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Ava Kaiser

Professor Childs

English 1101

2 February 2021

What Does the Handwriting Say About the Person?

When a person looks down at their handwriting, they may just see words on a page.

However, research shows that there is much more to a persons handwriting than meets the eye.

Through graphology, the study of handwriting, scientists discovered that a person’s penmanship

can reveal a lot about their personality traits.. According to experts, “handwriting analysis is a

tedious and methodical process that relies on extensive knowledge of the way people form

letters, which characteristics of letter formation are unique, and the physiological process behind

handwriting- the ways in which a persons fine motor skills can affect their handwriting and leave

clues about the authors identity.” This actively demonstrates that handwriting analysis is a type

of science, in a way that every person has their own unique way of writing. There are several

factors that can influence a person’s writing, including how they were taught to write, and their

anatomy. As a person matures, they incorporate their individual characteristics into their

handwriting. .

First, let us take a look at the history of graphology. In 1622, Camilo Baldi published the

first book dealing with the relationship between handwriting and the characters of the writer.

Jean Hippolyte Michon (1806-81), from France, later became acknowledged as the founder of

modern graphology as a science. Michon continued to found the graphic signs which writers

with similar qualities and deficiencies have in common. Graphic signs are also known as letters
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in isolation, such as the simple drawing of a certain letter.) Eventually, in the 1930s, H.J. Jacoby

came to England from Germany. During his time in England, Jacoby published books on

graphology. In his works, he used photographic illustrations in an evidently clever way to

explain the connection between features of handwriting and their pictorial parallels in nature and

in human movements.

Graphology research tells us that how a person writes can indicate more than 5,000

personality traits. For example, small details such as, the size and shapes of your letters and the

spacing between words can all signify unique characteristics. . If a person forms large letters, this

can mean that they are outgoing, people-oriented, outspoken, and attention-seeking. In some

cases, this could mean one feigns confidence. Average-sized letters mean that a person is well-

adjusted and adaptable, while small letters reveal a more shy and withdrawn personality.

Rounded letters can show that someone is creative and artistic. Connected letters can show that

one is logical, systematic, and makes decisions carefully. Meanwhile people with pointed letters

are more aggressive, intense, deeply intelligent and curious. Another interesting point worth

noting is that handwriting analysis can even be used for detecting lies and revealing possible

health ailments.

Surprisingly, even the spacing one puts between words can determine their personality

traits. If a person has wide spacing, they enjoy your freedom and do not appreciate to be

overwhelmed or crowded. People who form narrow spaces can not stand to be alone. They tend

to crowd people and be intrusive.

Other characteristics of your handwriting that scientists look at include the way people

slant their letters, looping, dotting your I’s and crossing T’s, open and closed O’s, page margins,

writing pressure, and writing speeds. These can all tell something about someone’s personality.
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Particularly, this can be seen when people do not slant their letters. This means that they do not

let their emotions get the best of them. They tend to be logical and practical. For people who

often write all over the page and leave no margins, it has been shown that they often can not sit

still or relax. Their mind is constantly running. Handwriting that is bunched up, moved out of

alignment, or otherwise different from the rest of the writing indicates a lie.

Another extremely helpful prospect of handwriting is what it can say about your health.

Writing with variable pressure is one possible indicator of high blood pressure, especially when

it goes from light to dark. Handwriting deteriorates as the mental faculties deteriorate, with signs

that include handwriting that changes to irregular or altered letters, coupled with trembles in the

writing and a slow writing pace. These signs can be some of the first indications that a person

has Alzheimers. When the slant varies within a sentence or within the same word frequently, it is

one form of evidence that a person is not having continual contact with reality, such as someone

with schizophrenia. One of the signs of Parkinson’s disease is intensely small or cramped

handwriting – micrographic. Sometimes the handwriting can become so small even the writer

cannot read it. Handwriting with heavy pressure, where the writing appears dark, or shows

through to the back of the paper indicates high levels of energy. A light pressure indicates a lack

of energy or tiredness.

Evidently, handwriting has a lot more to it than what meets the eye. Handwriting is

unique, and can tell a lot about a persons personality, including their mental and physical health.

The study of handwriting, graphology, is a science that can reveal thousands of personality

traits. There are many variables to this, such as a person’s characteristics, or how a person’s

anatomy has taught them how to compose. With research expanding over hundreds of years,

scientists have found that handwriting analysis is a lengthy and meticulous procedure. While
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handwriting can be easily overlooked, the things it can tell us about a person proves that the

science behind it is worth paying attention to.

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Works Cited

“History of Graphology.” International Handwriting Analysis Society, 9 May 2012,

handwritingfoundation.org/graphology-history/. 

Layton, Julia. “How Handwriting Analysis Works.” HowStuffWorks Science, HowStuffWorks,

30 June 2020, science.howstuffworks.com/handwriting-analysis.htm. 

“Review Article - Handwriting Examination: Meeting the Challenges of Science and the Law -
October 2009.” FBI, FBI, 28 Feb. 2011, archives.fbi.gov/archives/about-us/lab/forensic-
science-communications/fsc/oct2009/review/2009_10_review02.htm. 

“What Does Your Handwriting Say About You?” What Does Your Handwriting Say About You?
[ Infographic ] | National Pen, www.pens.com/handwriting-infographic.