When I think of a pencil, I think of the typical number 2 pencil. The one with the orange-yellow surface, a sharp tip, and a pink eraser on the end. The kind that teachers always give to us if we don't have a pencil for standardized testing. We all know what these writing utensils are used for, and we know that they are an important object for the process of recording. My question is: does this simple artifact of our culture reveal something much more meaningful than what would be expected? In my opinion, there is a solid yes to this question.
As I eluded to earlier, pencils reveal our need to record ideas, names, lists, etc. It's a way for us to remember what we would otherwise lose in our overfilled filing cabinet of a brain. While being able to record what we need to remember, we can also change what needs changing with the nifty little eraser on the end of the pencil. These pencils not only combat our forgetfulness, but they also allow us to back up our caprices (vocab word!!!! It means "tendency to change one's mind without apparent or adequate motive"). So basically what I am saying here is that our culture is linked with the need to record and change. We can't just rely in a utensil that will make what we are saying permanent. Our culture requires adjustment.
I also noticed that there are times when pencils are thrown aside for....pens. Sometimes, pencils aren't used because people don't want there to be a chance for something to be erased or changed. For example, when doing experiments and recording in a lab notebook, one should always use a pen because a pencil allows for things to be changed or erased. If a pencil is used, the experiment isn't as valid because bad results could've easily been hidden by erasing what isn't desired. The fact that a pencil isn't always welcome in our society for reasons like this shows that our culture may have a little dishonesty in it. Because of the fact that we have to take these precautions and follow these rules, it shows that there are times when lies come before honesty.
Pencils play a role in our culture by allowing our society to remember, forget, modify, and lie. How else are pencils connected to our culture? What would we be like without pencils, pens, or anything else similar to these objects?
Pencils are something that I guess we take for granted. I often question whether or not in the future pencils will even be of use for us. I have a distinct feeling that EVERYTHING will be electronic in the future. Instead of kindergarteners learning how to write their alphabet with a pencil, they will be tracing it with their fingers on their iPads.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting post! I've never thought of a pencil like this, but this makes a lot of sense! There are many times when people change results by using a pencil, a pen is permanent and you can see when changes are made. But now with technology expanding like it is I wonder if in the future we won't have any pencils or pens?
ReplyDeleteI like your conection of pencils to change and I think that it is important. It allows us to correct mistakes, but also record elaborate ideas and it is an all purpose tool for writing down the thoughts we want to convey. In some ways I like them better than pens because pencils are not one shot deals and can help with forming a phrase and adjusting it to convey what you really mean.
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