This article aims at giving you basic insights on handwriting analysis and to develop awareness about what your and other people’s handwriting signify. Let’s see what your handwriting has to say about you.
Spoken words are the symbols of mental experience, and written words are the symbols of spoken words. Just as all men have not the same speech sounds, so all men have not the same writing
– Aristotle
What is graphology?
Handwriting analysis a.k.a graphology is a scientific discipline to assess one’s personality. It is defined as a scientific study and analysis of handwriting, or the art of interpreting character and personality through handwriting. This can be taken up as a professional practice or as a hobby or even for self assessment and improvement.
It is said that a person’s past makes an impact on his handwriting. Hence, handwriting can describe the past. By interpreting how a person’s past has affected his/her handwriting, a graphologist can assess an individual’s behavioral pattern. Ruth Gardner said, an individual can be successful in disguising his thoughts, feelings to an extent but he can never do it totally. And, it shows up in handwriting.
Obtaining a Right Sample
You may or may not believe it but even if you try to manipulate your handwriting, a graphologist scholar will tell you who you are, by merely analyzing your handwriting. However, there are a few prerequisites that one needs to follow.
1. You must only use an unlined paper with a minimum size of 6/9 inches.
2. The pen used by the writer should be the regular one he/she uses or a fountain pen or a ball point.
*Please note pencil or a felt tip pen should not be used.
3. You need to make sure that the writing sample is at least 100 words.
4. Sample that has been copied from already written matter and poetry should not be used.
Size
In the sections below, different handwriting types and their associated behavioral traits have been listed along with specimens.
Tall: A person with tall writing, is ambitious, observant, farsighted. But he/she lacks objectivity, consideration, modesty and tact. Also he/she always needs approval from others.
Small: Here the writer looks at life with a microscope. Very analytical, modest, reserved, resourceful, thrift, obedient and meticulous. They are often misers and lack self-confidence.
Broad and Wide: They desire to travel, are boastful, tolerant, frank, friendly, imaginative, artistic, spontaneous, broadminded and social. They often display pride, ego and lack of concentration.
Extremely Wide: They can be obtrusive, impudent and intrusive.
Large: A person with large handwriting likes being noticed and standing out in the crowd.
Narrow: This indicates that the writer possesses inhibition, has self-control, self-discipline, is economical, distrustful, socially passive, inartistic, introvert, timid, seclusive and suspicious.
Broad & Wide
Small Size
Slant
Slanting patterns in a handwriting describe a writer’s connection to his inner and outer world. Upright writing indicates reliance, a slant towards the left indicates introversion and towards the right indicates extroversion.
Extreme Right: They lack self control, are impulsive, intense, expressive, radical, dependent, and cannot handle frustrations.
Moderate Right: They express their opinions, are confident, affectionate, kind, extrovert, and think about the future. They can also be impulsive
Straight: This indicates that the writers head controls his heart. People with straight hand are independent and are able to control their emotions in time of crisis. They can work well alone, but they lack spontaneity.
Moderate Left: They are independent, objective, non-sympathetic, cannot express themselves easily, self contained, and are choosy about things and friends.
Extreme Left: Indicates that the person may have had a repressed childhood, fears the future, evades from reality, and is very defensive.
Irregular Slant: This indicates extreme sensitivity, moodiness, unpredictability, versatility, and ambivalence.
Right Slant
Left Slant
Baseline
Normally Straight: This indicates that the writer needs control in his/her life to be comfortable.
Ascending to the Right: Optimistic, has faith in the future, feels loved, excited, joyous and invigorated.
Descending Slant: Pessimism, fatigue, discouraged, depressed, and ill.
Arc Like: An arc shaped baseline indicates that the writer starts a project enthusiastically at first but later gives up and leaves things unfinished.
Concave: The writer is a slow starter and lacks confidence or purpose. However, as the project begins, the writer will overcome the negativity. It is difficult for this writer to start a project but easier to finish one.
Ascending Baseline
Descending Baseline
Strokes
Strokes used in writing can be divided into four types. A writer can either use one of the styles or a combination of them.
Moderate Garland: Avoids conflict, is adaptable, kind and sympathetic, outgoing, extrovert, good listener, talkative, flexible, careless, and lazy.
Deep Garland: Depressive, sympathetic, contemplative, and takes on others’ pains.
Shallow Garland: Reckless, superficial, elusive, and amiable.
