The Value of Cursive

Other Good Things

We wrote a post for QZ entitled, “Why We Shouldn’t Write Off Cursive.” Here’s a brief excerpt:

In 1863, when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, Abraham Lincoln said, “I believe in this measure my fondest hopes will be realized.” But, as historian Doris Kearns Goodwin explains, in her excellent TED talk, “as he [Abraham Lincoln] was about to put his signature on the proclamation, his own hand was numb and shaking because he had shaken a thousand hands that morning at a New Years reception. So he put the pen down and said, ‘If ever my soul were in an act it is in this act, but if I sign with a shaking hand, posterity will say, he hesitated.’ So he waited until he could take up the pen and sign with a bold and clear hand.”

There’s a reason Lincoln waited to sign his name. It wasn’t just about the act of writing itself. It was about the subtleties of his signature, the strength of his hand, and the fortitude and resolve that generations would discern, in that single, sweeping script known as Abraham Lincoln. Obviously, he felt his character would be reflected, not only in his words and acts, but also in the stroke of his pen. In a very meaningful way, the debate between cursive and print, or keyboards and handwriting, is entirely up to us: what type of mark do we want to leave?

You can read the entire article here.
We’d love to hear what you think. Should cursive be saved?