THE SAYING “MIND YOUR P’s AND Q’s” has a far different meaning to a professional graphologist than it might to the rest of us. After reading just a few lines of a person’s handwriting, a skilled graphologist can form a very clear picture of the writer’s personality, strengths, and weaknesses.
How can you use that same source of information to better understand what makes the people in your life tick? Well, you can start by familiarizing yourself with the various handwriting elements. These include the margins, spacing, size and form of letters, how the letters connect, slant, movement, speed, the pressure of the stroke on the page, and more. Knowledge of these elements and what they say about character will help you build
accurate “personality profiles” of the people with whom you come in contact. The more you understand the people in your life, the better you’ll know how to relate to them!
Let’s take a closer look at the factors that make up the whole pattern of a handwriting and what each of these factors tells us about the writer.
How It Looks on a Page
All writing starts with a blank page. Ten people can each be given a blank sheet of paper to write on, and each person will fill that page with writing in a different way.
We consciously try to keep our handwriting consistent in the first line or two. But as our thoughts about what we’re writing become more important than how we’re writing, our writing pattern becomes a lot more unconscious and revealing. Thus, the way we—or any writer—use space on a page allows initial insight into character, habits, and life patterns. In general, the overall form or pattern of the margins, lines, and words on a page reveals the writer’s capacity to channel energy into goals.
Margins
A margin is the perimeter that frames a page of writing. When you type a document on a computer, your word-processing program opens with preset margins that are usually at least one inch all around, so that your document looks symmetrical on a page and has enough border to be easy on the eyes. But when you write a letter, essay, or report by hand, you don’t possess that computerlike precision; the placement of your words on the page is uniquely yours and an innate reflection of who you are and where you are going.
DID YOU KNOW?
Studies have proven that if you write in the dark, you cannot keep a consistent margin!
Let’s take a look at the types of margins and what they say about the personality of the writer.
Margins Around Page
Depending on the amount of space alotted to the margins around a page (both width and length), it could indicate either options available or a sense of aesthetics.
Balanced Margins Around Page
Qualities
• A good planner
• Neat, orderly, and organized
• Well adjusted to the world
Narrow Margins All Around Page
Qualities
• Doesn’t give space to others
• Multitasker
• Often shows lower level of education
• Problem with ego boundaries, i.e., defining a clear relationship with others
Wide Margins All Around
Qualities
• Protective of self
• Shies away from physical contact
• Needs privacy
The Left Margin
The left margin is indicative of the appearance you want to make to others. It also expresses your feelings about the past, your mother, and your degree of formality.
Consistently Narrow Left Margin
Qualities
• Likes familiarity
• Casual and informal
• Reduced respect for education
• Careful with money
Narrowing Left Margin
Qualities
• Cautious
• Protective
• May lose enthusiasm for things after starting them
Consistently Wide Left Margin
Qualities
• High standards
• Running from the past
• Open to opportunity
• Reserved, self-control
• Possesses self-respect
Widening Left Margin
Qualities
• Enthusiastic about reaching goals
• Impatient and hasty
• Extravagant
• Less trusting of others
Straight Left Margin
Qualities
