"Beneath the rule of men entirely great,
The pen is mightier than the sword."
(from the play Richelieu, Act II, 1839)
"The tongue is mightier than the blade."
~Euripides, Great poet, 400 BC
"...many wearing rapiers are afraid of goose quills."
Shakespeare's Hamlet, 1600s
Math formula: pen > sword <---- I like it!
"Over the years, many revolutionaries have used sharp tongues instead of sharp knives --- and the results have been extraordinary." ~Glenn Beck Common Sense, vii
Without a doubt, writing has done some powerful influencing for both good and bad. Lincoln is known to have read Uncle Tom's Cabin and at meeting its author Harriet Beecher Stowe said, "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war." Hitler's writings in Mein Kampf have influenced and continue to influence many on his writings of a superior race fueling racism.
Books such as Les Miserables expose characteristics of human nature on compassion, forgiveness, and revenge as do the writings of Shakespeare. And these barely even scratch the surface of what is available for our benefit.
These writings can make us better people and instill in us leadership qualities needed in our families, communities, work places, schools, etc. And we can use our own words to put a positive influence all around us. Let's do that!
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