Nice pen quote

[Matt]

I Came across this quote recently.

 

"The ballpoint pen has been the biggest single factor in the decline of Western civilization. It makes the written word cheap, fast, and totally without character."

 

E. L. Konigsburg. The View From Saturday.

 

Matt C.

[ralphawilson]

Hyperbole. They're only responsible for half the decline. And without ballpoints would fountain pens have half the cachet?

[asimplemaestro]

Like it!

[Silvermink]

Man, how does he feel about the computer?

[Tsujigiri]

Cool quote, I'd never thought of that before...

 

Hyperbole. They're only responsible for half the decline. And without ballpoints would fountain pens have half the cachet?

 

I don't think he means it literally, though... it's more what the ballpoint represents than what it is. And fountain pens are a quality instrument in their own right; they don't need ballpoints to make them seem good by comparison.

[FrankB]

I think it is a great quote.

 

Personally, I would hesitate to cite the BP as a "factor" in Western decline, but it is surely a great "symbol."

[Moondrop]

She, not he. Elaine Lobl Konigsburg.

Edited February 21, 2009 by Moondrop

[henrico]

The TV, not the BP.

 

Funny how in the West, we keep finding things to cause our decline....... :roflmho: :roflmho: :roflmho:

 

Henrico

[archie001]

and computer and word processing are fomenting the demise of handwriting!

[rwilsonedn]

I think it is a great quote.

 

Personally, I would hesitate to cite the BP as a "factor" in Western decline, but it is surely a great "symbol."

 

Or symptom. I suspect that the ballpoint pen became popular because it met a need. People didn't want the minor inconveniences of liquid ink, they were taking less time and writing faster, and maybe most, they didn't want the image of their penmanship teacher standing over their shoulder every time they wrote something on paper. The ballpoint responded to all of these needs without asking anything of the user except lowered standards. It seems as if there is some connection between the increasing pace of life and the dilution of our standards for our own skills.

ron

[TEG]

 

 

personally i think it's a bit over-the top.

 

T

[tawanda]

I love Konigsburg's works. Form the Borrowed Files... and The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place are fantastci reads. I have The View from Saturday on my bookshelf to read soon.

 

And I totally agree with the quote. And with Archie001's addendum.

 

Tawanda

[pen2paper]

quote 'ralphawilson'

Hyperbole. They're only responsible for half the decline. ...

 

[...And without ballpoints would fountain pens have half the cachet?]

actually i like your point better Ralph:)

[txinsk]

Is the quote over the top? I don't think so, maybe if you take it only by itself. You could replace ballpoint pen with fast food or any number of other things that speed up our lives so that we wind up enjoying them less.. It does an excellent job of directing our attention to the real problems growing in our society.

[Solomander]

I can only imagine what that person would say about the personal computer.

 

Joel