What Your Handwriting Says About You (And Why You Shouldn’t Trust It)

Have you ever wondered what your handwriting reveals about your personality? Do you believe that the way you write can show your mood, intelligence, honesty, creativity, and social skills?

If so, you may be interested in graphology - the study of how handwriting reflects personality traits. Graphologists claim that they can analyze a person’s handwriting and uncover various aspects of their character. They look at different features of handwriting, such as:

• Letter size: This indicates how confident and outgoing a person is. Large letters suggest a sociable and assertive personality, while small letters suggest a shy and introverted one.
• Word spacing: This shows how comfortable a person is with being alone or with others. Wide spaces between words indicate a preference for freedom and independence, while narrow spaces indicate a need for closeness and companionship.
• Dotting your i’s: This reveals how imaginative and attentive to detail a person is. High dots suggest creativity and enthusiasm, while low dots suggest laziness and lack of interest. Circles instead of dots imply childishness and playfulness, while dashes imply criticism and impatience.
• Crossing your T’s: This demonstrates how determined and ambitious a person is. Long crosses indicate persistence and energy, while short crosses indicate weakness and apathy.
• Pen pressure: This reflects how emotional and committed a person is. Heavy pressure suggests strong feelings and passion, while light pressure suggests sensitivity and empathy.
• Signature: This expresses how a person wants to be seen by others. Legible signatures indicate confidence and self-esteem, while illegible signatures indicate privacy and insecurity.

Sounds fascinating, right? But before you rush to grab your pen or analyze someone else’s handwriting, there’s something you should know: graphology is not widely accepted as a reliable or scientific method of personality assessment.

Many psychologists argue that there is no evidence that handwriting can reveal anything more than basic demographic information (such as age or gender), or that it can predict behavior or performance. They also point out that handwriting can vary depending on many factors (such as mood, context, and education level), making it difficult to draw consistent conclusions from it.

Therefore, graphology should be taken with caution and skepticism. It may be fun to explore as a hobby or an icebreaker but it should not be used as a basis for making important decisions or judgments about yourself or others.

I learned this the hard way when I was younger. I used to be fascinated by graphology and I read many books on the subject. I thought I could understand people better by looking at their handwriting. I even tried to change my own handwriting to make myself appear more confident or creative.

But then I realized that graphology was not a science but an art - an art that was subjective and prone to errors. I realized that handwriting was not an accurate reflection of personality but rather an expression of mood or style. I realized that people were more complex than their writing could ever show.

So I stopped relying on graphology for personality assessment and started using other methods - such as observation, communication, and feedback - methods that were more valid and reliable.

Don’t get me wrong - I still enjoy looking at handwriting and noticing its variations and nuances but I don’t take it too seriously or use it as a tool for judgment or evaluation.

I think handwriting is beautiful and unique and personal but it’s not who we are.

What do you think? Do you believe in graphology? Have you ever had your handwriting analyzed? How did it make you feel? Share your thoughts in the comments below!