According to the principles of graphology, our handwriting is simply a mirror image of our individual personality. Despite all being taught to write in the same style at school, by adulthood our handwriting rarely resembles the style we learnt in the classroom. As we age, our personality develops, and so does our writing style. According to graphology, our handwriting can tell a thousand stories about who we are, our likes and dislikes, and our overall demeanour.
The way in which a person’s handwriting differs from that in the school copy books enables graphologists to determine the personality traits and character of the writer. This blend of science and art examines not only the spacing, angles and slants of the written script but also the pressure the writer has applied and the context in which the script has been written.
Graphology is used in personality assessment for many purposes, including recruitment, security checking, personality profiling, historical profiling, management selection, and corporate training. Your handwriting can indicate to a potential employer whether you are hardworking, honest and of good integrity or weak-willed and lacking the ability to complete a task, simply with the stroke of a pen.
Signatures, which are completely unique to each of us, are of particular interest to graphologists. They are the manner in which we represent ourselves to the world throughout our lives and speak volumes about who we are as a person. The way in which we form our signature – whether it slants upwards or downwards; is long or compressed; is large or small; is underlined, through-lined or features a line across the top; and whether we press firmly or lightly – can all give an adept graphologist an intricate insight into our personality.
For example, the late Steve Jobs signed off in an upwards slant with sharp lines, which revealed both his positive traits of looking to the future and ambition and his negative tendencies towards being impatient and having an aggressive temperament at times. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg signs off using only his initials, which is indicative of a highly-private yet confident person who enjoys excellent self-esteem.
What does your signature say about you?
Let’s take a look at some of the common signature styles and how a graphologist might interpret them:
– A closing flick or line at the end shows that you are very proactive, with drive and determination.
– If you use your nickname, you are highly independent and confident in your capabilities.
– No dot on the ‘i’ in your signature indicates that you are not the sort of person to worry about small details and tend to look at the bigger picture.
– Large capital letters show that you have a strong sense of self-worth, albeit with a tendency towards arrogance.
– If you sign off using only your first name, you are demonstrating a relaxed attitude towards business.
– Illegible letters surprisingly demonstrate that you have good mental agility and a quick mind.
– Ascending text shows that you are optimistic, creative and ambitious, with a tendency to look towards the future in a positive light.
– If you favour a signature with very small letters, this indicates that you may be stingy and egotistical. This does not create a very good first impression on a job application!
Whatever your signature style, bear in mind that you may be revealing far more about yourself than you bargained for next time you scrawl across the dotted line.
