Graphology is an auxiliary science of psychology that reveals personality traits through handwriting.
Graphology Course
Yes. I tried this as well, 23–24 years ago. I participated in an “Introduction to Graphology” course. It was a 16-month correspondence course, jointly organized by ELO and the Institute of Graphology. It consisted of 32 lessons. Besides handwriting analysis, it covered the evolution of writing and introduced notable graphologists.
The very first written record dates back to the first century, from Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus. In his work The Twelve Caesars, he noted that Julius Caesar’s handwriting changed with his illness. Meanwhile, Ludwig Klages is mentioned as the most famous graphologist.
I could have continued the training to become a graphologist assistant. But I didn’t need this qualification. I was a doctor. Even back then, I was driven purely by curiosity. What could be in this? Can you really tell what a person is like based on their handwriting? And indeed: graphology is capable of forming a picture of the personality.
Graphology is a Science
At first, I didn’t believe in it either. Then, as I learned more and more about its methods, I was stunned. This really is a science! Everything here must be measured and compared. Even the “dot” (.)! Just like the empty spaces. Let’s just say there was an almost annoyingly large amount of measuring involved. It was starting to get tedious.
It matters how the lines progress. Whether the letters collide with each other. How the cross on the letter “t” stands. Where you place the accents. Whether you curve the letters from above or below. Do you close or leave the ovals open? There are countless aspects to consider.
First Results
Then came the results of the first measurements. I used my own handwriting as a baseline. I prepared it beforehand. I thought I should do this before knowing anything about it, so it wouldn’t influence me later. And I was surprised. Through the analysis of my own writing, my own personality traits began to emerge. It was a scary feeling. This can’t be true! Who invented this?
Handwriting Analyses
I started collecting handwriting samples. I was lucky. I had many different types of patients. There were depressed, intellectually disabled, highly intelligent, and very aggressive individuals. I obtained a wide variety of writing samples. Everyone was curious, so they gladly participated in this experiment.
Since I was collecting samples and learning the analysis at the same time, it went a bit slowly. Calculating one sample took nearly 2–3 weeks. I think I fully analyzed about 4–5 samples in total. Then, the initial excitement faded.
I Don’t Think I Will Start Again
Now I look at my book with nostalgia.
Should I start over? Would anyone be interested? Unfortunately, even if the answer is yes, reviewing it all would take several months. So it just remains a memory that I once knew something about this too.