“I don’t think I’ve ever seen your handwriting before. It’s an oddly personal thing, isn’t it?” ― Ann Aguirre, Aftermath This quote by Ann Aguirre explains how revealing handwriting can be. Graphology is the study of handwriting.
Graphology
Graphology, a projective technique is an inference of personality. It is a blend of science and art. Science in the term measures the structure and movement of handwriting. Art in the sense that just like any other art form such as dance, acting; handwriting is also an expressive art form.
Graphology is also known as handwriting analysis. According to the American Psychological Association (APA) dictionary of psychology, graphology is defined as the study of physical characteristics of handwriting, particularly as a means of inferring the writer’s psychological state or personality characteristics.
History
The origin of graphology dates back to 1897. Abb Jean-Hippolyte Michon coined the term “graphology” from the Greek: "graph" meaning 'to write' or 'I write', and 'logos' meaning 'doctrine' or 'theory'. He was also the founder of “The Society of Graphology” and the pioneer of scientific grounds to handwriting analysis.
After World War I, graphology spread through Europe, followed by Germany and America. Today, graphology is considered a “pseudoscience” by some. This is because of its questionable validity, and lack of evidence. But it is still widely used in France. Graphology is also used clinically by European counselors and psychotherapists.
Psychology
Earlier, it would be considered that if your handwriting is neat, then you are a tidy person, and if the ink is smudged, and not so tidy, then you are a carefree person. But Graphology is much more than this. Graphologists mainly take into consideration different elements namely-
Size of individual letters
The slanting of letters
Angularity
Curvature
Elements
Each letter and element says a different thing about the individual and his/her personality.
Page margin
Margins should not be neglected in handwriting analysis.
Towards left indicates roots in family, family-oriented. A wide left margin indicates not holding onto things, letting them go. A narrow one says cautionary behaviour.
Towards right indicates future orientations. A wide right margin is fear of the unknown while a narrow one is an eagerness to do things.
Page usage
How we write also says a lot about us. Text towards the left hints that your thoughts are stuck in the past. While towards right indicates thoughts about the future.
Speed
Slow speed denotes organized, self-reliant personality while fast speed indicates impatient, no waiting or time for time-wasters.
Pen Pressure
Heavy pressure- If your ink bleeds through the page then that denotes intensity. It can also indicate high energy. Other than this, it can mean you are good at commitment and take things seriously. Excessive pressure can denote uptightness and aversive to criticism.
Low pressure- Light grip indicates the ethereal types. You may be sensitive, empathetic and lack vitality. It can also mean a lack of energy or tiredness.
The shape of letters
The shape could be rounded, pointed and/or connected:
If the shape of letters is rounded the personality leans in the artistic side.
Pointed letters say that you are very intelligent, intense and curious.
Connection in letters says you are rational and logical.
Letters
The space your letters take up also says a lot about you.
Small letters- Small letters mean you are shy, you like staying out of the spotlight, meticulous, studious and concentrated.
Large letters- You love people (people-oriented), are outgoing, love being in attention, outspoken. It can also mean you put up a façade, and pretend to be confident.
Average letters- This means you are well adjusted and adaptable. You fit in every situation
Tiny letters- This could mean that the individual is retreating from society.
Spacing between words
This can show your approach towards a relationship.
If the spacing is narrow, you also can’t stand to be alone, and tend to be quite intrusive. You also have a fear of abandonment.
If the spacing is wide, you enjoy your freedom, and tend not to be overwhelmed or crowded. You can also have a problem connecting with people.
Spacing between letters
This is the spacing of letters within a word
Narrow- You can be a bit uptight.
Wide- Spread-apart means you have a relaxed personality.
Slanting
Leaning towards the left shows a reserved personality, and tends to work behind the scenes. If you are right-handed and slant left, then you have a rebellious personality.
Towards right shows an outgoing, open to new experiences, planning for the future personality.
If it’s straight then you may be rational, logical and always plan things. You don’t let things get to you.
Looping
Loops in ‘l’ and ‘e’
L- Wide loops say that you may be restricting your emotions leading to frustration while narrow loops denote relaxed personality and expressive.
E- Wide e loops show open-mindedness while narrow loops show skepticism and not swaying in others emotions.
Now onto specific letter
Vowels are considered communication letters in graphology
C- The lack of gap in a “c” shows a lack of trust and not wanting to let anyone in.
I’s- In ‘i’ the placement of the dot conveys quite a bit. Perfect placement denotes loyalty. High and carefree marks show that you are in a hurry and you have to get somewhere. Dot towards the left shows cautionary personality with no spontaneous bone.
O’s- Closed O’s mean a private person, introversion while open o’s mean expressiveness, open, talkative, cannot keep a secret.
S- A lowercase cursive s has an important meaning in graphology. A round s denotes a people pleaser, a pointy s shows inquisitiveness, ambition.
T’s- Failing to cross in your ‘T’ means you are a procrastinator. Higher placement means higher ambition.
Y’s- The letters that go below the line such as y, g and j move through the lower zone. A big loop here is associated with money or creativity.
Signature
Illegible signature is unreadable and not understandable. This denotes privateness. While a clear signature shows confidence and comfort.
Now onto the number 2
A two with no loop shows someone's good with facts and figures.
Deviation From the Baseline
Upward deviation shows a positive outlook while downward is pessimistic.
Applications
Handwriting is good at examining the subconscious, which is not possible in daily life. This makes handwriting a very powerful tool. It has a wide variety of usage in fields across all domains. Mainly used in personality assessments for:
Industrial and organizational settings- It can be used for recruitment, choosing the best candidate. Training where it can show the weaknesses, and indicate areas where training is needed.
Lie detection- It can be used in checking honesty and integrity. Handwriting that looks out of place, bunched up indicates a lie.
Relationships- Using it in compatibility assessments, family guidance.
Personal assessments- Individuals seeking self-awareness, career guidance.
Forensic analysis- It can be used by biographers to learn more about deceased individuals, forgeries, and other legal issues.
Health- Graph Pathology is the branch of graphology that studies handwriting that may have been altered due to medical reasons. Parkinsons and Alzheimer's are diseases where handwriting is hampered due to the shakiness of the hand.
However, the downside is that as we become more and more reliant on technology, handwriting may become a thing of the past. It is also a growing field because, in other tests of evaluation, deception can be used but handwriting can never lie. It is as unique as a fingerprint.
As it is correctly said by Natalie Goldbery, “Handwriting is more connected to the movement of the heart”.
References
APA Dictionary of Psychology. (n.d.). APA. https://dictionary.apa.org/graphology
Cronje, P. E., & Roets, H. E. (2013). Graphology in Psychological Assessment: A Diagnosis in Writing. Universal Journal of Psychology, 1(4), 163–168. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujp.2013.010403
graphology | handwriting analysis. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/graphology
Picard, C. (2020, January 16). What the Style of Your Handwriting Says About You, According to Graphology Experts. Good Housekeeping. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/g5057/handwriting-analysis/?slide=9
The University of Toronto. (2020, October 2). Exposing your Best Kept Secrets – Graphology: Science Fact or Myth? New College - University of Toronto. https://www.newcollege.utoronto.ca/student-blog/exposing-your-best-kept-secrets-graphology-science-fact-or-myth/
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