Chat

I don’t see writing by hand as “intentionally inefficient”, I see it as an extremely easy way to reconnect with physical creation of some description.

We’ve all been trained to believe that we have to be as efficient as possible in order to maximise our profitability. But why? Why not take a few moments to do things a slower, more thoughtful way?

I like writing by hand - where appropriate. It feels nice to put ideas on paper. And as a bonus, those ideas don’t then get hoovered up whichever company made whichever app you’re writing into.

Writing by hand is definitely the main way I learn. The act of writing it embeds it in my memory moreso than looking at a screen.

I wonder how much of that is down to how we were taught though and it being more familiar and linked with education and cognition. Someone must have done a study on this somewhere.

I am quite sure I have ADHD (though not officially diagnosed), with that in mind here's my story.

There's a veritable cornucopia of programs and systems available to utilize when it comes to keeping digital notes, and none of them stick for me. I desperately want them to work, because I loathe writing things by hand due to hand cramps and poor penmanship. The thing I get hung up on a lot is getting comfortable in a certain software-based note-taking ecosystem and then running straight into a wall when I want it to do one particular thing I've identified as being useful, or perhaps the software just becomes unreliable for one reason or another. It's highly demotivating to me when I realize I've spent hours using something only for it to end up not working for me the way I wanted it to. Also, when I write digital notes, I have a very bad habit of editing, as if someone other than myself were to read my notes later (irrational, I know), so the process takes much longer than if I were to put the pen to paper.

The thing about pen and paper is, it just works. I might run out of paper or ink, but assuming I have access to more, I can write whatever and however I want. Sure, I don't get automation or full-text search "out of the box", but I can devise my own systems (short-hand, indexing, etc.) or borrow someone else's (Bullet Journal), even use external tools (scan document | OCR) to meet my needs when the time comes.

Right now I'm in the middle of building a habit of keeping a small journal on my person where I keep very simple remarks about my day and track personal tasks and events. I'm explicitly only using systems that I find useful and nearly effortless, but as I improve the habit I will try adding more complexity. I feel that if I can develop a solid core of analog writing, then it's likely I can begin to introduce more regular digital note-taking to augment this core practice.

I don't believe there is one method that works (or is even beneficial) for everyone, rather I think it's more important for individuals to find a method (or hybrid) that works for them, and stick to it.

It can certainly help with retention and processing of information because you're using both your mind and body to do it, but I have always struggled with it. I wasn't able to legibly write my own name until my early 20's and any small amount of writing badly hurt my hand. The struggle and discomfort takes away from any benefit and enjoyment it might have given me.

For me, I prefer typing for just plain text, however things involving diagrams and equations can be easier to write out, rather than futzing around scrolling and adjusting the layout.

Also, as a side note, I think 0.3 mechanical pencils are underrated for writing.

I struggle with it, mostly because I get frustrated how much faster I can type compared to handwriting things. I haven't hand written things since I left school.

Honestly I find that making physical hand written notes better cements the ideas in my head. It may be because I'm older so I started with only pen and paper which means that's how I best think, but for me writing and typing are two different tools and I tend to use both.

I type for a living (developer) and I find that I can type WAY faster than I can write. So that is how I prefer to communicate with people and interact with most things during my day. However, when I am on a meeting or a call, I just cannot multitask well enough to capture key details on a computer. I have no idea what my disconnect with that is, but I've given up on trying to type notes and memos while I'm on a call and invested in a fountain pen and a good pad of paper. I will mention that I do really enjoy the feel of a really good pen on paper and maybe that type of feedback is what lets my brain take handwritten notes better.

I use physical hand writing for two things,

1. When I get stressed and have to remember too many things (like I lose sleep because I can't stop thinking about it) I will carry a tiny journal in my pocket and write stuff in it I need to remember and cross it out when it is done. The less strict the rules of it the better. It is far from "bullet journaling".
2. If I need to take names while doing something else. Physical paper and pencil is better for whatever reason. Be it a video game, DND, anything. It's just easier to start and stop quick with a pencil on paper than it is on something physical.

I worked in database administration for years and currently work in a database admin adjacent role and the only things I type are on the internet, emails, data entry, and official/final documents and documentation. I much prefer handwriting for basically everything else - especially for note taking, typing is too linear and non-visual for the way I like to lay notes out with many sketched arrows, diagrams, etc. I also perceive my data to be much more ephemeral in a digital format unless I'm going through the trouble of making multiple backups which...why would I when I can just achieve the same thing with a pen and notebook that I just have to be physically careful with and know the material limitations of. I especially don't trust whatever note-taking apps du jour to have long-lasting reliable data retention, I mostly just use my phones note taking app for the occasional on the go grocery list.

