Your Handwriting – Revealing Your Personality

Are you a bold risk-taker or an introverted, deep thinker? Many contend that our handwriting reflects our personality traits and that, despite the conformity of cursive writing training all of us received in school, our handwriting ultimately developed its own unique style based upon who we are inside. So, what does your handwriting say about you? Here are a few basic revelations, and, before you go any further, take an unlined piece of paper and write out the phrase: “I am selling my car on Craigslist.”

1. Pressure: Turn your paper over and see if you can feel the indentions of the writing on the back side. This relates to the amount of pressure you put on the pencil or pen as you write. In general the personality clues are as follows:

A. Strong pressure indicates a gregarious personality and someone who is probably quite successful.
B. Very weak pressure (the writing is light) indicates an individual who prefers calm and one who will not seek high-energy jobs and activities
C. Moderate pressure is the middle ground – someone who may have a high energy level at times but one who also enjoys quiet and stress-free times.

2. Horizontal Baseline: Now look at the entire sentence.

A. Is it pretty straight across the page? If so, your tendency is not to let your emotions show, and you may be overly self-disciplined. You function well when there are deadlines to meet, and you are able to clearly focus on tasks.
B. Is it a bit wavy? You tend to be more flexible in your approach to life and to tasks. You allow interruptions as you work without complaint, and you are accepting of others whose lifestyles and work habits are not like yours.
C. Is it really up and down? You probably experience emotional highs and lows more than most. But you are also creative and a bit of a free thinker.

3. Line Slope: Does the entire line of your writing slope up or down? If it slopes up you are more optimistic and positive; if it slopes down, you have a tendency to be more pessimistic and negative.

4. Spacing: Are your letters and words compact and “tight” or are they more spaced out?

A. Highly compressed – You like to be around lots of other people and welcome close proximity. You are fine at a crowded concert venue.
B. Lots of Space - You tend be more of a loner, crave your “personal space,” and may avoid crowds.
C. Moderate Spacing – You are a combination of the two – you can handle crowds and tight spaces, but you also enjoy your “alone” time.

Handwriting Analysis also extends to the shape of your letters. Take a look at the sentence you wrote and compare your letter formations to the following:

1. Slant of letters and words: Do your letters/words slant to the right, to the left, or are they straight up and down?
A. Slanting to the right – If you are right-handed and your letters slant to the right, you are more open and social.
B. Slanting to the left – If you are left-handed and your letters slant to the left, you are more of a loner, and relish your private time. If you are right-handed and your letters slant to the left, you are rebellious, seek new experiences all the time, and are more of a risk-taker.
C. No slant – You are logical, left-brain dominant, and quite practical.

2. Size of Your Letters

A. Large Letters – If your writing is large in comparison to others, you are more extroverted and perhaps a bit self-absorbed. You want to make a place for yourself, and you want others to notice.
B. Small Letters – You are more introverted, perhaps a bit shy, and you prefer to work by yourself, probably “behind the scenes.”
C. Moderately-sized Letters – You are flexible, pretty well-adjusted and adapt to change quite well.

3. The Loops: What your handwriting says about you is also seen in the loops you make in certain letters – the “L’s,” and the tails of the small “y’s,” “g’s,” and “f’s,” for example.

A. Full Loops – you are pretty comfortable “in your own skin” and can be spontaneous.
B. Very Small or No Loops: You are practical and logical and will probably have a long-range plan for your life
C. Moderate Loops: Again, you are in-between. You can respond well to spontaneity, but you also like to set short and long-term goals in a reasoned way.

4. The Letter “S”: Looking at how you shape your small “s,” according to graphologists, is quite revealing too.

A. The Rounded “s”: You are a “people pleaser,” someone who wants to avoid conflict and looks for compromises.
B. Pointed at the top: You are ambitious and a bit of an intellectual; you enjoy new things and are willing to take risks. The higher the point, the more ambitious you are.
C. Open at the Bottom: If your small “s” is not closed at the bottom, you may have sacrificed your passion for more stability and security.

Despite all of the handwriting practice forced upon us in elementary school, each of us has developed a unique style that reflects our personality traits, our values, and our adult lifestyles. Making an effort to change your style now will probably not change who you are, and remember that graphology is not an exact science, to be sure.