What's the point of cursive writing?

Speed. Printing takes longer than cursive writing. Originally, it was taught so people could write faster and legibly. Now we use computers so much, I do think there is a risk that cursive writing will become a rare skill. My writing is terrible because I write so infrequently (apart from my own notetaking and nobody but me could read my notes). However, in the past, I had beautiful handwriting. I don’t know if it’s still commonly taught in schools.

I’m pretty sure I can write faster in normal style. Although that may be because I’m not practiced at cursive anymore.

It is phasing out. My daughter is off to college tomorrow, and she was down at the DMV getting an ID a couple months ago. I told her to sign her name as she always does, and she said she uses cursive so rarely that her signature is always different.

We had a bit of a talk about developing a consistent signature.

My handwriting, both cursive and printed, has deteriorated greatly in the twenty years since I started using a computer all the time.

@MrGrimm888, that’s perhaps because of lack of use. Think about it logically, cursive removes the need to lift your pen from the paper. Your writing flows or runs across the page, with the letters joining as you go. I know my poor penmanship and lack of speed relates to my lack of use. Perhaps the same is true for you, especially if you type often. Historically, I would say penmanship would have been a mark of your education. An educated person would not have printed when they wrote. That’s not true now.

Speed and individuality. Our schools still teach it. The new unintended result of kids not knowing it is that parents will be able to leave each other notes that the kids will not be able to read. I heard someone say that i the last few days. It may have been on here, I don’t remember.

I agree with @MollyMcGuire but would add one more thing… gentility.

It’s a dying (but I believe still appropriate) quality for expressing oneself more eloquently in certain types of communication like thank you and sympathy notes, love letters than via 140 spat-out characters.

You are asking the wrong guy, fella.

There isn’t much of one. It’s not often used anymore, and a much more important skill is the ability to type accurately.

Anyone who wishes to learn an outdated writing style can do so in an afternoon, with the help of one of any number of calligraphy books you can find at your local library.

To be elegant

Speed.

Some people learn best through taking their own notes. I’m one of them, and I can write much faster than I can print and I learn better writing than keyboarding. When I’m keyboarding in a meeting/class, I’m transcribing, not learning.

As they say, your mileage may vary.

Yes, cursive writing is faster than print, but do you want it fast or do you want it legible? With me it’s one or the other.

I’m a tidy writer.

Why does it need a purpose? Must everything be utilitarian? How boring!

Having actually learned to draft on a table with paper and not cad you will never see me use cursive. Ever.

^ ooh, as a person who worked in administrative support for the County for years, I absolutely adore drafting handwriting. So beautifully legible it’s downright sexy.

Well, I think my handwriting has devolved somewhat since CAD took over 25 years ago or so. I still find the tendancy to capitalize every letter hard to shake even now.

I do think a beautifully written letter or card is special to receive. Especially since I can’t write beautifully anymore.

You could find cursive writing useful when you create your stylish yet unique signature. The signature you sign on the official form or bank/legal documents.

That is the only thing I use it for. But it’s evolved or devolved into mostly squiggly lines.