To be fair though I'm one of the kinds of IT people whose knowledge of the field makes me less trustful rather than more trustful of anything that's, to me, technologically overengineered; and I also am already on the computer all the time for my job, so much prefer to be off of it as much as possible during my free time.

I have 10+ handwritten notebooks with all of my journaling from middle school and high school that I do plan to scan and OCR at some point; in college, I used 750words.com for all of my journaling, and since then I've migrated to TiddlyWiki for several years and Obsidian for several more.

I do still hand-write occasionally, mostly for really emotional or personal things, but I wouldn't want to make it my primary method of writing now that I have the majority of my writing digitized. Being able to search and find that thought from 5 years ago that I want to reference in whatever I'm writing today is great. I also find it helps make connections between recurring topics of interest.

I've started using handwritten physical kanban cards, though, and that physicality is incredibly helpful in visualizing the projects and work I want to do and keeping it at the forefront of my mind.

I enjoy writing by hand, but I do look forward to a good e-ink device (Products like the remarkable have a subscription model and it's closed hardware and software, which is a big negative to me). Waiting to see how projects like PineNote evolve.

For now I just write on which ever notebook is closest to me. The act of writing is more important than actually storing information somewhere outside of my head.

I hate writing by hand, even though I went all the way through high school doing it (only things like final essays were typed, and even then you had to do it at home). It always hurt to do it the way I was supposed to, my handwriting never improved after like 1st grade (until I taught myself to write left-handed in my early 20's; that's much neater), and I have a horrible sensory issue involving the feel of a dull pencil dragging across paper. It makes me want to jump out a goddamned window.

Even so, writing things by hand helps me remember stuff better. Once I got to college and I was allowed to use whatever writing implement I wanted to take notes with (sparkly gel pens in a variety of colors), it wasn't so awful, and it helped my memory so much that I don't think I ever had to look at the notes I took ever again. So if I'm going to a lecture or a conference or something, I'll still bring a notebook and some fancy gel pens.

Otherwise, the only thing I do with hand-writing is quick notes when I'm talking on the phone and need to record an account number or e-mail or whatever, or when I need to create a reminder to go back and fix something I'm already ahead of at work. Post-it notes are so much quicker than taking the phone away from my ear, navigating to OneNote, selecting the notebook, selecting "new page", and then typing it out. If I want to transcribe the information in some way that's not strictly left-aligned, or if I want to draw circles/boxes/arrows, well, One Note says "too bad, suck it up". Plus, I can stick the post-it to my monitor and it's in my line of sight all day; shit I note down in the phone is out-of-sight, out-of-mind.

Yes, I know I can use the desktop version of OneNote, which has more functionality. I do use it when I'm outlining or making adventure notes for the D&D game I run; it's fabulous for that. But it's utter shit for quickly jotting down "call Denise at [number] <--- IMPORTANT DO BEFORE ----> call Electric Company about acct [#] at [number]". That example doesn't even make sense typed out.

My hands and wrists hurt pretty much all the time, so typing is WAY better. Plus, you can't read my handwriting at all, so better for everyone.

I find that I remember things better if I write something down by hand. I’m more likely to forget if I type it out.

However if speed is a necessity, definitely typed even if I need to re-visit it multiple times. Handwriting is just too slow sometimes.

The onky thing i ever hand write is my signature. Everything else is typing

I think apraxia is a bitch. ☹

But seriously, I used to always get journals and be the person to try this, but my hands just cannot write anymore. Terrible handwriting plus I get cramps and can't hold a pen correctly. I wish there was a safe application on android that I could use to write and journal, but the ones I found so far were too sus for me, so mostly I use wordpad on my pc.

I personally do not care what people think or tell me about handwriting. I do not enjoy writing things out by hand, I much prefer typing. So that is what I do. Simple as that.

I feel the same, handwriting is just labor to me and gets in the way because it's so slow.

I write by hand to get things out of my head, whether useful or negative it tends to stop me mulling over it. I've always liked the idea of getting a fountain pen, but have never actively pursued it.

