---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People no longer write letters. Lacking…"
description: "\"People no longer write letters. Lacking the leisure, and, for the most part, the ability, they dictate dispatches, and scribble messages. When you are ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/420/joel-chandler-harris-36366_ability_people-no-longer-write-letters-lacking-t_884584.jpg"
---

#  People no longer write letters. Lacking the leisure, and…

![“People no longer write letters. Lacking the leisure, and, for the most part, the ability, they dictate dispatches, and scribble messages. When you are in the humor, you should take a peep at some of the letters written by people who lived long ago.” quote by Joel Chandler Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/420/joel-chandler-harris-36366_ability_people-no-longer-write-letters-lacking-t_884584.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/420/joel-chandler-harris-36366_ability_people-no-longer-write-letters-lacking-t_884584.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/420/joel-chandler-harris-36366_ability_people-no-longer-write-letters-lacking-t_884584.jpg)

> “People no longer write letters. Lacking the leisure, and, for the most part, the ability, they dictate dispatches, and scribble messages. When you are in the humor, you should take a peep at some of the letters written by people who lived long ago.”

[Joel Chandler Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-chandler-harris/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote laments the decline of handwritten letters due to busy lives and reliance on dictation, urging readers to appreciate historic correspondence.

**In simple terms:** People stopped writing letters because they’re too busy, but old letters are worth reading.

Key Takeaway

Value and study historic letters.

Themes

history communication technology

Mood

reflective nostalgic

Type

observational cultural.

When to use this quote

- personal reflection
- academic research
- museum curation
- family genealogy

Key Concepts

literacy social change nostalgia

Questions to Reflect On

- What can we learn from past communication styles?
- How might we preserve personal writing today?

A Different Perspective

Modern digital messages lack the personal touch of handwritten letters.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Leisure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leisure/) [Long ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-ago/) [Messages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/messages/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [“I keep thinking you already know. I keep thinking I’ve sent you letters that were only ever written in my mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-thomas/i-keep-thinking-you-already-know-i-keep-thinking-i-ve-sent-you/)

[Iain Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-thomas/)

> [The loss of letters in today's world is one of the great losses we are experiencing, though we shan't know the full extent of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burnett/the-loss-of-letters-in-today-s-world-is-one-of-the-great-losses-we/)

[David Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-burnett/)

> [My shoulders sagged. Really, is it too much to ask that I be able to come home from a long day of work and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/my-shoulders-sagged-really-is-it-too-much-to-ask-that-i-be-able-to/)

[Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/)

> [In small letters, someone has written NEVER FORGET on one of the slats. I know it's supposed to be a pledge, but it feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/in-small-letters-someone-has-written-never-forget-on-one-of-the-slats/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

> [The Nature of Familiar Letters, written, as it were, to the Moment, while the Heart is agitated by Hopes and Fears, on Events undecided,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-richardson/the-nature-of-familiar-letters-written-as-it-were-to-the-moment-while/)

[Samuel Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-richardson/)

> [He was carrying a suitcase with clothing in order to stay and another just like it with almost two thousand letters that she had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/he-was-carrying-a-suitcase-with-clothing-in-order-to-stay-and-another/)

[Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/)

> [“Have you ever had a difference with a dear friend? How his letters, written in the period of love and confidence, sicken and rebuke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-thackeray/have-you-ever-had-a-difference-with-a-dear-friend-how-his-letters/)

William Thackeray

> [It is not quite true that there are no good letters written in America: among my own circle of correspondents there, there are ladies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-martineau/it-is-not-quite-true-that-there-are-no-good-letters-written-in/)

[Harriet Martineau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-martineau/)

> [“Whoa. Oh, my God, this is a treat and a treasure. Most women don’t get to read love letters, and far fewer have love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-mooney/whoa-oh-my-god-this-is-a-treat-and-a-treasure-most-women-don-t-get-to/)

[Bryan Mooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-mooney/)

> [“Letters should be written to send news, to say send me news, to say meet me at the train station.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-michaels/letters-should-be-written-to-send-news-to-say-send-me-news-to-say/)

[Anne Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-michaels/)

> [“My mother still deludes herself that the letters are written out of more than a desire to spend as little time in our company…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-hellisen/my-mother-still-deludes-herself-that-the-letters-are-written-out-of/)

[Cat Hellisen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-hellisen/)

> [I get fan letters written in everything from crayons to lipstick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/i-get-fan-letters-written-in-everything-from-crayons-to-lipstick/)

[Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/)

> [“But what if the Bible was not God’s word? What if it was just a collection of books and letters written by men: expressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-mcroberts/but-what-if-the-bible-was-not-god-s-word-what-if-it-was-just-a/)

[Steve McRoberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-mcroberts/)

