We were all taught to write in a specific way when we were children at school, but it is evident that no one continues to write exactly the way they were taught and everyone’s handwriting looks different. In fact, as soon as someone can write, he or she gradually alters the shapes and sizes of letters in accordance with individual likes and dislikes.
Why is this the case?
The reason is that our personalities affect the way our handwriting develops after we were taught to write. This is because handwriting is the pattern of our psychology expressed in symbols on the page and these symbols are as unique as our own DNA. When you get to know a person’s handwriting well enough, you recognize whose script it is, just as if it were a well-known painting or photograph. Graphology is based on the principle that every individual’s handwriting has a character of its own and this is entirely due to the uniqueness of the writer’s personality.
What is Graphology?
Graphology is the analysis of the physical characteristics and patterns of handwriting able to identify the writer, indicating the psychological state at the time of writing, or evaluating personality.
How does Graphology work?
Graphology is a mixture of art and science. It is a science since it measures the structure and movement of the written forms – slants, angles, and spacing are accurately calculated and the pressure is observed in magnification and with precision. And it is an art because the graphologist has constantly to keep in mind the total context in which the writing is taking place: the ‘gestalt’ of the writing as a whole.
Try it out yourself!
Graphology is certainly not as simple as it looks at first glance. Therefore we’re not here to teach you the whole topic in one single article. In this article, our only goal is to help you use the basics of graphology to get a deeper understanding of yourselves. In other words, our goal is NOT to teach you graphology in this article. In the tables below, we describe what each writing trait means in terms of psychology. Use the tables below to get a better understanding of your own personality.
Size of Handwriting
| Small | Large |
|---|---|
| Objective Concentration | Activity |
| Sense of Reality | Expansion |
| Sober Moderation | Certainty |
| Modesty | Self-Confidence |
| No wish to be the center of attention | Emotional demands |
| Little urge toward expansion | Enthusiasm |
| Lack of Dynamism | Unceasing Activity |
| Passivity | Weak Grasp of Reality |
| Inhibition | Naivete |
| Feeling of Inferiority | Feeling of Superiority |
| Depression | Arrogance |
| Insecurity | Impulsivity |
Width of Writing
| Wide | Narrow |
|---|---|
| Ambition & Determination | Self-Control |
| Openness & Interest in Outside World | Restraint |
| Lack of Inhibition | Caution |
| Forward-Looking | Concentration |
| Impatience | Inhibition Anxiety |
| Evasion | Lack of Inner Freedom |
| Unwillingness to commit | Craving Closeness |
| Excessive demands | Craving Contact |
Word Spacing
| Large Spacing | Small Spacing |
|---|---|
| Mental Clarity & Overview | Need for Contact |
| Distance between objects and People | Directness |
| Emotional Inhibition | Thought Patterns Influenced by Previous Experiences |
| Isolation | Lack of Distance or Mental Order |
| Difficult Contact with Others | Chaotic Inner Life |
Pressure
| Light Pressure | Heavy Pressure |
|---|---|
| Passivity | Self-Assertive, Resolute Situations |
| Gentle Feeling | Dynamic, Active, Vital |
| Calmness | Tried to Avoid Energy Draining Situations |
| Sick | Angry, Anxious, Alert |
| Follower rather than a Leader | Seeking to impose their will on others |
| Timid, Lacking in Vitality | Tense and forceful |
Slant of Writing
| Right Slant | Vertical Slant | Left Slant |
|---|---|---|
| Orientation to outside world | Thoughts kept under control | Restraint |
| Commitment to undertaken tasks | Sober approach | Willpower |
| Engagement | Discipline | Strong Self-Control |
| Directness | Reserve | Protective Attitude |
| Lack of Control and Restraint | Passivity | Denial about feelings of insecurity |
| Impulsive, Rash, Frivolous | Difficult contact with others | Fear of Life |
| Easily Influenced | Coldness | Self-Absorption |
| Uncontrolled | Inhibited | Overly Cautious |
Speed of Writing
| Fast Writing | Slow Writing |
|---|---|
| Dynamic | Calm |
| Inclination to Extroversion | Organized |
| Ability to Talk | Perfectionism |
| Establishing bonds easily | Self-Control |
| Spontaneous | Patience |
| Lack of Concentration | Persistence |
| Anxiety | Great Observation, Memory and Concentration |
| Emotivism | Inclination to Introversion |
| Difficulty to Plan | Clumsiness |
| Proactive | Slowness in Action |
| Independent | Inactivity |
| Often Losing Control | Sloth |
| Daring | Apathy |
| Hasty | Laziness |
Better than personality tests? Decide yourself.
The only goal of this article was to help you understand yourself in more detail. The answer to whether it actually helped you, is in your hands. Let us know in the comments, what’s your opinion on using Graphology to understand one’s personality.
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ThePro’s Fun Fact
According to the research done by the C.I.A., Graphology is only about 62% accurate.