The Pen is Mightier than The Sword

Even today many people believe that the use of force is necessary for good government and peace in society. There are others who believe that the pen is mightier than the sword.

What does the pen stand for? It stands for the art of writing. It stands for the press, literature, newspapers, books, and other writings. The project of all writing is to connect one mind with another, to persuade the reader to take up the view which the writer holds on a particular subject. The reader has the right to hold his own view; he may not be convinced of the writer's judgment and opinions presented to him. We may, therefore, say that the pen stands for the peaceful means by which a person is persuaded to accept the views which the writer holds. No force is used to persuade the reader.

On the other hand, the sword always stands for force. A man holding a sword in his hand forces his views on others. If they do not accept his views he must fight. The sword, therefore, implies force, not reason. Today a writer can instigate the whole nation with his pen to revolt. He can utilize their sentiments and emotions. His writings will work quicker than the sword. The whole nation will move our earlier than the swordsmen who can boast of beating the enemy. On the other hand, the pen is also a peacemaker. A writer is a pacifier also who can bring to reason the emotionally surcharged people. Who is more respected Kalidaas or Tamoor Lung, Shakespeare or Changez Khan?

All thoughtful men, therefore, prefer the pen to the sword. The Government of today is carried on through the help of the press. We believe in reason. We are soon warned if we are in the wrong. No Government of today can stand against a powerful pen. The writer or the debater by his writing or reasoning power rules the day. People have greater faith in the power of the pen than in that of the sword.

It does not mean however that the sword has no place in the world. Both the pen and the sword have their use in life. Both reason and force properly mixed are necessary for good governments. The time has not yet come when people will care for the good of others more than for their own. But it is a sign of good times coming that force is no longer an argument with us. But we have not yet reached that ideal state when all swords may be beaten into ploughshares. We need not wear them at our sides, but we must have them hanging from a peg nearby.