I don't mean to ruffle feathers, but I LOVED this article. It opened my mind on the matter. Since I first heard about it last year, I was saddened to hear about cursive being eliminated from classrooms for the very reasons the author discussed, e.g., effects on self-discipline. I was particularly worried about the deterioration of the students' learning experience, so like
@Erica McPhee, I was so happy to hear the students have figured it out for themselves. I know the statement is irksome to us calligraphers, but after reading this article, I now agree with the author. And the truth hurts. But seriously, what other jobs out there today require impeccable penmanship? I've been thinking about it for a bit, and I can't think of any...maybe teachers, administrative, bankers/investment, or other positions that involve filling out forms by hand. But, even those tasks are evolving as people turn to digital to not only keep up with the times, but also to be more environmentally conscientious. That, actually, is one point the author did miss in this article. He overlooked one more thing: having a beautiful hand is a skill that makes you stand out in a crowd, like a competitive job market. A beautifully written thank you letter is a very memorable thing indeed! And so, I agree with Anne Trubek...perhaps it is best to keep handwriting as an elective, and let people decide for themselves how much they want penmanship to be in their lives. Thank you so much for sharing this article!!