Musings: The Written Word

It’s comical browsing The New York Times’ most e-mailed headlines to see a piece on the lamented end of handwriting rank #1. This particular article is worth a skim if you’re a champion of the written (not typed) word–especially to see how it ends.

I had a grad professor who stressed the importance of writing over typing, and strongly encouraged students to use the former in his class. According to the article, he may be on to something.

If true, this theory of handwriting implicitly supports the argument for mindfulness. Let me explain. The early research suggests not just any handwriting but cursive handwriting further improves learning, categorically, in the areas of reading, innovation, information absorption, memorization, and self-control. This improvement creates flexible and attuned learners. The theory being that writing, particularly cursive, requires a neurological commitment that surpasses the rote pattern recognition we employ as typists. This active involvement lights up more parts of the brain, thereby engaging more neural circuits than typing. More neural circuitry equals more expansive, higher order processing.

If we generalize to mindfulness, our active commitment to and participation in thinking, speaking, and being enhances our memory, control, creativity, and flexibility surrounding those activities (not to mention the catharsis that comes from processing our emotions in real time).

I bet none of us imagined the hours spent learning cursive Z’s in second grade would be brain-changing work.

Unfortunately for some, the implications are likely to get journaling advocates (aka therapists) excited. Clients, it’s time to dust off your favorite pens and unwrinkle your leathered parchment. Your therapists are days away from passionately imploring you to journal sans screens and in cursive. Better brush up on those Z’s.