I keep a physical journal and often do free writing just to get thoughts and ideas out. I usually write in cursive and can’t even read it myself afterwards. For me, the act of taking the time to physically write things down is really helpful to process. I almost never return to what I’ve previously written down, but it feels great to get it out. Brains can be weird.

99% digital for me. The 1% is had writing the occasional master password, just in case I forget it.

I don't journal or really even take notes by hand anymore. The notebook I have in my bag is mostly for more abstract sketches, mockups, or examples.

However, I make a frequent practice of handwriting postcards to my friends and family, so I keep my handwriting well-maintained for that.

Writing things by hand is nice, and one of my favorite hobbies is calligraphy. Plus there’s something really reassuring about holding a small notebook.

But if I’m not intentionally writing in calligraphic style my handwriting looks like my fingers threw up on the page.

I do handwritten notes for anything fast paced where I also have to respond in real time, because handwriting is a less mentally demanding task for me than typing. I can star, I can draw, I can make up any word I want without squiggly lines, lists are instantaneous. I do design work, and noting a design change through typing is a nightmare when I can just squiggle the layout and put an arrow, cross out, annotate, whatever. I also find I remember handwritten notes better. The notes are a incoherent, illegible, squiggly mess, and I usually know exactly what they mean at a glance.

I actually have a reMarkable and love it. I don’t really use the notes to text or cloud functionality often, but the few times I have, it’s been really helpful. I like it better than a notebook because I don’t feel like I’m wasting paper, so I take notes a bit more freely as a result. It’s also helpful in situations where it’s impractical for me to use a keyboard. For example, I teach, and when I’m grading a presentation or explaining a concept to a student who already has their own laptop in front of them, I don’t want to muck with trying to make sure they can see my screen and it’s the proper size when it’s faster for me to sketch out the concept.

I’m also trying to learn Japanese, and having a way to freely practice writing as many times as I need to without having to print over and over again is really useful.

That said, I can’t think of a reason I would ever write anything with actual grammar or sentence structure involved longform. If it’s just me and the computer, no other interruptions and I can focus on my inner voice, typing is much faster and more natural. I’m able to type closer to the speed I can think than I can write, but that’s because I’m used to typing like I think - in full sentences. Trying to type shorthand is like sludge for me the same way trying to write longhand is like sludge. I use both because they serve different purposes for me :)

So, I really hate taking a laptop into meeting rooms so unless I know I'll have to share my screen I (used to) take an A4 sized paper notebook and a pen to jot down notes.

Recently I upgraded to a ReMarkable 2 which, while certainly not inexpensive, has so been worth it for me.

I do type pretty efficiently on one of my mechanical keyboards, but putting my thoughts into handwriting is a different experience entirely and I always want to retain this option especially for personal one-on-ones.

I find handwriting also lets me better organize my thoughts and allow me to practise and develop my reading and writing skills in the initial stages. Writing makes it easier to organize or make edits as I rewrite everything when I move it to my pc. It just adds less steps to the whole process because I can properly focus on making my first edit and rework everything. It also makes it easier for me to bring around to other people when I see them. I find with a digital copy, most people just press spellcheck and be done with it instead of commenting on how and why I phrase certain sentences and which words might better communicate my ideas. I'm also a bit overwhelmed sometimes when I go through my digital documents that I end up just chipping away at the editing rather than be able to focus on it.

On the other, the idea of carrying a little notebook around to jot things down when I have a phone in my pocket, or using a fountain pen for longform text (trust me it would actually help you avoid hand cramps, aside from being less wasteful) all comes across as... intentionally inefficient? I struggle to see intentional inefficiency as anything but pretension. Like it's all just fetishizing living a more analogue life.

For most people hand cramps are caused by using the wrong/bad tool and bad body ergonomics and awareness. After I've upgraded to better pencils and pens, I've had to use way less force to use which mitigated some of the cramping. The rest of it was just me using only my wrists and straining my fingers to write which is entirely incorrect.

I've also tried to go digital for note taking but I find I rarely ever did it properly and also rarely reviewed. I also ended up waiting way longer for the apps to load than needed for such short and simple notes. Now I only ever add events into my calender, the rest I just write down on a piece of paper whenever possible.

my handwriting is fucked, and i find typing easier. so i don't handwrite unless strictly necessary, and even then, it's usually no mare than a few sentences

I hand write and type in pretty equal tandem. Writing poetry oftentimes, I feel better about drafting things on scratch paper (or at least brainstorming) before seeing how it appears in type/print. Other times, I might be at my laptop with an idea that comes to mind that's easier to type out in my text editor first. I find my own dynamic very fluid and I imagine it's mostly the same for others. I think it could really depend on the work being done. And I don't think pretty handwriting is always necessary. If you can read it, it should be enough.

