--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Do not pick up the pen unless you…" description: "\"Do not pick up the pen unless you understand how heavy it is, and how long you may carry it for.\" — Jason Ellis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9e/jason-ellis-25588_heavy_do-not-pick-up-the-pen-unless-you-unders_1624231.png" --- # Do not pick up the pen unless you understand how heavy it… ![“Do not pick up the pen unless you understand how heavy it is, and how long you may carry it for.” quote by Jason Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9e/jason-ellis-25588_heavy_do-not-pick-up-the-pen-unless-you-unders_1624231.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9e/jason-ellis-25588_heavy_do-not-pick-up-the-pen-unless-you-unders_1624231.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9e/jason-ellis-25588_heavy_do-not-pick-up-the-pen-unless-you-unders_1624231.png) > “Do not pick up the pen unless you understand how heavy it is, and how long you may carry it for.” [Jason Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-ellis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding the weight of commitments before taking them prevents regret and overload. **In simple terms:** Consider consequences before committing. Key Takeaway Weigh the burden before acting. Themes responsibility commitment selfawareness Mood thoughtful serious Type advice reflective When to use this quote - career decisions - relationships - financial obligations - creative projects Key Concepts ethics consequentialism Questions to Reflect On - What commitments have you taken without full awareness? - How can you evaluate future burden realistically? A Different Perspective Neglecting to assess long‑term impact can lead to burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [I pick up my pen. It flows. A building appears. There it is. There is nothing more to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-niemeyer/i-pick-up-my-pen-it-flows-a-building-appears-there-it-is-there-is/) [Oscar Niemeyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-niemeyer/) > [It is a bad idea to live too long. Few carry it off well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-frazier/it-is-a-bad-idea-to-live-too-long-few-carry-it-off-well/) [Charles Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-frazier/) > [If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/if-you-want-to-change-the-world-pick-up-your-pen-and-write/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [My books flow. People say they pick them up and they can't put them down. It's because when I'm writing them I pick my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-collins/my-books-flow-people-say-they-pick-them-up-and-they-can-t-put-them/) [Jackie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-collins/) > [When you wake up, instead of checking emails on your phone, or counting your retweets, pick up a pen and scratch a few sentences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-barry/when-you-wake-up-instead-of-checking-emails-on-your-phone-or-counting/) [Kevin Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-barry/) > [“I pick up a pen and start to unscrew the whole thing, pull out the skinny little tube of blue ink. It would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-pick-up-a-pen-and-start-to-unscrew-the-whole-thing-pull-out-the/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [What happens to us all, I think, when we pick up a pen, is that we just become snobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-hansard/what-happens-to-us-all-i-think-when-we-pick-up-a-pen-is-that-we-just/) [Glen Hansard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-hansard/) > [“People who are prone to sadness are more likely to pick up a pen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lang-leav/people-who-are-prone-to-sadness-are-more-likely-to-pick-up-a-pen/) [Lang Leav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lang-leav/) > [Pick up my pen and start to write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faithless/pick-up-my-pen-and-start-to-write/) [Faithless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faithless/) > [With taxes, if they aren't working right, we can change them with a stroke of the pen. It's basically a market-type mechanism. People make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/with-taxes-if-they-aren-t-working-right-we-can-change-them-with-a/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [Do not borrow the productions of other men's brains and pens and recite them as a lesson; but make the most of the talents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-g-white/do-not-borrow-the-productions-of-other-men-s-brains-and-pens-and/) [Ellen G. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-g-white/) > [A day which passed without a poem from my pen I considered lost and misused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-wheeler-wilcox/a-day-which-passed-without-a-poem-from-my-pen-i-considered-lost-and/) [Ella Wheeler Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-wheeler-wilcox/) > [I was taking all prints and I brought them to the Magnum meetings, trying the old Josef Koudelka trick: Give them to photographers, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-van-agtmael/i-was-taking-all-prints-and-i-brought-them-to-the-magnum-meetings/) [Peter van Agtmael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-van-agtmael/) > [For me, the melancholy of the late XXth Century is walking late at night by the Mont Blanc pen store and seeing these things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/for-me-the-melancholy-of-the-late-xxth-century-is-walking-late-at/) [William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/) > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) Brian Reade ## More by Jason Ellis > [What do you want for your life? And how are you going to get it? Figure that out. And then follow me to gloryville.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-ellis/what-do-you-want-for-your-life-and-how-are-you-going-to-get-it-figure/) [Jason Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-ellis/) > [Being awesome really comes down to having confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-ellis/being-awesome-really-comes-down-to-having-confidence/) [Jason Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-ellis/) > [“The world offers you millions of things to get into, and if you're not falling passionately and maniacally in love with at least one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-ellis/the-world-offers-you-millions-of-things-to-get-into-and-if-you-re-not/) [Jason Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-ellis/) > [Everyone can be awesome if they want it bad enough. And I don't believe that anyone wants to be average. I think everybody desires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-ellis/everyone-can-be-awesome-if-they-want-it-bad-enough-and-i-don-t/) [Jason Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-ellis/) > [To me, pain means you're pushing your body to give you everything its got.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-ellis/to-me-pain-means-you-re-pushing-your-body-to-give-you-everything-its/) [Jason Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-ellis/) > [“This is not my bedroom!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-ellis/this-is-not-my-bedroom/) [Jason Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-ellis/) > [“I will find my way back to you … I will find my way back … I promise … ~ Elana Mayne.