Considered both an art and science, Graphology is more usually known as handwriting analysis. It involves the study of handwriting with the aim of revealing the character and personality of the writer, including his or her strengths, weaknesses and abilities.

As handwriting comes from the unconscious, it contains a great deal of information which can be useful for interpreting ones character. Any time we write, we are under the influence of emotions that dictate our mood at the time of writing. The brain transmits its instruction via the motor nervous system for the hand to carry out. This expression is a mixture of conscious thought and unconscious automatic responses learnt as part of the stimulation.

Each individual’s handwriting is unique to them and so can reveal a lot about their nature and behavioural characteristics, such as aggression and manner.

As early as the 2nd century, the Roman historian Suetonius Tranquillus stated that the handwriting of Augustus Caesar was not separated sufficiently and that he was therefore mean. Ancient Chinese philosophers also used the technique to make deductions about certain calligraphers characters.

In Italy, the first known article appeared around the 17th century under the title ‘Ideographia’, which was followed in 1622 by a book explaining how to tell a person’s nature by his or her handwriting by Camillo Baldo a physician in Capri. This was followed by work in France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, England and America.

The subject has captured the attention of writers such as Balzac, Lavater, Goethe, Edgar Allen Poe, Elizabeth Barratt Browning, Charles Dickens. Others who also used handwriting analysis with accuracy were George Sand, Robert Browning, Chekhov, Albert Einstein.

A sample of spontaneous handwriting is necessary which should be not less than 12 lines long. It should include a signature and be written on plain paper using a ballpoint or fountain pen. The sex and age of the writer, and preferably the nationality in which they were taught to write must be known beforehand.

The instruments needed for graphology are a good quality magnifying glass, a plastic ruler showing millimeters and a protractor for assessing the slant of the writing.

Important features used to determine the interpretation of a handwriting analysis are script size, slant, letters, pen strokes, pressure and overall significance of the layout.

Other factors to consider include punctuation, signature, the pronoun ‘I’, capitals and loops.

The technique of graphology is mainly used professionally today to help select personnel for key positions, marriage compatibility, guidance for school leavers as to what sort of career would suit them and for personal use.

© The Internet Health Library 2000