For me, I always prefer to type rather than handwrite. While there are studies that say handwriting can help you retain information better, I handwrite at a fraction of a speed I can type, and the sore wrists from doing a lot of handwriting are far more distracting than the extra learning I could get from handwriting. The exception though is anything where I have to write mathematical formulas, where it is almost always faster to handwrite than remember the specific character sequences or keyboard shortcuts, though even then I prefer to write on my iPad, so I can easily reference it on my computer later.

I don't see choosing to handwrite inefficient or pretentious. I see it as something familiar that I enjoy because I have had a journal since my teens.

As a trained professional working with older adults, I also know that keeping up writing can help promote brain health. There has been plenty of research published on this, including that regular practice of reading and writing can help stave off onset of of dementia in older adults, so it's basically brain exercise.

That said, I write grants for work, narratives for our contracts and so forth, so I also appreciate that when under a time crunch I can bang out something fast on my keyboard after I have spent a little time drafting out initial ideas.

At the end of the day, I think a lot of this just depends on your views about writing in general (regardless of the tools you use); some people hate it no matter what they have to do on. Meanwhile, there are old gits like me that you have pry out of bookstores with a crowbar because after my scanning of the SciFi section, I get busy having too much fun snooping through the isles displaying leather journals and pots of fountain pen ink in goofy colours, and packs of stationary with cute designs. 😂

Pen or keyboard, it's all good.

I just like it. Writing with a fountain pen is much more HANDS ON than writing something down on a phone or (bad) laptop keyboards. Especially if your pen is higher quality. Although a nice mechanical keyboard can be quite nice (I like tactiles a lot).

The practical thing also is: If you keep your notes well organized, it can actually be much more accessible. I dunno, I have spent my entire life with PCs, but they feel "cluttered" so quickly and require so many revisions of organisation.

Having both is useful though, so I keep physical versions and scan them later to also have them digitally available AND not having to use those evil, evil printers who want me to buy more ink...

Personally I've always had a strong preference and better time with typing compared to writing.

Maybe it was because I was put in front of a keyboard at a relatively early age, or maybe because I was on a computer more than many of my peers? Maybe it's related to potential traits that could come with being AuDHD that I was never raised to consider? Maybe it's being left-handed and writing in a left-to-right written language? It's probably a loose combination of all of these.

My typing is quicker than my peers, but I think that gets compounded with my writing being slower, too. I'd say that my handwriting is legible enough, but I just absolutely cannot write at an efficient speed compared to a lot of other people. I don't necessarily mind taking things slow, but it means I miss out on info that others wouldn't. Having the ability to type my notes starting around late high school and going into college was a serious boon for my notetaking. Before then, I'd have a solid idea of what I wanted to jot down, but the class would be leaps and bounds ahead by the time I wrapped up a bullet point. Getting pencil lead or pen ink all over my fingers certainly didn't help my ability to keep up, either.

I also find a lot more benefit from doing notes digitally compared to by hand. I really appreciate being able to tag things and search around loosely, and I find myself much more capable of shifting things around and getting things to look just the way I want them compared to doing so on a notebook. Sometimes there's quirks with my notetaking app of the time that'll grind my gears, but it's ultimately a better experience than doing it by hand for me. Need to shift something from one section to another? What about from one page to another? No problem, Cut-and-Paste is something that any program will have. I'm not gonna do that cleanly and quickly on paper. Need to make a table or put in an image? Most if not all of the notetaking apps I'll use will be capable of that, whereas doing that by hand will take me much longer. Is there something I really need to write or draw by hand? Likewise, most if not all notetaking apps I use let me switch between the two when I'm on a device that lets me take advantage of that. I don't have the freedom to choose how I do that on paper.

While I get that there's a lot of evidence out there that says people remember things better when written down compared to writing, that's just…never been my experience? I never felt a strong difference in how I remember something or how creative I am whether I write it or type it. If anything, I personally find it easier to remember things or explore things when I do it digitally. By all means, if someone does better with writing, I say let them write. But personally, being forced to write has only been a disservice.

