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The interest in handwriting as
an indicator of personality has its origins far back in history. Over
2000 years ago, Aristotle noticed the correlation between handwriting
and personality while the Chinese independently also made the
observation that there was a connection between character and writing.
It was however, only in 1622
that an Italian physician and professor of philosophy at the University
of Bologna, published a book describing the analysis of character
through the study of handwriting.
In the late 1800's, Abbe Michon
who was the headmaster of a school in Paris and a respected
intellectual, wrote several books on the subject and coined the name of
"graphology". Later, his successor, Crepieux Jamin, classified the many
features of graphology into a comprehensive system.
Meanwhile, during the 1890's in
Germany, Dr Ludwig Klages, a philosopher and graphologist, applied
gestalt theory to graphology, advanced his theories of rhythm and "form
level" and significantly broadened the scope of graphology.
Max Pulver, a Swiss professor
who lectured in Graphology at the University of Zurich used
psychoanalysis for the first time in the interpretation of graphology.
This line of investigation was also followed by Ania Teillard, who
worked closely with C.G. Jung for 20 years and applied his typological
theories (extrovert and introvert etc.) to the theory of graphology.
Alfred Binet, the renowned
psychologist who founded the present method of I.Q. Testing for
intelligence was a firm supporter of handwriting analysis. He confirmed
that certain character traits are reflected in handwriting.
As a method of personality
assessment, handwriting analysis has been validated by research using
both empirical and clinical procedures. (see Research)
Handwriting as a personal
trademark
Handwriting is a very personal
and individual trademark of personality. As no two people have exactly
the same handwriting, signatures have for hundreds of years been
regarded as legally binding on documents of all types. A person's
handwriting is his own private trademark or seal which cannot be
reproduced by any other individual.
This was firmly believed by no
less a personality than Sir William Herschel who founded the system of
identification through fingerprints. He accepted that handwriting
revealed character in the same way that fingerprints reveal identity.
Alfred Binet, the renowned
psychologist who founded the modern method of I.Q. Testing for
intelligence was a firm supporter of handwriting analysis and confirmed
that certain handwriting traits revealed actual character traits.
The French psychologist, Pierre
Janet (1859-1947) referred to handwriting analysis as a "science of the
future" and described handwriting itself as; "an act which leaves a
printout. It is the film record of the writer's sensibilities."
The "printout" left by
handwriting is a description of the individual's character in
psychological code. The graphologist, by using scientifically validated
graphological techniques in combination with psychological theory is
able to decipher that code and to translate it into a meaningful
description of the writer's character.
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