnetic plates? Without the tools to uncover what lies hidden beneath, will they think of us as uncultured heathens and hoarders of metal and plastic?
Technology has allowed us to store vast amounts of information, but it has also created a very virtual medium for all of this data. This works well - as long as the power doesn't shut down.
Years from now, when we pull the plug, will all of this go away? And what will future generations do, when they have to revert back to ink (and gasp) paper?
Just a thought.
Clearly, this powerful phrase has penetrated the hearts and souls of many - and stood the test of time.
This got me thinking - what would a more updated version of this concept be? After all, writing implements have long gone to the wayside (with the advent of computers) and the only time we see swords are in fencing matches (or movies).
Hmmm... how about the keyboard is mightier than the semi-automatic machine gun? Or facebook and twitter and mightier than the atomic bomb?
Perhaps there's something to be said about our society, where everything is already electronic (or in the process of going electronic). For today's youth, there's little concept of a non-virtual universe, let alone electronic relics, like record players, cassettes, land lines, or even remote-less TVs. They've become dependent on a online world that they've assumed will exist forever (simply because it's existed all their lives).
When today's archaeologists dig up the past, they find physical evidence of stone tablets and withered papyrus sheets, filled with cryptic symbols that they struggle to decipher. Even so, for them, there's concrete evidence that these civilizations took the time to (thoughtfully) solidify their thoughts and opinions in a highly accessible medium (possibly for the benefit of future generations).
What happens when future generations dig up our past, only to find plastic shells, silicon chips, and magnetic plates? Without the tools to uncover what lies hidden beneath, will they think of us as uncultured heathens and hoarders of metal and plastic?
Technology has allowed us to store vast amounts of information, but it has also created a very virtual medium for all of this data. This works well - as long as the power doesn't shut down.
Years from now, when we pull the plug, will all of this go away? And what will future generations do, when they have to revert back to ink (and gasp) paper?
Just a thought.
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