With so much of our communication happening via email, texting and social media, we’ve grown accustomed to sending short, quick messages. Technology certainly makes things easier (in more ways than one), but communication has become fairly impersonal.
Though handwritten notes may seem like relics of the past, they hold more value now than ever before. Here are three reasons why even a simple thank-you note is better when written by hand:
Handwritten messages are more sincere. Not only has our communication become less sincere, we’re even using the word itself less frequently than in decades past. Writing a note by hand takes more time than typing out a quick message, and the recipient will appreciate the extra thought you put into it. The words themselves automatically have more value when written with pen and paper.
They feel more personal. Seeing your name on the front of the envelope feels much more special than seeing it in the “Recipient” field of an email. Handwritten notes may be simple, but there aren’t any extra elements that detract from the message or devalue its meaning. No emojis, no hyperlinks and no need for a “Reply All” option. In other words, there are no shortcuts. The handwritten message within was created just for you, and every word was chosen with care and purpose.
They’re real. So many of our messages simply sit in in boxes. Thank-you notes are as real as the recipient and the writer themselves.