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-ellis/i-will-find-my-way-back-to-you-i-will-find-my-way-back-i-promise/) [Jason Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-ellis/) > [You don't need to be special to be awesome. You just need to do the work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-ellis/you-don-t-need-to-be-special-to-be-awesome-you-just-need-to-do-the/) [Jason Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-ellis/) > [Fantasy stories will always be popular, as there are always readers who are willing to escape, freely, to the worlds that the authors create,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-ellis/fantasy-stories-will-always-be-popular-as-there-are-always-readers/) [Jason Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-ellis/) > [“I suggest going to the gym, facing another man, and then punching each other in the face.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-ellis/i-suggest-going-to-the-gym-facing-another-man-and-then-punching-each/) [Jason Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-ellis/) > [Everything is worth more when you have to earn it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-ellis/everything-is-worth-more-when-you-have-to-earn-it/) [Jason Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-ellis/) > [“Never let your light go out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-ellis/never-let-your-light-go-out/) [Jason Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-ellis/) > [“How can you take such a risk? This could mean anything! It could mean nothing at all! Haven’t you heard of fiction? This might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-ellis/how-can-you-take-such-a-risk-this-could-mean-anything-it-could-mean/) [Jason Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-ellis/) > [A book can open the mind, free the heart, and speak to the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-ellis/a-book-can-open-the-mind-free-the-heart-and-speak-to-the-soul/) [Jason Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-ellis/) > [I am crazy but I found a way to steer it into ways I think are very productive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-ellis/i-am-crazy-but-i-found-a-way-to-steer-it-into-ways-i-think-are-very/) [Jason Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-ellis/) [Explore all 22 Jason Ellis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-ellis/) ## More Heavy quotes > [In some circles where very heavy people think they have very heavy brains, words like "charming" and "clever" and "pretty" are all put-downs; all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/in-some-circles-where-very-heavy-people-think-they-have-very-heavy/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [Only two to three per cent of an audience is interested in words and pays attention to lyrics; most of the rest of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stewart/only-two-to-three-per-cent-of-an-audience-is-interested-in-words-and/) [Al Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stewart/) > [Some things in this world just ain't meant to be, not in the times we want 'em to, and the heart has to hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/some-things-in-this-world-just-ain-t-meant-to-be-not-in-the-times-we/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [Since a camera is something too heavy for women and initially made for men, you need a good cameraman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitra-farahani/since-a-camera-is-something-too-heavy-for-women-and-initially-made/) Mitra Farahani > [He really is terribly heavy going. Like running up hill in roller skates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ayckbourn/he-really-is-terribly-heavy-going-like-running-up-hill-in-roller/) [Alan Ayckbourn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ayckbourn/) > [Faith, like a guillotine. As heavy, as light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/faith-like-a-guillotine-as-heavy-as-light/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [If you played 'Heavy Rain,' there are very few cutscenes and very few moments where you don't have control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cage/if-you-played-heavy-rain-there-are-very-few-cutscenes-and-very-few/) [David Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cage/) > [There have been times when a particularly heavy dose of such cynicism has caused me to reflect that surely this is the age and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/there-have-been-times-when-a-particularly-heavy-dose-of-such-cynicism/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [My mom is two people to me. She's my mom number one, and then she's this lady most comedians know as being a legendary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauly-shore/my-mom-is-two-people-to-me-she-s-my-mom-number-one-and-then-she-s/) [Pauly Shore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauly-shore/) > [She's the quiet type who's into heavy metal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/she-s-the-quiet-type-who-s-into-heavy-metal/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [Jesus was the poorest of the poor. Roman Catholicism, which claims to be His church, is the richest of the rich, the wealthiest institution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avro-manhattan/jesus-was-the-poorest-of-the-poor-roman-catholicism-which-claims-to/) [Avro Manhattan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avro-manhattan/) > [I played Iris Murdoch, who had not long died, and I felt the responsibility very heavy on my shoulders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-dench/i-played-iris-murdoch-who-had-not-long-died-and-i-felt-the/) [Judi Dench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-dench/) > [Fame is very heavy. When there are large crowds, I'm unable to handle it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-messner/fame-is-very-heavy-when-there-are-large-crowds-i-m-unable-to-handle-it/) [Reinhold Messner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-messner/) > [It's like when we get the transformer movies. It was all a bunch of smaller robot pieces and then you're on set, and you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-nicotero/it-s-like-when-we-get-the-transformer-movies-it-was-all-a-bunch-of/) [Gregory Nicotero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-nicotero/) Browse all 2,502 Heavy quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Do not pick up the pen unless you understand how heavy it is, and how long you may carry it for.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jason Ellis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-ellis/do-not-pick-up-the-pen-unless-you-understand-how-heavy-it-is-and-how/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Heavy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-ellis/do-not-pick-up-the-pen-unless-you-understand-how-heavy-it-is-and-how/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9e/jason-ellis-25588_heavy_do-not-pick-up-the-pen-unless-you-unders_1624231.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9e/jason-ellis-25588_heavy_do-not-pick-up-the-pen-unless-you-unders_1624231.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9e/jason-ellis-25588_heavy_do-not-pick-up-the-pen-unless-you-unders_1624231.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Do not pick up the pen unless you understand how heavy it is, and how long you may carry it for.” — Jason Ellis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jason Ellis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-ellis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Do not pick up the pen...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-ellis/do-not-pick-up-the-pen-unless-you-understand-how-heavy-it-is-and-how/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-ellis/do-not-pick-up-the-pen-unless-you-understand-how-heavy-it-is-and-how/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```