We touched on this aspect in the course on Graphology Fundamentals but it bears repeating here as it answers the questions of how graphology is applied. It is about the  practical application of graphology to real life issues.

Even so, of all the questions that graphologists get, the biggest one is:

Does Handwriting analysis really work?

Of course it does. But before I can explain how it works and why graphology can be of such great benefit to anyone, I will first have to try to dispel some of the prevalent myths – myths about graphology that surround the very name and do it so much injustice.

Many wild claims have been made with regard to graphology or handwriting analysis by poorly informed people and sensation seekers. This has not done it a service. On the contrary, unrealistic and over-hyped claims have on many occasions brought this very useful study into disrepute.

That having been said, there are indeed many advantages of handwriting analysis and it is up to the analyst to present a realistic picture to the public who not surprisingly finds the subject of Graphology so fascinating.

Let us therefore take a realistic look at some of the things that you will be able to discover by analysing handwriting. In other words, let us find out exactly what handwriting analysis can do.

But before we do so, we will take a short detour and look at the things that handwriting analysis cannot do.

Graphology is not magic. It is based on visual evidence that we obtain from handwriting. Indeed, there are certain aspects that are not clearly indicated in handwriting.

For instance, an analyst cannot tell the age or sex of the writer and there are valid reasons for this which we will go into later.

For the moment, we will just have to accept that a graphologist cannot accurately assess the age or sex of the writer from the handwriting alone.

A graphologist also cannot tell with certainty if a writer is right or left-handed. The slant of the handwriting is not a reliable indication of handedness because a writer often compensates for this by moving the paper so that the writing ultimately slants in the direction he wants.

Health is another area where there are often misconceptions about graphology.

The graphologist is often asked to check for health matters and while there are indeed indications in handwriting of certain infirmities, a graphologist who has no medical training should steer clear of this.

In fact, it is an area that should be a complete no-no unless the analyst is also a medical doctor – in which case he or she will presumably have other means to resort to for a diagnosis besides handwriting.

Lastly, a handwriting analyst cannot predict or tell the future. Handwriting analysis is simply about assessing the details of personality from handwriting.

In many ways, handwriting analysis has a great deal in common with psychology. Both disciplines have a scientific basis and both require a certain relationship between the analyst and the client.

However, in handwriting analysis there is a three-way relationship which involves interaction between the analyst, the individual and the handwriting.

And now we will move on to the specific areas where handwriting analysis can be useful.

Here are some of the most important reasons for making use of handwriting analysis.

Graphology can help us to –

• Acquire self-knowledge
• Learn how to understand others
• Discover strengths
• Identify weaknesses
• Discover levels of confidence
• Discover hidden talents
• Evaluate will power and drive
• Gain insight into relationships
• Check compatibility in relationships
• Understand problem solving mechanisms

We will discuss each of these areas in turn.

 

Acquire self-knowledge

As we all know, self-knowledge is one of the most important prerequisites for success. But unfortunately, it can also be one of the most difficult things to achieve.

The reason is that most of us find it impossible to be objective about ourselves. For the most part, we are blind to our faults and even blinder to our greatest assets.

Fortunately, it is within the parameters of handwriting analysis to explore these areas so that we can learn to understand our weaknesses and recognize and appreciate our strengths.

Graphology helps us to find the answers to some of our most persistent questions.

Questions such as:

• Do I have what it takes to be successful?
• How sociable am I?
• Is my self-esteem too low for me to be effective?
• Do I have leadership potential?

Of course graphology cannot predict if we will be successful or not. Success depends on the way in which we make use of our various talents and abilities. But what an analysis of handwriting can do is help us to discover positive aspects of our personalities and at the same time alert us to problem areas that need our attention.

Understand other people

Handwriting analysis does not only help us to understand ourselves, it also gives us a better understanding of other people.

A difficult boss, a volatile teenager, a sensitive spouse – all of these people can be understood so much better after we have examined their respective handwritings.

