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Psychology says people who always take notes by hand instead of typing usually possess these 8 distinct traits

Posted by: Benjamin Onuorah

I was in a workshop last month when I noticed something interesting. While most attendees had their laptops open, furiously typing away, one woman sat near the front with a simple spiral notebook. Her pen moved steadily across the page, pausing occasionally as she looked up to think. She wasn’t trying to capture every word; she was clearly selecting what mattered.

During the break, I struck up a conversation with her. Turns out she’s been taking handwritten notes for decades, even though her job is entirely tech-based. I just remember better this way,” she said. “Plus, it forces me to really think about what I’m hearing.” She’s not alone. Despite living in a world where everything is digitized, there’s a growing number of people who still reach for pen and paper.

And research is starting to reveal why this matters more than we might think. The way you take notes says something about how your brain works, how you process information, and even how you handle emotions. People who consistently choose handwriting over typing tend to share certain psychological traits that set them apart.

Let’s explore what those traits are.

1. They’re intentional about what they absorb

There’s something different about the person who pulls out a notebook in a meeting while everyone else flips open their laptops. I noticed this years ago when I was still working as a school guidance counselor. One colleague always carried a worn leather notebook to staff meetings, jotting things down while the rest of us typed away.

What struck me was how she seemed to actually "use" what she learned, while many of us forgot the discussion by the next day. People who handwrite notes aren’t just recording information; they’re filtering it. Because handwriting is slower than typing, they have to make decisions about what matters most. They can’t capture everything word-for-word, so they naturally distill concepts down to their essence. This isn’t just observation. Research shows that connectivity patterns activated during handwriting are crucial for memory formation and for encoding new information.

Your brain is actually working harder when you write by hand, creating deeper neural pathways. The result? These folks tend to be more selective consumers of information. They’re not trying to capture everything; they’re curating what deserves their attention.

2. They value depth over speed

In a world obsessed with productivity hacks and efficiency, hand-note-takers are swimming upstream. They’ve made peace with the fact that handwriting is slower. And rather than seeing this as a limitation, they recognize it as a feature.

The deliberate pace forces them to engage more deeply with material instead of mindlessly transcribing. I’ve coached managers who struggled with information overload until they switched from typed meeting notes to handwritten ones. The shift wasn’t about capturing more; it was about understanding better.

They started leaving meetings with clearer action items and fewer “what did we actually decide?” moments. Research shows students who take notes by hand score better on tests than those who type notes. The slower process creates stronger comprehension.

These individuals prioritize mastery over coverage. They’d rather deeply understand three key concepts than superficially record thirty.

3. They’re comfortable with imperfection

Handwritten notes are messy. There are cross-outs, arrows pointing to margins, doodles in the corners, and sometimes entire sections you can barely read.
And people who embrace handwriting have made peace with this. They don’t need their notes to look like a polished document. In fact, the messiness often reflects the natural, non-linear way our brains process information.

An idea sparks mid-sentence, so there’s an arrow and a side note. A connection forms between two concepts, so there’s a line drawn between them. This comfort with imperfection often extends beyond their note-taking. In my practice, I’ve noticed that clients who journal by hand tend to be more accepting of their own emotional complexity.

They’re less likely to edit themselves as they process feelings. The physical act of crossing something out (leaving it visible but marked as changed) is very different from hitting delete. It acknowledges the messy reality of thinking and feeling.

4. They have a tactile relationship with learning

Watch someone who handwrites notes, and you’ll often see them physically interact with the page in ways typists don’t with screens. They might underline key phrases with varying pressure. Circle important concepts. Draw boxes around action items. Use stars or exclamation points to mark priority.

These aren’t just visual markers; they’re physical memory anchors. The act of pressing harder on the pen to emphasize something important, the muscle memory of drawing that star in the margin, these sensory experiences create additional pathways for recall.

I kept handwritten case notes for years before switching to digital, and I remember specific clients not just by what I wrote, but by where on the page I wrote it, the color ink I used that day, even the coffee stain on one particularly memorable session’s notes.

