GRAPHOLOGY: 7 TECHNIQUES TO IDENTIFY PERSONALITY - PSYCHOLOGY - 2024

The Graphology is the analysis of the physical characteristics and patterns of handwriting to identify personality traits of the writer and indicate the psychological state at the time of writing. It is generally considered a pseudoscience.

Graphology is based on the theory that when writing, unconsciously, we show revealing traits of our true personality. Today forensic graphology techniques are used in many areas, such as personnel selection, criminological analysis, biographical studies, pedagogy, etc.

The first indications of the study of personality through writing are found in the works of some authors such as Aristotle, Demetrio Faléreo or Dionisio de Halicarnaso, among others. There are many authors who have considered Camilo Baldi as the first author to write formally on this subject.

However, it has recently been discovered that there was a graphologist named Salvatore Ruzza, who wrote what can be considered the first work on graphology. This work was published in 1611 and is entitled IDENGRAPHICUS NUNTIUS.

Although it is a very complex science and extensive training is needed, with this article you can have a first approach to the study of your personality through your writing.

First, you must select a document that you have recently handwritten, on a folio without printing lines, with an extension of almost one page and that you have signed. This document must have been written in a quiet and unhurried place.

If you don't have one, you can write one right now. The content does not matter, since we will not evaluate it.

Forensic graphology techniques to study personality

- Margins

The margins reveal your level of introversion or extroversion, as well as your ability to organize.

Left margin

- The existence of a very narrow margin indicates that you are an introverted person, shy, who prefers to move in familiar surroundings. It can be an indicator that you have a certain need for protection.

- If it is very wide, it indicates that you are an outgoing person, open to the world and others, looking for new experiences and sensations.

- Finally, if it is irregular, it can indicate that your thinking is variable or that you have contradictory feelings regarding some aspect of your life.

Right margin

- If the right margin is wide, it may indicate that you are a withdrawn person, or that you have a certain fear of facing the future.

- If you observe that this margin is narrow, it can indicate that you are a person with a desire to interact with others and move in new environments.

Top margin

- A very wide margin is a sign that you are cautious or indecisive, so you tend to think about the consequences of your behavior before making decisions.

- On the contrary, if you leave an excessively small top margin, it can indicate that you are impatient with authority figures, such as bosses, teachers or parents.

Direction and base of the line

Observing the direction of the lines, you will be able to extract information about the fluctuations of your mood and your affectivity.

- horizontal

If the lines of your writing do not change direction and a horizontal trend predominates, it may mean that you do not normally suffer many affective variations.

It is also an indicator that you act according to established moral principles.

- Ascending

When the lines in your document are trending upward, it indicates that you are an enthusiastic and enterprising person.

In addition, it can indicate that you trust your abilities to solve obstacles and problems, so you show a positive attitude in the face of adversity.

- descending

If you notice that your writing has a downward trend, it can mean that you are tired, exhausted - physically or emotionally - or unhappy with yourself or others.

- Irregular

An irregular base is considered to exist when the words do not form a straight line.

This irregular tendency indicates that you are going through a moment of high emotion -or contradictory emotions-, restlessness or instability in some area of ​​your life.

However, it is also an indicator that you have a high sensitivity and a desire to avoid arguments with others, so you adapt your behavior to avoid confrontations.

Writing dimension

- Little

Handwriting is considered small when the dimension of lowercase letters such as a, o, n or the central part of letters such as g, bod are less than 1.5 mm.

If your font size is small, it may indicate that you are an introvert. This means that you need to know well the environment in which you move and the people around you to feel comfortable.

It can also be deduced that you are a person with great depth of thought and that you seek to have an objective vision of what is happening around you.

If, in addition, large spaces between words and lines predominate, it follows that you have a good capacity for abstraction and for decision-making in the medium term. This allows you to plan your behavior and analyze the consequences that may have.

- Half

Although there is a diversity of opinions regarding the exact size, the central area of ​​the words is considered to have an average size when it measures between 1.5 and 2.5 mm.

In general, a writing of this size indicates that you have a good capacity to adapt to the environment and that you perceive balance between the different areas of your life.

Also, note that your social skills are adequate and you have good organizational skills.

- Big

Your writing is considered large when the center of your letters is greater than 2.5 mm. This characteristic indicates that you have a desire for expansion, socialization and new experiences.

Large writing also reveals that you have a good width of vision, allowing you to take in a lot of information simultaneously, even when there is conflicting information.

Writing pressure

Although the pressure of the stroke depends on several factors, such as the pencil or pen used, as well as the material on which it has been written, this aspect of writing can reveal some additional characteristics of your personality.

- Gentle pressure

It is manifested by presenting fine, clear lines that do not penetrate the paper.

If your writing has these pressure characteristics, it follows that you are a sensitive person, that you adapt to the environment and the people you meet.

- Strong pressure

A writing is considered to have a strong pressure when the lines are marked behind the document, presenting thick and dark lines.

This indicates that you have strong purposes in your life and you face the world with courage. It also reveals that you are a person with energy, that you know how to defend your rights and express your ideas and opinions.

