Elaborate handwriting, including lots of
embellishment such as unnecessary loops,
curves, spirals, underlining, circles, wavy lines,
and other forms is an important, and telling,
handwriting analysis consideration.
Handwriting analysis, or graphology, is so
informative because it reveals subconscious
character, the real personality, not just the
persona and the one seen when a person is
at his or her best.
The U.S. Library of Congress classifies
graphology as a branch of psychology.
All in all, there are over 300 handwriting traits
to consider when doing an analysis. Some of the
more obvious ones include the following:
connectives; connectivity; consistency;
contradictions in script; compression;
contraction/expansiveness; down-strokes;
elaboration; expansion; finals; fluidity; form;
harmony; hooks; jabs; knots; lead-ins; legibility;
loops; margins; movement; organization;
originality; pressure; retracing; rhythm; shading;
signature compared to the rest of script;
simplicity; size; slant; overall arrangement
and picture of space; letter, word and line
spacing; speed; spirals; tension; ties;
zonal balance and much more.
Does any single consideration, such as the
excessive elaboration, override the cumulative
strength of the collective body of other
considerations? No.
The collective body of traits in a handwriting
sample either supports or mitigates the energy of
any one individual aspect.
Also, in order for a specific graphology trait to
accurately reflect personality, it must be
throughout the handwriting sample at least
three to four times to qualify.
Accuracy in graphology demands that the context
of the entire writing sample be considered and that
all individual aspects and parts of the script must
be interpreted independently and then built into a
complete picture describing the personality.
Also, you need at least a half page of cursive
handwriting and not just a signature if you want
to start on the right track.
For the highest level of accuracy in handwriting
analysis, formal graphology training is recommended.
However, we created our Graphology Resource Keys
for anyone to gain a very good understanding of their
own or other’s subconscious character simply by
comparing a handwriting sample to the Keys.
More information about handwriting analysis can
be found on our site.
Copybook form, or “perfect handwriting,” varies
somewhat from country to country and it’s best
to be familiar with the standard copybook form of
the country in which the person learned to write.
It’s good if your handwriting is not perfect, because
you don’t want perfect handwriting. It’s natural to
gradually move away from the basic copybook
form you learned in grade school to develop your
own unique style.
Just as everyone has a unique personality, everyone
has unique handwriting. Aristotle remarked,
“Spoken words are the symbols of mental experience
and written words are the symbols of spoken words.
Just as all men do not have the same speech sounds, so
do all men not have the same writing.”
Adults who write in copybook form (considering
there is corroborating energy from the rest of the
handwriting considerations) strive to follow all rules
exactly and abide by all laws. They are usually
conformists, traditional, and inhibited. They
commonly carry guilt and repression is customary.
Hence, “perfect” handwriting is far from perfect.
If your handwriting has a lot of originality with high
form level (good balance, movement, harmony, etc.)
and other positive traits, it could indicate flexibility,
resourcefulness, confidence, inward motivation, and
possible leadership skills.
On the other hand, if you see originality in an
off-balanced, inharmonious script (low form level),
you could find rebelliousness, defiance, turmoil,
confusion, dishonesty, and even psychosis
or criminal-minded behavior.
Spirals are generally a negative sign relating,
in part, to deception or self-deception.
Normal elaboration includes longer than usual
t-bars and finals at the end of words, for example.
Excessive elaboration, such as artificial flourishes,
many added strokes, long lower zone length (loops
of letters such as lower case g and j), etc. could
indicate an ostentatious personality with a need to
impress others, a need for drama, flirtatiousness,
vanity, exaggeration, bluff, a mind too rooted in
fantasy, insincerity, a need to be told they are
loved, façade of intrigue to mask an inferiority
complex, possible deception, scattered energy,
affectation, defense for self-consciousness,
unstable self image, too much focus on
trivial matters, and difficulty concentrating.
As the level of inharmoniousness increases with
excessive elaboration, the negative traits listed
above will also intensify.
If you see excessive elaboration mainly in the
upper zone (e.g., where the t’s are crossed), which
is the zone of the intellect, you may find someone
whose thinking is ruled by illusion, and even
someone who is a compulsive liar.
But remember, although it’s alluded to above, it’s
important enough to say again: no single graphology
indicator, by itself, absolutely describes any one
personality trait.
Yes, straight-across, blunt ending strokes can
indicate cautiousness, but there could be ten or
more other indicators in a person’s script that
would mitigate the notion.
If you find elaboration that is excessively
complicated, especially with many complicated
circle letters, such as a and o, it could point toward
someone who is trying to hide something, even if
it’s on an unconscious level and not in an
intentionally deceptive way.
Look to the zone of handwriting for more clues to
what the excessive elaboration with inharmonious
handwriting indicates: in the lower zone (where the
loops of letters such as g and j reside) it’s an
imbalance relating to sexuality, social life, materialism,
and physical energy, among others; in the middle
zone (where letters such as n, m, and o reside) it’s an
imbalance in practicality, daily routine, here-and-
now, ego, consciousness and more; and in the upper
zone (where the t-bar, tops of t’s, and h’s reside) it’s
an imbalance in mental, intellectual, philosophical,
literary interests, the imagination, and more.
When you see a Hollywood star’s signature
that has over-the-top elaboration, if the rest of his
or her script is much more subdued, it’s a sign of
pretentiousness.
Alternatively, elaboration with positive indicators
is favorable. With harmonious handwriting it can
symbolize charm, healthy imagination, and
originality.
Copyright © 2007 Scott Petullo, Stephen Petullo