Handwriting Analysis--5 Misunderstandings Addressed

Handwriting analysis (graphology) shows how a nperson thinks and acts, along with their emotional nbalance, maturity, and much more. It denotes pastnconduct and displays potential for future behavior.

The fascinating thing about handwriting analysisnis that you can interpret beyond the persona;nsubconscious personality is revealed.

Common mistaken beliefs about handwritingnanalysis abound, such as that it involves onlynscrutiny of the signature or how attractive thenscript appears.

Below we deal with five common conce
s aboutnthe science of graphology.

Concern:
"My writing looks horrible! Will this rule menout?"

Answer:
No. How your writing actually looks (form, etc.)nis only one indicator of hundreds. Don’t worry.
There are highly skilled and talented peoplenthroughout history who have messy-lookingnhandwriting. The world is also replete withnsociopaths who have very attractive-lookingnhandwriting.

Concern:
"What if I have a physical limitation, such asnarthritis that limits my handwriting?"

Answer:
Handwriting analysts take any physical limitationninto consideration. As we list on our handwritingnsample form, "Please explain any physicalnlimitation that affects your handwriting...If younare using medication that you feel might alte
your handwriting in any way, please say so andnlist the medication." We also state on our "Hownto Prepare a Handwriting Sample" document,
"Please state if you have suffered any emotionalnor physical trauma during the last year that mightnaffect your handwriting," and take such thingsninto consideration when doing the analysis.

Concern:
"What if my handwriting changes depending onnthe writing instrument and the surface on which
I’m writing?”

Answer:
A well-trained handwriting analyst gives specificndirections to the person writing the handwritingnsample to avoid any such conce
s. Please seen"How to Prepare a Handwriting Sample" on ournsite. In this document, we ask that you use anregular ball-point pen, unlined paper, be seatedncomfortably at a desk or table, and write at leastna half page, among other advice:
http://tinyurl.com/4qhvzpnnAlso, most of the 300+ indicators of you
handwriting change far less than you realizenno matter with what or on what you arenwriting.

Concern:
"If artists can alter their handwriting whennthey want, doesn’t this mean it’s not anuseful personality assessment tool?"

Answer:
If a person is applying for a job and they arentold that as part of the hiring process theynwill be asked to submit a handwriting sample,nand the sample directions list the followingn(among other requests): "The writing samplenshould be done in your normal writing stylenwhile you are comfortably seated at a tablenor desk. If you habitually print, then pleasenalso include a paragraph of cursive writing. Ifnyou normally have several styles of writing,nyou may also include samples of each," thennchances are they will not attempt to alte
their usual script. Even if they do, a goodnanalyst can spot affectation and bluff. Bynattempting to significantly alter his or hernwriting, the writer also would risknmisrepresenting themselves to the detrimentnof appearing to not be a match for the job.

Concern:
"According to the Americans with Disabilities
Act of 1990, handwriting analysis might seemnto be discriminatory since if anyone who hasna disability cannot take a test, then nobodyncan; evaluations that can’t be adapted fornuse by those who are disabled, such as anblind person, can’t be used by a potentialnemployer."

Answer:
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission has stated, "We are not awarenof any evidence or cases which suggest thatngraphology has an adverse impact on a nprotected class."

Anyone who can write a few paragraphs ofnspontaneous writing, even if it is with thei
foot or mouth holding the pen, can have ntheir handwriting analyzed. Despite whatnsome might claim, a handwriting analystncan’t distinguish sex, sexual orientation,nrace, age, weight, height, religion, or nmarital status from a handwriting sample.
Handwriting analysis might just be thenmost non-discriminatory personalitynprofiling method in existence. Firmncorrelations between specific protectednclasses and handwriting analysisnindicators have not been identified.

An employer should make sure that everynjob applicant submits a handwriting sample,nwhether or not that applicant’s handwritingnsample is to be analyzed, if the employe
plans to analyze handwriting as a form ofnevaluation for the job.

We advise the utilization of graphology asnone of the most valuable forms of characte
analysis available.

Copyright © Scott Petullo, Stephen Petullo