> [“She knew it the way people say they know they are about to be hit by lightning, yet remain powerless to run, unable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/she-knew-it-the-way-people-say-they-know-they-are-about-to-be-hit-by/)

[Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/)

> [“COOPER, THOMAS. Some Information Respecting America. With Letters written from America to a friend in England (1793- 1794). Second Edition, London: 1795.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/cooper-thomas-some-information-respecting-america-with-letters/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Joel Chandler Harris

> [Licker talks mighty loud w'en it git loose fum de jug.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-chandler-harris/licker-talks-mighty-loud-w-en-it-git-loose-fum-de-jug/)

[Joel Chandler Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-chandler-harris/)

> [Write about what you know and care deeply about. When one puts one's self on paper - that is what is called good writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-chandler-harris/write-about-what-you-know-and-care-deeply-about-when-one-puts-one-s/)

[Joel Chandler Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-chandler-harris/)

> [“When you've got a thing to say, Say it! Don't take half a day. When your tale's got little in it Crowd the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-chandler-harris/when-you-ve-got-a-thing-to-say-say-it-don-t-take-half-a-day-when-your/)

[Joel Chandler Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-chandler-harris/)

> [I don't keer w'at you do wid me, Brer Fox,' sezee, 'so you don't fling me in dat brier-patch. Roas' me, Brer Fox' sezee,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-chandler-harris/i-don-t-keer-w-at-you-do-wid-me-brer-fox-sezee-so-you-don-t-fling-me/)

[Joel Chandler Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-chandler-harris/)

> [Once upon a time a Georgian printed a couple of books that attracted notice, but immediately it turned out that he was little more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-chandler-harris/once-upon-a-time-a-georgian-printed-a-couple-of-books-that-attracted/)

[Joel Chandler Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-chandler-harris/)

> [I am in the prime of my senility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-chandler-harris/i-am-in-the-prime-of-my-senility/)

[Joel Chandler Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-chandler-harris/)

> [Watch out when you're getting all you want. Fattening hogs ain't in luck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-chandler-harris/watch-out-when-you-re-getting-all-you-want-fattening-hogs-ain-t-in/)

[Joel Chandler Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-chandler-harris/)

> [When folks git ole en strucken wid de palsy, dey mus' speck ter be laff'd at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-chandler-harris/when-folks-git-ole-en-strucken-wid-de-palsy-dey-mus-speck-ter-be-laff/)

[Joel Chandler Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-chandler-harris/)

> [Lazy fokes's stummucks don't git tired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-chandler-harris/lazy-fokes-s-stummucks-don-t-git-tired/)

[Joel Chandler Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-chandler-harris/)

> [Please don't throw me in dat briar patch!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-chandler-harris/please-don-t-throw-me-in-dat-briar-patch/)

[Joel Chandler Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-chandler-harris/)

> [Jay-bird don't rob his own nes'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-chandler-harris/jay-bird-don-t-rob-his-own-nes/)

[Joel Chandler Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-chandler-harris/)

> [Hongry rooster don't cackle w'en he fine a wum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-chandler-harris/hongry-rooster-don-t-cackle-w-en-he-fine-a-wum/)

[Joel Chandler Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-chandler-harris/)

[Explore all 13 Joel Chandler Harris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-chandler-harris/)

## More Ability quotes

> [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/)

[Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/)

> [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/)

[Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/)

> [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/)

[Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/)

> [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/)

[Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/)

> [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/)

[Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/)

> [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/)

[Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/)

> [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/)

[Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/)

> [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/)

[Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/)

> [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/)

[Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/)

> [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/)

[Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/)

> [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/)

[Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/)

> [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/)

[Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/)

> [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/)

[Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/)

[Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "People no longer write letters. Lacking the leisure, and, for the most part, the ability, they dictate dispatches, and scribble messages. When you are in the humor, you should take a peep at some of the letters written by people who lived long ago.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Joel Chandler Harris"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-chandler-harris/people-no-longer-write-letters-lacking-the-leisure-and-for-the-most/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ability"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-chandler-harris/people-no-longer-write-letters-lacking-the-leisure-and-for-the-most/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/420/joel-chandler-harris-36366_ability_people-no-longer-write-letters-lacking-t_884584.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/420/joel-chandler-harris-36366_ability_people-no-longer-write-letters-lacking-t_884584.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/420/joel-chandler-harris-36366_ability_people-no-longer-write-letters-lacking-t_884584.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“People no longer write letters. Lacking the leisure, and, for the most part, the ability, they dictate…” — Joel Chandler Harris",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Joel Chandler Harris",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-chandler-harris/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "People no longer write letters. Lacking...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-chandler-harris/people-no-longer-write-letters-lacking-the-leisure-and-for-the-most/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-chandler-harris/people-no-longer-write-letters-lacking-the-leisure-and-for-the-most/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