-

All that said, there is a place in me for writing or generally working physically, however. It's still oftentimes a lot easier and privacy respecting to directly hand strangers a note jot down on a pocketbook than it is to juggle contact info and send it over. Physical notes can also be placed to be read later in a way that digital notes can't. And no matter the preparation I do, I'd say there's always a higher chance for my digital devices to die on me compared to my physical ones. It doesn't get nearly as much use as my phone, and most days I don't need it, but I keep a lil' pocketbook and a few pens on me to fill those edge cases.

I like to do both. There are times where I need to type everything, because my typing speed can keep up with my thoughts. I can get all of the thoughts out of my head quickly, and clear my head so I can focus. It's also easier to do in some places, like when I'm at work - typing myself a quick note and then emailing it to my home email (or saving it in drive), is much faster and more likely to make it where I need it to go. I tend to forget physical items at work.

Writing by hand I use for journaling. For slowing down and taking time to do something. For magic - where I want to put intention and energy into the words and sometimes burn the paper after. For when my eyes are so sick of screens that I just need a break, but still need to get those thoughts out. I'd also rather handwrite something then type it on my phone - Eventually I need to get one with a stylus so I can just write on the screen.

It's the same reason I usually draw things by hand, then scan them to digitize. I have a tablet. I use it for digitization. But my art is generally better by hand.

I loved writing on actual paper when I was younger. I miss it but the truth is that its simply inconvenient when we all have auto syncing smartphones and pcs with ability to edit and copy paste and all of that.

I only bring out paper when I need to visualize something complex and it's usually a mess by the time I'm done, and indecipherable by the next week.

I will second the bit about fountain pens helping with hand cramps/writing fatigue and being less wasteful than other writing methods. Same with the advent of e-ink screens helping with the often cited example of digitized info contributing to eye strain.

I know this is a personal issue of mine, but all the benefits of physical notebooks are cancelled out by the fact that they are more likely to get lost. I've actually had co-workers steal lined paper, binders and notebooks off my desk at work. It was a huge hassle so I'm back to all digital now.

I’ve read that writing by hand helps commit things to memory better (not sure if that’s true or not). My wife and I will write each other cards by hand for holidays, and it’s very apparent to me how much I’ve learned to rely on auto correct for many things at this point. I’ve noticed how much less my brain is working when I am just texting. As others noted it’s also useful in certain fields to carry a notebook around for meetings or events rather than relying on a phone or a laptop. I’ve also noticed the longer I go without writing, the worse my penmanship gets.

I find that it keeps me present to write by hand. I remember things better and I think it is due to the physical motion. I got through tech school with a top score by taking handwritten notes in class and then copying them over at home. I used to journal by hand, but it hurts my wrist. I still take handwritten notes on classes and for to-do lists. I carry a little journal. But the bulk of my writing is done online.

I like writing and taking notes by hand. When I need to think something out I write it. I like this primarily because I can do things like add arrows, create bubbles, and create diagrams much easier and faster by hand than with a screen. I want to get an e-ink tablet at some point, but for now a paper and pencil/pen is cheaper.

I've gotten bad writers cramp within just a few minutes of writing since the 90s. Using the alternative pencil grip (where it rests between my index and middle fingers) helped me get through college, but I also opted for typing as much as possible. Now handwriting feels unnatural, to an extent.

When I bought my iPad Pro I imagined I’d have this thing filled with gigabytes of handwritten text but that’s not the case at all. It’s not even the feeling of pen and paper that makes not want to use the iPad… it’s the immediate access to write and read what I want, that only a notebook and pen can provide. The iPad is filled with other apps and distractions, it heats up when you rest your palm on it, there’s always this anxiousness of balancing brightness and battery life.

Also, with handwritten messages you can convey so much more that it’s impossible to do with typed text. You can determine how fast or how methodical the person was while writing. You can convey emotions by how much strength you use or by the size and kerning of the letters, and also, a lot of the personality traits of the writer are mirrored on their calligraphy.

And yes, typing with a keyboard is so much faster, which enables me to ramble, which I often do I and I just did.

As a lefty, handwriting can go away. I am 10x faster as a typer than I am a handwriter, and I do not welcome the hand cramp pains I remember from my school days of writing essays and furious notes, trying to keep up. As a millennial, most of my grade through high school was done on paper, and I despised it entirely.

About the only thing I enjoy about handwriting is drawing quick diagrams, which is something I just don't seem to ever find flexible enough in any piece of software. I've tried absolutely every single diagramming tool, and they either are too cumbersome, or too limited, to meet all my needs.