What stops the uptake of shorthand?

Well ever since I started learning shorthand, I have read that in the 20th century shorthand was a secreterial tool, but before that it was used by intellectuals for you know the things they do... writing and inventing and philosophy and speeches etc. making them safer and faster to do.

And I accepted it as such. But the question is, for a leader today, who still organize stuff, and make speeches, and write down their ideas -- often sensitive ones-- is it any different? Whats stopping George Bush or various leaders from adopting this skill that intellectuals from centuries ago mastered and used?

I understand that it wouldn't be taught in universities as a manual skill, but leaders often take on big studies on their own in the pursuit of more knowledge. Languages is a good example. Our prime minister Kevin Rudd knows Chinese fluently-- zionist leaders in Israels past have been known to master many languages. Shorthand is easier than mastering a language and is a very useful skill, and I fail to come up with a good reason why its not widely used by the elite of our society, whos time above all else is so precious.




(by michael_lisitsa for everyone)
 

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