(no subject)

[nny]

I have a theory.

When we are terribly wee, the criteria as to which subjects we excel at is not really all that stringent. Mischeivous experimentations with powder paint, eggs, precarious buildings and (in one particularly memorable case) urine mark one for the sciences, whereas the possession of neat handwriting naturally means one is far better at English.

These early impressions influence our opinions of the subjects and the effort we are prepared to put in, of course.

Which would be why doctors have such atrocious handwriting.

Comments

[ajodasso.livejournal.com]

A lot of linguistically-inclined students and writers that I've known are just as prone to have atrocious handwriting as doctors, so I'm not sure how to explain this. And then there's my pharmacist mother whose handwriting is the most copperplate you've ever seen. I suspect she's an exception to the rule, as most in the medical field do tend to have horrible penmanship, but the part that puzzles me is the apparent high volume of writers and English academics who also suffer from bad handwriting. Have most in your experience had very lovely handwriting? It's all very bizarre, in any case.

[copperbadge.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure. I mean, I LOVED to count when I was little and HATED creative writing until I was thirteen....*ponders*

[villainny.livejournal.com]

Dude, never take me seriously when I'm postulating. XD

[copperbadge.livejournal.com]

Ah yes; rule #2 in the Care and Feeding of Villainny :D

[flyakate]

HA. Exactly. I like it. Should tell my friend who's in med school...

Will your next theory have bunnies in it? XD

[flyakate]

Woah, that was supposed to sized -2, not 3. Teach me to make Buffy jokes in an aside, I tell you...

[fahye.livejournal.com]

You know, my pet theory is more conspiratorial. Because my handwriting used to be quite nice, and it still can be if I put the effort in, but when I'm not thinking it's deeees-gusting. And I've only noticed this since I decided that I want to do graduate medicine.

My father is a surgeon. His handwriting is beyond the comprehension of mortal eyes.

[soupytwist.livejournal.com]

Hee, I love that you're dorky enough to have a theory about that. :) (Actually, my theory is that nerds generally have bad handwriting because they want to get all the information out as fast as they can, which includes doctors and academics. :))

I also really like that you're alive! Yayness, and may the resting and stuff make this more apparent. *hugs*

[clumsy_auror]

Interestingly, I saw a study that said bad handwriting bears a direct relationship to the number of years of schooling a person has had. I guess the idea is that you think faster and have a hard time writing as fast as you thinki? Dunno. But anyway, would certainly explain why my handwriting has gotten bad over the years. Would certainly apply to doctors, too.

*ponders*

[indy-go.livejournal.com]

Also, go me. Have no idea when I logged in as Tonks. XD whoops.

[schiarire.livejournal.com]

I think it's also a usage thing. If you never write, obviously you're going to take more time about it whereas for you or I, writing is no longer a conscious activity. Just as obviously, your hand does not work faster than your brain, but you're not even thinking about it anymore. Children, for example, generally have handwriting that is very LEGIBLE, if not necessarily 'neat.'