Arcade: Artistic, needs protection, appearance-matters, lacks spontaneity, is shy, reserved, well mannered, formal, has poise, and is individualistic.
Flat Arcade: Schemer, hypocrite, pretentious, secretive, and defensive.
Angular: Tense, goal-oriented, competitive, aggressive, decisive, logical, strict, disciplined, dissatisfied, and idealistic.
Moderate Garland
Deep Garland
Letter Spacing
Close-Spaced Letters: Repressed, inhibited, scared, selfish, hostile, and resentful.
Widely Spaced Letters: Extrovert, sympathetic, and understanding.
Unconnected First Letter: These writers stop before they begin anything. They are also very observant, i.e they pause to observe something, are bad decision makers, cautious, and procrastinate.
Unconnected Last Letter: They pause before beginning anything but they do not stop or pause once they have started. They are hesitant by nature, not quick decision makers, and are ambivalent.
Widely Spaced Letters
Close Spaced Letters
Word Spacing
What your handwriting says about you?
Even Spaces: Easygoing, reasonable, confident, well-balanced, and unadventurous.
Uneven Spaces: Changeable social attitudes, insecure, gullible, hesitant, spontaneous, and lacks communication skills.
Small Spaces: Extrovert, talkative, impulsive, unsecured, and spontaneous.
Large Spaces: Critical, cautious, cultured, introvert, inhibited, isolated, and extravagant.
Very large Spaces: Egoistic, inconsiderate and a marked isolationist.
Uneven Word Space
Evenly Spaced Words
Line Spacing
What your handwriting says about you?
Even-Line Spacing: Systematic, a planner, consistent, and unadventurous.
Wide-Line Spacing: Lonely, well mannered, good organization skills, and lacks spontaneity.
Narrow Line Spacing: Thrift, hasty decision maker, spontaneous, and frugal.
Very Wide Spacing: Lonely, non-involved, and unrealistic.
Overlapping and Tangling: Over involvement with activities, preoccupied instinct, and inhibited.
Widely Spaced Lines
Overlapping and Tangling Line Spacing
Pressure
Heavy Pressure: Creative, strong libido, dominating, enthusiastic, has endurance and emotional strength, can’t easily forget the past, has grudges, sensuous, prefers dark and bright colors.
Light Pressure: Sensitive, forgives easily, tender, avoids friction, spiritual, physically weak, likes pastel colors, adaptable, and passively indifferent.
Displaced Pressure: The writer often faces inner conflicts, inferiority complex, is moody, has unsteady will power, and is emotionally unstable.
Rhythmic Changing Pressure: Artistic, aesthetic, warm, likes colors, charming personality. If pressure is absent on the left-descending upper zone strokes, a fear of the past is implied. If the pressure is present on the right-ascending upper zone strokes then, one suspects something fearful in the future. Sudden intensity in the pressure can show quick temper or emotional intensity.
Signature
A signature is a trademark of an individual. It is an image that one projects to the world. However, it can be influenced. Therefore, a person’s signature is something that he/she wants to portray to the world and not necessarily what a person really is. There is one way of testing this. When a person’s write up and his signature match that means he is exactly how he appears to be.
Initials are Larger Than Other Letters: If a person’s signature has his/her initials larger than the other letters, it indicates emphasis on her/his personal goals and strength rather than being dependent on anyone.
Poorly Formed Signature: This indicates some emotional stress. It could also indicate the biggest crisis in a individual’s life.
Slashing Through the Signature: A slashed sign indicates that one is crossing him/herself out. Just the way the signature looks the person needs to hide and maintain secrecy.
Larger First Name: A larger first name indicates pride and independence.
Strong Forward Ending Stroke: This indicates good health, creativity and straight-forwardness.
Large Signatures: A large sign indicates pride, self-confidence, friendly, warm, and the need to appear in public.
Encircled Signature: This indicates that the person likes and needs to be under someone’s care all the time.
Signature Ending with a Dot: Such a sign suggests mistrust of others.
It is important to know that you need to consider all the qualities as a whole and not just individual characteristic traits to understand the analysis of handwriting. Also, the techniques of handwriting analysis are not clairvoyant even though they can accurately recite an individual’s personality.
With the help of the above article, you will be able to get a brief idea about different characteristics and features of an individual. Though this is not an exhaustive explanation, you will certainly get a basic idea. So, get started!