On what basis do we form our opinion about a person, his character and abilities? Of course, for many reasons, among which the most significant are usually behavior, speech and appearance. However, appearances, as we know, can be deceiving, speech can be a product of learning, and it takes time to recognize people by their actions.
This is probably why there is great interest in methods for faster and more accurate analysis of a person’s inner world, not only among psychologists, personnel selection specialists, etc., but also among a wide range of readers.
There are, of course, a large number of specially created tests that allow you to identify certain personality traits. But their use (we are not talking about popular, but about professional tests) and correct analysis of the results require professional psychological knowledge and skills, so it is better to leave the possibility of their use to working psychologists. We will consider another method of obtaining information about the inner world of a person - analysis of the products of his activity. You can examine the results of creative activity (drawings, poems, stories, etc.), but not everyone has them, and besides, their analysis cannot be carried out according to a clear, unambiguous scheme. Therefore, in this article we propose to focus on adult handwriting - a product that is easy to “obtain” for analysis or even take your own sample.
Graphology, or the science of handwriting, reveals the individual characteristics of a person, which are reflected in the specific writing of letters and lines. Over the years, a certain algorithm has been developed for conducting a comprehensive analysis of handwriting. It should be noted right away that the ideal piece of text for analysis is written on an unlined sheet of paper and contains a signature.
So, before moving on to a detailed consideration, it is necessary to evaluate handwriting in three basic areas:
- harmony is the degree of harmony between the individual letters that make up words. Pay attention to the overall impression of the handwriting: does it create a sense of unity? If you are inclined to favor a positive answer, then the owner of the handwriting probably has good taste and internal culture.
- Geometric consistency of writing - evenness of lines and margins, equal distances between words and lines, uniform pressure. A high degree of this symptom indicates that a person has a large supply of internal energy, developed volitional efforts, allowing him to always maintain internal balance, inhibit unwanted emotions, and act deliberately.
- Graphological - the degree of deviation from calligraphic handwriting (which we were all taught at school). The greater this difference, the more the owner of the handwriting is inclined to show his originality and individuality in life.
Now we can move on to considering individual handwriting indicators. In general, there are a great many such indicators (including the writing of individual numbers and letters), so we will focus only on the main ones. It is important to keep in mind that you cannot draw conclusions about personality traits based on just one trait. It is necessary to take into account the entire range of characteristics being studied and the degree of their severity (just as a doctor never makes a diagnosis based on only one symptom).
Is it possible to determine character by handwriting?
Character cannot always be recognized at first glance; many people skillfully hide their shortcomings and present themselves from the best side. Handwriting is something that cannot be hidden; it directly depends on the internal state.
When writing words, the human brain controls hand movements, causing each person to write letters differently. To determine character from handwriting, you need to pay attention to the font size, shape and slant. The way you hold a pen, the amount of pressure you use when writing, and the distance between words can tell you a lot about a person.
Line consistency.
A “straight” line (an almost straight line can be drawn along the bottom of the letters) testifies to the balance and restraint of the writer, his ability to bring the matter to the end.
"Wavy" lines indicate that the person has flexibility of thought and diplomacy, which allows him to circumvent difficulties, although he may lack determination.
The lines that rise towards the end belong to people who are energetic, self-confident, proactive and striving for success. They may worry about their failures, but usually find the strength to make a new push towards the goal.
If the lines, on the contrary, fall towards the end, then the owner of the handwriting is characterized, accordingly, by a lack of energy to complete the task.
What is graphology
Graphology is a science that studies in detail the features of a person’s handwriting in order to determine his personal qualities. The main task of the teaching is to build cause-and-effect relationships between writing style and personality development. Graphologists know how to determine a person’s character traits from their handwriting.
What kind of mood does a person have - types in psychology
Since the 21st century, most large companies have used the services of graphologists to create a psychological portrait of a person based on their handwriting. By identifying strengths and weaknesses, management can distribute work more effectively among subordinates.
Note! During an interview, a person may be asked to rewrite a sample job application on a blank sheet of paper or make a list of his positive qualities - this is a handwriting test.
