How handwriting lost its personality

An essay in The Atlantic quotes Tamara Plakins Thornton on how handwriting was once considered a window to the soul, and how the digital age has closed it. Throughout history, the way that people interpret and read handwriting has evolved. Until the 1800s, writing styles were not seen as forms of self-expression, but rather as markers of social status and profession. “Merchants, for example, were expected to use fonts that conveyed speed and efficiency,” explains Thornton, author of “Handwriting in America.” Lawyers had their own distinct script, while aristocrats favored another style, the article states.