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I agree that certain kinds of comparisons do not provide any benefit. However, the nature of learning how to write hinges on comparing your work to an exemplar. We have to start with some basic shapes that represent letters and we generally do that when we are 4-5-6 years old. Some of those basic lessons stick with us forever.
A favorite example of mine is when people put way too much space between their words. Many times, I would see someone with good skills but the amount of space between words was very distracting. We would discuss that space and sometimes the adult student would recall that a teacher in elementary school had required the kids to use their pointer finger as a gauge for how much space to put between the words.
I tiny little 5 year old finger was appropriate and proportional to the size of the writing. But, for some people that generous spacing grew over time. I'll look for an example where it's obviously distracting. But it was often baked into the person's muscle memory and it can be hard for people to adjust that spacing.
Then there are the tight-letter-spacers. Some people pack the letters so close together they are almost touching and it can be challenging for them to alter that habit. There's no right or wrong amount of space. With Neuland, touching letters can look better than those with space. It's just one more variable where the space is as significant as the strokes. It's a picky detail, but once you take note you start seeing how all those picky details contribute to harmony or hodge podge.
Don't get me wrong - I like a good hodge podge. But not all hodge podges are created equal.
More tomorrow.
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