This story originally appeared on the Gents Cafe Newsletter. You can subscribe here.
Among the many ways we have to get to know ourselves better, there is one that is perhaps the most intimate: handwriting.
I believe few gestures are as intentional as picking up a pen and putting it to paper, because as opposed to typing, where we trust our fingertips to do all the work automatically, writing by hand engages all the muscles, inviting and reminding us at the same time to be present.
Nowadays, people are used to sharing their identity mostly outwards: outfits are shown, playlists are posted for everyone to listen to, and even taking someone to our favorite cafe says something about us.
When we write however, that changes: for the majority of the time, we are alone with ourselves, sitting at the desk with a pen in our hands, even if what we are writing is for someone else.
The (unofficial) science of graphology tells us that the way letters are looped, the slant, and even how legible our handwriting is, can reveal personality traits or our current state of mind, if we look close enough.
It may not be noticeable right away, but when we go back to read a journal entry, a note we made for ourselves, or a letter we would like to send, we can observe exactly how we felt while we were writing in that moment, and so the paper becomes a mirror from which we can look inwards, where all the emotions, thoughts, and intentions piece themselves together to create the intricate tableau of who we are at our core.
Due to the predominance of typing, writing by hand is becoming a lost art, one that needs to be protected and encouraged not just for the mental exercise, but also because of the pleasure of looking at something we wrote and finding traces of ourselves weaved into each sentence.
Whether it’s a polished note used in a professional environment, a heartfelt card to a partner, or an introspective journal entry, typing can never prevail on something as authentic as the human gesture when it comes to expressing identity.
There is beauty in infusing our essence into each word, leaving subtle keys to interpret the layered tapestry of our soul to the people we want to let in.