This tactile engagement makes learning more embodied. It’s not just mental; it’s a full sensory experience.

5. They process emotions through their hands

Here’s something I see constantly in my counseling work: when I suggest journaling to clients struggling with difficult emotions, those who write by hand report deeper breakthroughs than those who type. There’s science behind this. Research on expressive writing shows that writing by hand about emotions can improve both emotional and physical health, reducing stress and even doctor visits.

Something about the physical act of moving pen across paper creates space for feelings to surface and move through us It’s slower than typing, which means you stay with the emotion longer. You feel it more fully as your hand forms each word.

I use a weekly check-in ritual with my spouse where we both write out how we’re feeling before we talk. The act of writing by hand forces us to slow down and get clearer about what we’re actually experiencing, rather than just reacting. People who regularly take handwritten notes often extend this practice to personal reflection. They’ve discovered that their hands can be a bridge between their inner world and outer expression.

6. They resist the pull of digital distraction

Let’s be honest: when you open your laptop to take notes, you’re one click away from email, one tab away from social media, one notification away from completely losing your train of thought. Hand-note-takers have opted out of this battle entirely. Their notebook doesn’t ping with messages. There are no pop-up notifications. No browser tabs silently calling for attention.

The page just sits there, patient and singular in its purpose. This isn’t about being anti-technology. Most of these people use devices plenty in other contexts. But they’ve recognized that certain activities benefit from protected attention, and they’ve created boundaries accordingly.

During my transition from a five-day to a four-day client schedule, I protected my writing time by keeping my notebook front and center and my laptop closed until I’d captured my initial thoughts by hand.

That simple physical barrier made a massive difference in my focus.

7. They create personal meaning-making systems

Everyone who takes notes by hand eventually develops their own system of symbols, abbreviations, and organizational quirks. Some use specific colors for different types of information. Others have elaborate shorthand systems.

Many develop personal symbols: a triangle for action items, a circle for questions, an arrow for follow-up. These systems aren’t usually taught; they emerge organically as the person figures out what works for their brain.

And that’s exactly the point. They’re not following a pre-built template; they’re actively constructing a framework that matches how they think. I have a client who uses different corner folds on journal pages to mark different emotional themes. Another draws tiny weather symbols in margins to track her mood.

These personalized systems make their notes uniquely meaningful to them. This trait often shows up in other areas of their lives too.

They’re more likely to create custom organizational systems, develop personal rituals, and trust their own judgment about what works rather than defaulting to popular methods.

8. They value permanence and presence

There’s something about putting pen to paper that feels more permanent than typing into a document that could crash, get deleted, or disappear with a failed hard drive.

Hand-note-takers often describe a sense of commitment that comes with handwriting. Once it’s on the page, it’s there. This can make the act of writing feel more significant, more real.

But beyond permanence, there’s presence. When you’re writing by hand, you’re typically more present with what you’re doing. You can’t split your attention as easily. Your body is engaged (your hand, your posture, your visual focus) in a way that creates a fuller sense of being there.

I keep a travel notebook where I write reflections during trips. Years later, I can pick it up and not just remember what I thought, but recall the feeling of sitting in that café, the temperature of the air, the quality of light.

The handwritten pages carry a fullness that my typed notes never quite capture.

Final thoughts

If you’re a hand-note-taker, you probably recognize yourself in several of these traits. And if you’re not, but you’re curious, maybe it’s worth experimenting.

I’m not suggesting you abandon your devices entirely. But there’s real value in occasionally slowing down, picking up a pen, and engaging with information and emotions in this more embodied way.

The world keeps getting faster, more digital, more distracted. People who write by hand are making a quiet statement about what they value: depth, presence, and the kind of learning that sticks not just in your mind, but in your body.

What you choose to do with information says a lot about how you move through life. And sometimes, the simplest tools (a pen and paper) can create the deepest connections.

by Tina Fey
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