Lack of leadership
Developing legible writing skills requires proper guidance and support from teachers and parents. Children need to be taught to write correctly and legibly in the classroom and at home. Unfortunately, in this age of technology, this skill is often considered unimportant and neglected. Often teachers and parents are not trained to teach children legible writing skills and therefore cannot guide them properly. As a result, children develop poor grip and poor writing style, resulting in poor handwriting.
Types of handwriting
Types of human memory in psychology, classification of main types
Handwriting is an individual characteristic of each person; it begins to develop at the age of 9-11 years, and is finally formed by 20-22 years. The manner in which a child writes can be radically different from that of a mother or father.
Sheet of paper with text
It is impossible to determine exactly what types of handwriting exist; they may have different names. Based on visual features, the following types of handwriting are distinguished:
- Straight and inclined;
- With uniform and uneven pressure;
- With letters connected in words and separated;
- Large and small;
- Stylized;
- With enlarged capital letters;
- Angular and rounded;
- Straight and curved;
- Compressed and sweeping.
Note! The style of writing can be influenced by a person's profession. For example, engineers and architects fill out drawings in GOST fonts; over time, the capital letters in their handwriting change to printed ones.
Writing capital letters.
If the capital letters are noticeably enlarged, this indicates a person’s pride (maybe even excessive), his self-confidence and independent thinking, and his desire to stand out. The desire to attract attention and sociability is also indicated by a large loop in the capital letter.
If the capital letters are relatively small in size, the person does not seek to be noticed, takes small and careful steps in life, always adhering to his convictions.
The use of printed capital letters in handwriting characterizes a person as creative, inventive, with a flexible mind and good sensitivity.
Adding eye-catching curls and other decorative elements to capital letters indicates either a need to attract attention or a romantic mindset.
How to determine a person's character
Types of adaptation - what can be attributed to them, meaning
Determining a person's character by handwriting is a quick process for an experienced graphologist. Self-analysis will take from 30 minutes to 1 hour to get an accurate result.
You can determine common character traits by features that immediately catch your eye. Outwardly beautiful handwriting indicates a harmonious personality, while careless handwriting indicates disorganization. If an adult's writing style resembles a child's handwriting, most likely this person is trusting and vulnerable.
Large and small letters
The size of the letters indicates communication skills, how sociable and friendly a person is. If the letter height is more than 4 mm, it is large handwriting, it speaks of impulsiveness and an open character.
Those who write in capital letters easily make contact with strangers and make new friends. Such a person strives to be a leader, sometimes excessively imposing his opinion on others. Excessive emotionality prevents him from completing the things he has begun.
If the letters in words are no higher than 3-4 mm, the handwriting is small. This is how reserved individuals write, who are not used to expressing their emotions clearly. They easily cope with monotonous and responsible work, they are always diligent and disciplined. Those with small handwriting often underestimate themselves and their strengths and are unable to make an important decision for a long time.
Small letters
For a woman, small handwriting can mean her inner insecurity about her appearance or figure. If a girl writes small and illegible, she tries in every possible way to hide her insecurities and may behave feignedly.
A man who writes in neat, small print is distinguished by rationality; he must keep everything under control. Secrecy and a tendency to deceive are what small, illegible handwriting in men indicates.
Note! The size and shape of the letters can change depending on your mood. For example, during an interesting lecture, a student writes every word beautifully and accurately; during a boring lecture, he will write reluctantly and sloppily.
Sharp and round
To recognize a person's character from their handwriting, you need to pay attention to the shape of the letters. They can be elongated in height or width, have rounded or angular outlines. What does the shape of the letters say about a person’s character:
- The round shape means gentleness of character and selflessness. Such people are prone to compassion, they are calm and know how to find compromises. Sometimes they lack the determination to defend their point of view, they often sacrifice their interests;
- Sharp corners in letters are a sign of a selfish person who will not make concessions. For this type of people, freedom and independence are important; it is difficult for them to work under someone else's leadership. Most businessmen write in pointed handwriting;
- The combination of sharp and round letters in one word speaks of inconstancy and frequent changes of mood. The advantage of such people is that they have developed both hemispheres of the brain. They cope with creative and analytical work equally easily.