Inclination

It refers to the tendency of each letter to lean to the right, to the left, or not to lean.

In some cultures, the tendency to write with a right slant tends to be enhanced. However, many of us change this feature over time.

- Toward the left

If a lean to the left predominates in your writing, it may indicate that you sometimes have difficulties showing your true feelings or expressing your emotions.

- To the right

This inclination indicates that you are a sociable person and that you have no problem communicating with others.

- Irregular

It is considered that the inclination of a writing is irregular when some letters are inclined to the left and others to the right, indistinctly.

If you observe this characteristic in your writing, it means that you have difficulties adapting to the environment in some situations.

Spacing

The distance that the words of your writing present is related to the distance that you show between yourself and others. Therefore, it is going to reveal some information about your level of sociability and your personal space.

Obviously, the distance between each word you write is proportional to the size of your letter. Some authors consider that a normal spacing has to be between the width of one n and the width of one m.

- Narrow spacing

If the space between the words you write is less than one n in your writing, it reflects that you enjoy being around others.

This may mean that you are a very sociable person and that you have a wide social circle. However, when the line spacing of your writing is also narrow, it means that you usually need company for some important aspects of your life, such as when making decisions.

- Wide spacing

If the distance between your words is usually greater than one m, it indicates that you prefer others to respect your personal space - physically and emotionally.

If to this is added that the distance that exists between one line and another in your paragraph is wide, it can reveal that you have certain difficulties to face others.

- Irregular spacing

It is very common to present different types of spacing, both between words and between lines. This reveals that, at different times in your life, you will want to be alone or with someone.

Firm

All the aspects analyzed above show the way in which we express ourselves and transmit information to others. However, the signature represents the way we want to be perceived by others.

The signature has always been a highly studied element and, in our days, it is gaining special importance. This is because it is currently rare to find a handwritten document, and a signature is much more accessible.

Its analysis should not be carried out individually, since the comparison of the signature and the writing style in the text provides us with a lot of information, as well as the distance between it.

Some personality indicators will be detailed below depending on the location of the signature, as well as its shape and composition.

- Location of the signature

Centered and close to the text

It doesn't reveal anything special about your personality. It is the way it is commonly signed. Show that you keep an adequate distance from others.

Centered and away from the text

As we saw in the spacing section, the distance between lines projects the distance you want to have with the others.

If your signature is in the center of the document and excessively far from the last written line, it means that you have a desire to keep your distance.

Right and normal distance

In the event that your signature is at a normal distance from the text and on the right side of the page, it follows that you have a normal capacity for sociability and that you are a spontaneous person.

To the right and away from the text

If your signature strays excessively from the rest of the document, being on the right side of it, it may indicate that you have certain difficulties when opening yourself up and exposing yourself to others.

Left and normal distance

In general, it indicates that you have a prudent and cautious personality.

This type of signature is usually found in young people. If your signature is to the left and has a normal distance, it can suggest an attempt to separate with your family - especially if, in addition, the signature is ascending.

In the event that the firm is descending, it may reveal that you have difficulties to impose your ideas and opinions, showing - in some circumstances - a submissive attitude towards certain people.

To the left and away from the text

If your signature is located to the left and away from the writing, it may indicate that you have reservations about helping unknown people, who are not part of your close environment.

- Form and composition

Little

If, compared to the text, you perceive that your signature is small, it may indicate that your self-esteem is slightly low.

Big

If, on the other hand, it is large, it means that you tend to value your achievements and abilities, showing a good image of yourself to others.

Underlined

If you do some kind of underlining, it follows that you have confidence in yourself and are a firm person.

If this underline is done with a wavy line, it may mean that you want to make a good impression on others.

A line that runs through the entire firm

This characteristic reveals that you possess deep personal satisfaction.

Signature surrounded by the first letter

If your signature is surrounded - totally or partially - by the first letter, it may indicate that you have a need for other people to protect you.

Everything we have seen so far can give you some information about the way you behave with the world and others, as well as the way you express your feelings and emotions.

However, to have a more objective view of your personality, it is necessary to combine graphology with other techniques.

Likewise, it would be appropriate to analyze various texts that you have written at different times in your life, since our mood fluctuates continuously and greatly influences the results we can obtain.

References

1. Augusto Vels, WRITING AND PERSONALITY, Ed. Herder 2010.
2. David V. Barrett, GRAPHOLOGY. Dorling Kindersley Limited 1995.
3. Honroth, Curt A. and Ribera, Ramón, GRAPHOLOGY, THEORY AND PRACTICE. Die, Buenos Aires 1957.
4. PM Akerman, GRAPHOLOGY: THE LANGUAGE OF THE FEELINGS (Thesis).
5. «Psychodiagnosis by writing. Transactional graphoanalysis »Francisco Viñals / Mª Luz Puente - Ed. Herder.
6. F. Jiménez Hdez-Pinzón, YOUR PERSONALITY IS YOUR WRITING, 2005.
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