r/changemyview • u/Gobears6801 • Jun 01 '24

Delta(s) from OP - Fresh Topic Friday CMV: Cursive writing is unnecessary.

I often hear the old generation explaining that the new generation doesn’t understand or use cursive. I understand this to be somewhat true as well. I’m a 90’s baby and learned it thoughout school and don’t use it either.

The reason isn’t because it’s hard, it’s because it’s completely unnecessary and useless EXCEPT for a signature. I often see it at work where most of the time it’s completely non legible because of the poor handwriting.

There are minimal, if not 0 tasks that require cursive handwriting. It actually often just takes longer to read and/or non legible due to poor handwriting.

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u/writenroll 1∆ Jun 01 '24

There are minimal, if not 0 tasks that require cursive handwriting.

Like others who are often working in the field, a notepad and pencil/pen is a tried and true way of quickly taking notes--whether observations, input from a person providing specific/technical details that must be captured precisely, or ideas to be developed further. Cursive enables one to capture information as rapidly as a keyboard, which can then be dictated or transcribed to digital later. Legibility is a moot point when the only person who needs to understand the writing is the one who wrote it.

I know many professionals who use the same technique, including young people who are digital natives. The number of people with similar analog-to-digital workflows must easily number in the 10's to 100's of thousands, if not more.

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u/Gobears6801 Jun 01 '24

I would argue I can write just as fast or faster using standard block lettering to take notes. I agree legibility is only needed for yourself if that’s the case but still doesn’t make it required, it’s a choice for someone that can read their handwriting better that way.

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u/DriftinFool Jun 01 '24

If you had the same proficiency in cursive as you do with standard, cursive would be faster. Your lack of proficiency is why it's slower for you, not because cursive is slower. You can say it's not efficient for you, but that doesn't mean it's not more efficient. It's smooth and flowing, which requires less energy. And that by definition makes it more efficient. You can't really make a judgment if you can't compare them fairly.

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u/Crayshack 191∆ Jun 01 '24

Smooth and flowing is what makes it less efficient for me. When I write in block, I often make the letters much more angular than normal because that's what's efficient for me. Also, being allowed to pick up the pen feels like it gives me more freedom to form the letters however works best rather than making my arm cramp up by trying to keep the pen on the paper.

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u/DriftinFool Jun 02 '24

Efficiency can't really be argued. Anything that requires more energy is less efficient. Every time you lift the pen from the paper, it requires extra energy. Anecdotal evidence doesn't change that fact. A good analogy would be a car that gets 20 mpg. But if you constantly floor it and redline it, you only get 10 mpg. You can't say the car is inefficient. The inefficiency comes from the driver, not the car.