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Is Our Personality Written in OurHandwriting?

Of all the different methods out there for finding key personality traits, graphology, theanalysis of handwriting, seems to make some sense. Think of how much handwritingvaries from one individual to another; even the difference between signatures—legibleversus illegible, signed with flourish or indistinct—suggests something about the person.Our scrawls, whether chicken scratch-like or similar to computer font in their consistentneatness, are unique to us. Not even identicaltwinswith their identical genetic makeuphave the same handwriting, so there just might be something to the argument that our writing styles are somehow tied to our personalities. After doing some research, I cameacross a few principles of graphology that seemed easiest to analyze so that even us non-experts could see what our handwritingpotentially reveals.

Put the Pen to Paper

Unlocking the inner workings of our identities via graphology only requires two items: awriting utensil and an unlined piece of paper. If you’ve got old letters or notes with atleast a couple paragraphs’ worth of text, the bulk of the work’s already done. If not, justfind something to copy and try to write as naturally as possible. Remember, trying tohave the best penmanship possible doesn’t win you any points with graphology; it willonly give you insight into the kind of person you’d be if you had different handwriting.Handwriting analystGary Thomasbelieves that studying handwriting involves looking at both small details, like the space between letters, and bigger ones, such as the amount of pressure used when writing. Each characteristic implies something different about thewriter’s personality.

Spacing

Space can operate in a variety of ways when it comes to handwriting. There are two mainthings to consider: space between words and space between sentences. That’s why usingan unlined piece of paper is essential—just how much space we put between sentencescan provide insight.1

Spacing Between Words

: According to graphology, this represents your comfort levelwhen it comes to socializing. Having very little space in between words, like in the photoabove, suggests that you are a people-person who craves social contact. A large gapindicates that you have trouble relating to others and might prefer being solo. Those withan average amount of space fall somewhere in the middle.

Spacing Between Sentences in Paragraphs

: If it’s difficult to determine one line fromanother (i.e., there’s almost no space separating them), your thoughts might be a bit jumbled and confused. On the other side of the spectrum, large spaces are associated withsharp perception and meticulousness. Average spaces represent a balance between thetwo.

Line Levels

Another reason to use unlined paper is to analyze the direction your lines travel naturally,such as if they ascend across the page or remain steadily straight. Supposedly, the baseline tells us about our emotional health.

Straight

: Someone who writes in an exactly straight line could be rigid and methodical, tothe point where he/she sees being emotional as having a lack of discipline. Mostlystraight lines speak well of a person’s level of self-control and success in a variety of trades.

Ascending/Descending

: If the baseline slopes upward as you write from left to right (as itdoes in the picture below), graphologists would say that you have a positive outlook andare generally enthusiastic and determined. If it slopes downward, that suggestsdepression, lethargy, or a tendency toward moodiness.

Very Wavy

: When lines look like the outline of a roller coaster, it might mean that thewriter feels emotionally unstable. However, having a slight wave for a baseline iscommon and generally indicates a balanced emotional outlook.

Slant of Writing

Whether writing slants toward the left or right, or if it’s fairly vertical, relates to one’semotional reaction to situations.

Left Slant

(\\\): If your writing slants toward the left, it’s possible you have troubleexpressing yourself and come off as indifferent and distant to those around you.2

Vertical

(|||): A lack of slant in writing suggests that you’re guided by logic more thanyour emotions, but that there’s a fair balance between the two.

Right Slant

(///): People who write with a forward slant, such as the example pictured below, follow their hearts and are usually more empathetic and caring than most.

Size of Writing

According to graphologists, how big or small one’s font is represents their concentrationskills.

Small

: This type of writing, as shown below, often belongs to someone with a highconcentration level and a superior attention to detail. She operates best when given onetask at a time and the ability to tackle it alone.

Average

: Those who use average-sized characters can concentrate just enough to beeffective, but not so much that they get caught up in the minute details.

Large

: Bigger handwriting could point to a fast-moving mind that has trouble focusing onone thing for too long, preferring a variety of responsibilities and tasks.

Signature

People who study handwriting, such as life coachElaine Ness,feel that our signatures demonstrate how we want to be seen by others. They’re indicative of our publicidentities, but not necessarily our true selves. To best understand how signatures relate tothe self, compare it to plain text, such as the body of a written letter.

Legible/Illegible

: This relates to communication, particularly when it follows somethingthe person has written him/herself. If the signature is legible, the person feels comfortablewith what’s expressed and wants to associate with it; an illegible signature implies theopposite. And if the text and the signature are completely different (the text is legible andthe signature is not, or vice versa), that means the individual is adopting a public personathat’s different from the private one.3