Rounded letters
Note! The habit of beautifully capitalizing a sentence speaks of internal doubts and uncertainty; it is difficult for such people to defend their point of view.
Tilt left and right
The angle of the letters reflects the level of a person’s emotionality and his relationships with people.
Letters slanted to the right
What can a different slope mean:
- A significant tilt to the right means a person’s determination and desire to move forward. These people are quick-tempered and energetic, often very jealous. They achieve their goals at any cost, sometimes neglecting the opinions of others;
- A significant tilt to the left is a characteristic of a self-sufficient character. Such individuals often argue and always defend their point of view. A tilt to the left may mean that a person does not want to part with his past and is afraid of change;
- A slight tilt to the left is found in people with an analytical mindset who are critical of other people's work. They place personal interests above the interests of others;
- A slight tilt to the right side is most common and characterizes a balanced character and confidence. Such people easily join the company and can carry on a conversation. They do not strive to always be in the center of events; they can easily give up their place as a leader to others;
- The lack of slant and straight letters indicate a confident person who is in harmony with himself. He is characterized by emotional stability and rationality. Such people are stubborn, they think about every detail, take a long time to make decisions;
- A chaotic tilt, when the letters “fall” in different directions, speaks of lack of composure and uncertainty. Such people find it difficult to concentrate and perform monotonous work.
Note! Many creative people wrote illegibly, including Paganini, Beethoven and Picasso. Often, gifted individuals think quickly; many ideas arise in their heads in a minute, so they do not have time to keep track of their handwriting.
How much should you study?
Independently developing handwriting using an imitative method requires systematic work: to write beautifully, this must be done every day for at least 15-30 minutes; classes once a week for an hour will not give anything, the skill will not be formed. But you need to understand that these should be special classes in the formation of handwriting, and not writing at lectures or lessons at school, where, due to the high pace of writing, there is no need to talk about the beauty of notes and training of elements. You will have to study handwriting separately.
When the work in copybooks and notebooks with oblique rulers is completed, it is best to buy the most beautiful notebook and start working in it: writing poetry, sayings of famous people, passages of prose. It is also recommended to simply write more with a pen, for example, keep a diary, paint, sculpt, draw, do finger exercises. After systematic practice, you will be able to change your handwriting for the better.
True, there are diseases and characteristics of the nervous system that do not allow achieving brilliant results; in this case, you need to consult a doctor. It is also worth noting that people suffering from dyslexia have problems with handwriting, or rather, with writing.
What is needed for handwriting analysis
You can analyze text written with your own hand on a white sheet of paper without lines or cells. It is advisable to use a simple pencil to examine the degree of pressure. To analyze your writing style, you can get recent entries or write a new text. There is no point in analyzing old notes or notes; a person’s character can change over the course of several years.
The verse is written on an album sheet
To check someone else's handwriting, you can invite the person to write any text: favorite quotes, quatrains. The main condition is that at least 4-5 sentences must be written on the sheet. When writing the first two, a person may be worried, but he writes the last sentences calmly - you can determine the character from them. At the end you need to sign.
Important! When a person writes a text for analysis, he begins to think about how the writing looks. Some people begin to draw letters out of character in order to make them more beautiful. In this case, the description of the character will be incorrect. You need to write at your usual pace, without thinking about quality.
Determining appearance
Graphologists have found a relationship between a person’s appearance and the spelling of words.
Short people are characterized by elongated symbols, as if they are trying to grow and become more noticeable. The last character in a word is not always clearly stated. The writing is characterized by an abundance of dashes and strokes.
For tall people, the way they write characters gives the impression of a fence: the letters are elongated and lined up in even rows. However, the writing style is not firm, although there is no floridity.
People of average height tend to write the end of a line a little lower. At the beginning of the line, the letters are written tightly, and towards the end they become sparser.
Slender authors tend to write elongated characters.
Overweight people often underwrite letters; the pressure on the pen is different.
People with blond hair write legibly, neatly and evenly. The characters are of standard size; the characters are condensed towards the end of the line.
People with dark hair tend to write beautifully and love to decorate capital letters. The lines can go up.
What personal information can you find out?
