What your handwriting unknowingly reveals about you

 
HAS SOMEONE ever written a note to you, and you were able to guess who wrote the text just by looking at the handwriting? Or has it ever occurred to you that your best friend’s handwriting is so like her? Well then, welcome to the field of graphology – an area of pseudo-science that specializes in analyzing handwritings. Graphology has been used in various fields for a long time. Traditionally, graphology was used in the medical field, where handwritings were evaluated to diagnose diseases related to nervous systems. Today, however, graphology is used as a method of personality analysis for fun. 
 
What is graphology?
   The history of graphology tracks back to the far past in the 17th century. In the past, scholars in various parts of the world believed that graphology was a valid method to study a person’s character - Chinese scholars traditionally believed that a person’s handwriting revealed much about a person’s personality, and so did the Europeans. Amidst such beliefs among certain scholars, the first known book on graphology was published in 1622 by an Italian doctor named Camillo Baldi. However, it was not until 1872 that the term “graphology” was coined by a French man named Jean Michon, who started the series of serious study into the fields of graphology in Europe. Slowly yet gradually, the interest in graphology spread across Europe, and leading universities in Europe began to offer degrees on graphology through their psychology departments, establishing graphology as a valid discipline of study.
   With such legacies continued, professional graphologists exist even until today. There are even institutions that hold those professional graphologists together. The British Institute of Graphologists is one of them, explaining the importance of graphology, as handwriting continues to be a unique characteristic of a person even with the advance of science and technology. This is especially true in warfare. Handwriting analysis of diaries and letters can be important evidence in identifying the casualties or survivors of war.
   Even so, with the advance of science today, graphology in general academic terms is regarded as an outdated scientific tool. This is because, while science requires a reproduction of identical results, regardless of time, place, or the experimenter, graphology is not able to manifest this characteristic – methods of analysis are slightly different with each graphologist. So in today’s world, its role as a methodical tool to analyze a person’s personality has faded, and has become an interest-oriented method to find out about one’s personality. Do not put your heart into it, because there are no guarantees, but let us find out – what does your handwriting unknowingly say about you?
 
How does it work?
   The specific methods of graphology analysis differ from a graphologist to another, but here are some of the common indicators to analyze your handwriting: 
Box 1: Pressure of the strokes:
How much the writer presses in the words tends to reveal the writer’s enthusiasm. Heavily-pressed strokes indicate that the person is likely to show enthusiasm for whatever he or she delves into, suggesting that the person is more daring and confident. On the contrary, a lightly-pressed handwriting implies that a person may be calmer. Although this may mean that the person avoids unfamiliar settings and find new situations draining, it may also imply that the person is more careful and deliberate.
 
Box 2: Slope of letters:
In most fields of graphology analysis, a right slope often indicates that the person is assertive and confident. It is also said that this suggests that the person is insensitive too. On the other hand, a left slope means that the person is quiet and tends to think deeply before acting. Lastly, no slope means that the person is reliant and consistent, but often very constrained too.
 
Box 3: Size of letters
The size of your handwriting can also reveal a part of your personality. Large sized handwriting tends to infer an extroverted outgoing person. Similarly, it can also hint that the writer holds confidence in himself or herself, although such character may not necessarily be apparent to strangers. Small sized handwriting can alternatively mean the opposite. The owner is likely to be a thinker that tends to be sophisticated and sensitive to details.
 
Box 4: Upper zone letters (as in l, t, h)
Interestingly, tall upper slopes symbolize an ambitious mind. The higher the upper stroke, the more ambitious the person may be, but if the upper slope is overly emphasized it may indicate that the person has an unrealistic expectations of what he feels he must achieve. Also, wide loops in the upper zone suggest the tendency to mull over one’s ideas for a long time.
 
Box5: Lower zone letters (as in g, y, p)
The lower zone handwriting of the letters can also suggest a variety of facts. It is generally agreed among graphologists that a sharp hook-like stroke implies a workaholic, generally with an impatience to get a job done. On one hand, a full loop with a light pressure connotes the need for security, while a full loop with a heavy pressure indicates an energetic person. If the person seems to possess varied shapes to their lower zone handwriting, it may suggest that the person is feeling insecure, unsettled and unfocused. 
 
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   Graphology is an intriguing way to get to know more about yourself. However, coming to a hasty conclusion about yourself after recognizing a few indicators would be a mistake! This is because methods of analysis differ from a graphologist to another, and there are so many features of your handwriting that are to be taken into account simultaneously! Try writing a few sentences for yourself, take a look at what they say about you – for fun. Are you outgoing? Or do you prefer to keep stories to yourself? What will you learn about yourself through the mystical fields of graphology?
 
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