I prefer paper, maybe you should too
Dec 6, 2023
I spent a lot of my life trying to master spencerian cursive. I never got any good at it.
I use block capitals and use short phrases (3-5 words). I use a cheap mechanical pencil and an excellent hi-polymer eraser.
Even with all the electronic options, I keep returning to paper. Mostly because:
- Paper is distraction free
- It forces prioritization (a sheet of paper has a finite size)
- You see everything at-once. Edits are easy and quick. You can (and should) color outside the lines.
- Writing by hand makes you smarter.
- You can fold it and put it in your wallet.
There is no shortage of apps for phones and laptops that do magical organizational things. YMMV but they don’t work for me mostly for the following reasons:
- On my phone, I have a choice between working on my goals (hard) and browsing the internet (fun). I usually end up choosing instant gratification over valuable.
- The keyboard takes up half the screen and at any point I am zoomed in too close to be able to see the full picture. Easy to lose track of what is important and go back to binging hackernews.
- Making edits is high-friction. Zoom in, scroll, click to edit, type
- They provide customizations and too many options. I get distracted easily and spend too much time thinking about serif vs non-serif fonts for optimal readability.