In addition to the shape and inclination of letters, there are other characteristics that indicate personality traits:
- Strong pressure indicates a person’s confidence; he is always concentrated and thinks clearly. Such individuals are rarely interested in other people's problems and experiences;
- Weak pressure on the pencil while writing is a sign of indecisiveness. Responsible work is difficult for a person; he often falls under the influence of others. Frivolous and inattentive people write in almost translucent handwriting and may not complete the last letter of a word;
- By the manner of writing you can determine deviations in mental health. If the written words line up in an even line, the person is balanced. If the letters are lined up unevenly, the words lean in different directions, this indicates an unbalanced psyche. Such people are prone to neuroses, they quickly develop addiction to alcohol, smoking and online games;
- The direction of the line does not speak about a person’s character, but about his mood at the moment. The written line rises upward - this is a sign of optimism and good spirits. The direction of the line down indicates depression and depressive mood;
- Words “floating” in waves are a sign of cunning and deceit. Such people try to mislead everyone and love to gossip;
- The distance between words in a sentence speaks about a person’s attitude towards the people around him. If the intervals are the same, a person treats everyone equally politely, shows respect and tolerance. Different intervals indicate resourcefulness, a tendency to change the manner of communication with different interlocutors;
- Closely arranged letters indicate a person’s need to be in society; loneliness oppresses him;
- If in long words the letters become smaller towards the end, a person may quickly lose interest in work and not finish the job he has started;
- A sweeping signature is a sign of dependence on someone else’s assessment. A modest, no-frills signature speaks of self-confidence. If the signature is partially or completely circled, the owner is shy and does not like to be the center of attention.
Intervals
Certain distances between lines and words give characteristics about the behavior and thinking of an individual.
People who are constantly confused prefer to have small spacing between lines. Handwriting that speaks of a person who is attentive and makes informed decisions is the large spaces between the lines.
The volume of mental and physical space is shown by the intervals between words:
- A person who is able to adequately perceive the external picture and respect social inequality has the same spaces between words.
- Distances of different sizes indicate a fickle personality who communicates only with people he likes, and simply ignores the rest.
- Narrow spaces characterize a closed person who allows others to get close to him. Such a person does not require too much personal space, but prefers to be more close to other people.
- Large spaces between words reveal the owner's fear of contact with others. It will be very difficult to make acquaintance with such a person, but when approaching him, he will seem to be a rather interesting interlocutor.
Differences in handwriting between men and women
A person’s handwriting always says a lot about his character, while male and female writing styles differ from each other. It is generally accepted that girls' handwriting is always even and legible, while men's handwriting is rude and sloppy.
Boy and girl
Girls often give letters a rounded shape, write in a sweeping manner, and even small letters look legible. Often words are slanted to the right, with strong or medium pressure. Small letters with weak pressure may indicate the presence of chronic diseases, migraines.
Representatives of the stronger sex more often use small letters in words, and when writing, press hard on the pen or pencil. Men's handwriting predominantly consists of sharp angles and clear lines. A man can give even rounded letters an angular shape.
Note! Today, women's and men's rhythms of life are equal to each other. Representatives of the fair sex successfully combine work, raising children and playing sports. If a girl had perfect handwriting as a child, it can change with age along with the pace of her life.
The psychology of handwriting is inseparable from the psychology of personality; by the peculiarities of writing words, you can learn a lot about your colleagues and friends. One person writes each letter, another writes quickly and sweepingly - each of them has their own character and manner of behavior. When analyzing handwriting, every detail matters and can reveal what a person is hiding.
Writing lowercase letters.
Vowels open at the top (a gap in the writing of the letters “a”, “o” at the top) are an indicator of peacefulness, gullibility and the ability to empathize, and the presence of deep attachments.
Vowels open at the bottom, on the contrary, speak of possible hypocrisy, insincerity and superficiality of feelings.
Long loops of letters (for example, “u”, “d”), reaching the bottom line or even overlapping it, indicate an intuitive beginning in a person, whose trust sometimes obscures the ability to think logically.
Small loops are evidence of conciseness in speech and deeds, realism, and the ability to speak only to the point and taking into account the place and time.