Why Shouldn’t You Write with a Broken Pencil?

There is a popular joke on the internet, and it’s more like a dad joke. “why shouldn’t you write with a broken pencil?” People sarcastically answer it by saying, “it’s pointless!”But if you were taking the question seriously, we would say, there are several reasons why you should not write with a broken pencil.

Some big reasons are: it wastes time, feels uncomfortable, makes terrible marks on the paper, and it is literally pointless!

This article covers some silly reasons why you should avoid using a broken pencil. Keep reading to find them out.

Also Read: Why Shouldn’t You Sign a Passport With a Ballpoint Pen?

Why Shouldn’t You Write with a Broken Pencil?

This type of “not so life-changing” question can pop into mind any time, sarcastically I would say: at 2 A.M, in the middle of the night when you are literally bored with everything and you still don’t feel sleepy!

If someone were to ask me the question face to face, I would give a sarcastic answer first, if he insisted on hearing more, I would then give some detailed explanation!

It’s Pointless

Literally, writing with a broken pencil is pointless. When you are writing an exam and your pencil breaks all of a sudden, trying to continue with that broken pencil is nothing but wasting time and effort for some uneven, scribbled writing. If your pencil breaks, you should sharpen it right away.

The Pencil Marks Will Not Be Smooth

Let’s assume your pencil broke, but you insist on using it the way it is! The marks will not be smooth. When a pencil breaks, the lead gets damaged, and the remaining part of the lead stays hidden inside the wooden body. So, the only way you can write using that pencil is by pressing it too hard on the paper.

The marks will be uneven, and the wooden collar of the pencil will get further damage due to applying excessive pressure. On the other hand, if you were in a rage for some reason, and you broke the pencil into halves, you may keep on continuing to write with any of the broken halves, if possible. But you will not get satisfactory results or comfort.

It Feels Uncomfortable

The pencil manufacturers strive to make pencils that are not just visually appealing, but also comfortable to use. Writers also look for pencils that give better grip and comfort, because, after all, everyone would love to have a pencil that writes like butter.

But as soon as a pencil breaks, the first thing you will lose is the smooth flow of writing. If the pencil breaks from the collar and the lead comes out, you may set it back to its hole, but you will need to maintain a downward pressure while writing to keep it inside the hole.

So, you will have to deal with both your writing speed and the pressure to keep the lead in its place. As a result, it will make writing uncomfortable and cause you to slow down. That’s why you should sharpen the pencil quickly instead of continuing with the broken one.

It’s a Waste of Time

Time is the most valuable thing in our lives. And probably you have heard this phrase a thousand times: “time and tide wait for none”. The meaning of this phrase can be understood better in an exam hall where every second counts.

You see, people look for better pencils or pens, and try new tips and tricks so that they can write comfortably and save some time in the exam hall. A broken pencil wastes time and is a hassle that people don’t want to deal with during a test.

So, if your pencil breaks, and you want to write the way it is, simply you will be wasting your time. The pencil marks will not be even. And you will have to apply more pressure to write with the pencil, which will ultimately slow you down.

You Can Hurt Yourself

If a pencil breaks due to writing with excessive pressure or bad product quality, it feels annoying. But if you were to break a pencil into halves out of rage, it’s just oppression to the pencil!

Anyway, if you want to keep writing with a broken half of the pencil, you can hurt yourself, regardless of choosing the half from the eraser side or the lead side. You see, when a pencil is broken into halves, it will have pointy edges. And you can easily get stabbed by those edges.

That’s why we always recommend sharpening the pencil if it is broken due to writing with excessive pressure. And if the pencil is broken into halves, we recommend sharpening the broken end if writing with it further seems possible.

Final Thoughts

Good pencils are meant to make writing smooth, comfortable, and fun. Pencils sometimes break due to applying excessive pressure while writing or poor-quality built materials. If your pencil breaks, and you are too lazy to sharpen it and continue writing with it, we highly discourage that.

We recommend always picking a high-quality pencil for writing and sharpening it as soon as it breaks.