Member-only story
The pen is mightier than the sword.
What does that mean? Boys and girls, so we are kicking serious butt!
“The pen is mightier than the sword” is a saying that many people learn as children. I remember hearing it as a kid in school and it made total sense to me because the same teacher was also talking about brains before brawn.
Of course, it means that ideas that are expressed in writing can be much more consequential than violence. Words can influence and inspire countless people, and they can live on indefinitely.
If you think about it, if someone physically hits you, you will heal and then just resume life, maybe with some mental anguish. Words, on the other hand, can cut very deep. they may hurt for years, or even a lifetime.
What’s the origin of the phrase ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’?
‘The pen is mightier than the sword’ was coined by Edward Bulwer-Lytton for his play Richelieu; Or the Conspiracy, 1839. In his play he wrote:
True, This! -
Beneath the rule of men entirely great,
The pen is mightier than the sword…