In a year of elections, Americans require less impulsive opinions and more thoughtful analysis.

I'm writing this article with a quill pen, not just any ordinary pen.

I have sharpened a goose feather with a straight razor and dipped it in ink.

I spent a year trying to emulate the lifestyle of the Founding Fathers in order to gain their wisdom. One of my favorite aspects of that time was using a quill pen to write.

There are downsides to writing with a quill.

The ink stains on my desk resemble a Jackson Pollock painting.

The sound of the quill moving across the page is detested by my wife.

But there are also huge upsides.

Writing in longhand has a different effect on my brain compared to writing on my laptop.

"Writing longhand allowed my mind to go into a state of flow."

No dings, chimes, or pop-up ads about baldness cures interrupt me when I write longhand.

Writing longhand allowed my mind to go into a state of flow.

Rewritten: Exploring the nuances of a topic helped me think more deeply.

It lends itself to a slower, less impulsive style of writing.

The Founders hated what we now call "hot takes."

They wanted cool reason to triumph over immediate emotional responses.

They didn't send angry-face emojis on their phones, then regretted it seconds later.

They wrote letters. Then they sealed them with wax.

The process gave them a cooling-off period, allowing them to have cold takes instead of hot ones.

I propose that we should prioritize more offline writing and thinking, although I do not suggest that we completely abandon modern tools like quill pens and wax seals.

"They wrote letters. Then they sealed them with wax."

A 21st-century pencil or pen can accomplish the same ends.

Some research suggests that writing by hand can enhance your thinking process.

A recent study found that precise hand movements while using a pen significantly impact the brain's connectivity patterns that facilitate learning.

Taking notes by hand can improve your memory retention.

There are ways to moderate your thinking even if you don't write by hand. I suggest downloading software that disconnects your computer from the internet for a short period. I personally use Freedom when I write on my computer.

During an election year like this one, when passions run high, programs that allow you to process your thoughts and come up with context are even more important.

I usually write a response to an email or social media post when my computer is offline. When my laptop is back online and I'm ready to send it, I'll re-read it and often revise my response.

I'll adjust my tone and approach to facilitate a more productive outcome.

I’m always grateful for that waiting period.

Of course, the Constitution was written offline. I'm grateful for that.

If the Founding Fathers had used a Google doc to draft the Constitution, what would have been the implications?

Or worse, if they had done it by instant message?

I don’t think we’d have a Constitution.

I don’t think we’d have a country.

They would never have reached the compromises or put thoughtfulness into the document that was necessary.

Slowness is not a universally good thing.

I wouldn’t want to return to horse-drawn ambulances or 300-baud modems.

An enforced speed limit could benefit certain aspects of modern life, including writing and thinking.

A.J. Jacobs' book "The Year of Living Constitutionally" (2024), which explores the original meaning of the Constitution, is published by Crown.