My first encounter with handwriting analysis many years ago was quite positive. On a lark, I asked graphologist expert Lena Rivkin to look at writing samples from a few close friends of mine. There was nothing hocus pocus or vague about her observations. She hit the nail on the head in every case, in surprising detail.
Graphology can be a useful tool for analyzing a wide variety of potential behaviors, aspects of a person’s personality as well as for detecting forgery. The term derives from the greek graphein (to write) and logos (to study), in this case the study of a person’s psychological makeup via handwriting. It is an effective and reliable indicator of a person’s personality and behavior and is used in human resources, private and criminal investigations and jury selection.
Ms. Rivkin told me a story about a pre-employment screening she conducted where she recommended against a hire. The client hired the person anyway but before long called back to say they let the employee go for all the reasons Rivkin had enumerated in her handwriting analysis.
Although a person’s handwriting evolves over time, and differs under various circumstances, there are basic meaningful traits that reveal characteristics such as integrity levels, self image, intellect, mental health, natural and hidden abilities. Potential for violent, sexually deviant, or dishonest behavior, a person’s emotional inclinations and self view are reflected through one’s writing. Writing elements including the arrangement of words on the page, margins, line spacing, the form and movement of the characters such as slant, pressure, size and speed with which a person writes – all tell a story. Obviously there are both benefits and limitations to its use.
J. Edgar Hoover was an innovator of handwriting analysis bringing it into the forensic science fold of the FBI. I know personally of a case where a graphologist saw serious psychopathic tendencies in the writing of a young man who within weeks committed murder. Perhaps if more widely used this tool would serve to predict and deter crime, rather than confirm that a criminal’s handwriting does indeed reveal malicious traits.
For many years I’ve used a graphologist. He has always been a great help to me when I needed to ascertain if the person sending a harassment or a wacky letter to my principals was/wasn’t a real threat. He was always exactly right about the individual. Kudos to all the graphologists.