A working knowledge of handwriting analysis can help teachers to acquire a better understanding of their students. It can help employers to understand their employees. It can give parents a deeper insight into the lives of their children – in particular of their teenagers and so on.

The list is unending. An understanding of handwriting analysis can help anyone who needs to gain deeper insight into the personality of another person.

A particularly interesting application of Graphology lies in its potential to bring the past to life. If you understand handwriting you will be able to see many famous personalities and even historical characters as real people.

An individual’s handwriting will always bear testimony to his or her individuality. As the printout of a cardiogram informs the physician about the physical condition of the heart, so the strokes of a pen reveal the condition of the personality.

Identify weaknesses

It is essential when assessing our personalities to be able to recognize our weaknesses so that we can face them squarely and honestly. An ability to do so puts us in a position to anticipate and possibly even prevent certain problems before they start.

Of course this is easier said than done because we can’t help being blind to some of our faults. Learning to face the truth about ourselves is often a long and arduous process. Nevertheless it is important to be able to recognize our genuine limitations.

With handwriting analysis we can identify our weak areas quite objectively. We can examine them without emotional involvement.

But there is a converse side to this too! Many of us who do in fact recognize our weaknesses tend to exaggerate them in our own minds. We magnify our failures and dwell on our insecurities. This can be emotionally debilitating so that it’s hardly surprising when we become paralysed into inaction. Which is why it is so important to look at our strengths too.

Discovering Strengths

For some strange reason we often ignore our greatest strengths – or at best, we take them for granted. And so we actually gloss over the things that we do well.

The fact is, we should be doing exactly the opposite by recognizing and focussing on our strongest points. We should be concentrating on strengthening those areas in which we already excel because this is what produces excellence.

Sometimes we even neglect our talents or do not recognize them. With the help of handwriting analysis we can uncover hidden talents so that we can take advantage of them. We may even discover new talents that we never suspected were there.

If there is any doubt about being able to recognize our strong areas, we may be sure that they will emerge in our handwriting. The stronger the trait the more evident it will appear in the handwriting trail.

Discover levels of confidence

Because your handwriting holds the proof of your strengths it will help you to believe in yourself.  Knowing your real strengths will put the centre of control in your own hands. This alone is a self-affirming experience worth its weight in gold. It is an essential requirement for making important, sometimes life-changing decisions.

Lack of confidence may be preventing us from achieving the success that we deserve. To gain confidence we need to find some reasons to believe in ourselves. Those reason may very well be in our handwriting – waiting to be discovered.

Handwriting analysis can help us to discover our level of confidence and self-esteem. It allows us to find out if we really are as sure of ourselves as we pretend to be – or if in reality we are merely concealing a sense of insecurity.

Evaluate Will Power and Drive

From handwriting we can find out if we have the necessary will- power and drive to achieve our ambitions. And if not, which areas we should concentrate on in order to improve.

Gain Insight into relationships

Because interpersonal relationships play such an important part in our lives and affect our happiness we need to be able to understand them better.

Handwriting analysis reveals how well we relate to people, in groups or on a one-to-one basis.

It can help us to see ourselves as others see us and can help us to see why we sometimes send out confusing messages and make the wrong impression.

Checking compatibility

Handwriting analysis can point out some of the personality differences that prevent us from getting on with our partners or cause us to clash with our loved ones. It can help us to find out if we and our partners are compatible or not – and furthermore, it helps us to identify the problem areas.

Compatibility issues are not only concerned with our more intimate relationships; they also arise in many areas of our day to day lives at the office, at school and in the home.

By using graphology we can uncover basic personality differences that lie at the heart of personality clashes. When we understand the real but hidden meaning of handwriting we are in possession of a tool that can defuse many a potentially explosive situation.

Problem solving mechanisms

Graphology can help us to find out how we manage and deal with our problems. It shows us whether we run away from our difficulties, or challenge them head-on or become overly defensive or even aggressive.