Graphoanalysis - The Charting of a Personality

But, there's more to it than that. Graphoanalysis is the most systematically developed and best researched of all methods of handwriting analysis (generically called graphology). The most comprehensive definition is: it is the study of the individual strokes of handwriting to determine the character and personality of the writer.

As a tool for the assessment of personality traits, Graphoanalysis has found a variety of applications. Successful employment and placement of personnel in business and industry depends in most instances, on selection of people whose intelligence, temperament and talent single them out for a particular type of work. More than 5,000 corporations in the United States now employ or consult Graphoanalysts to help them do just that.

Credit managers too have found Graphoanalysis of value. Characteristics such as honesty, deceit, pride, willpower or the lack of it all play a part in the determination of a good or a bad credit risk. Think of the time and money saved by the credit manager!

Many people skeptically lump handwriting analysis into the same category as tea-leaf reading, or the so called "computer analysis" dispensed at fairs. But handwriting analysis is currently moving out of this penny arcade atmosphere into personnel offices, and from personnel offices into the corporate boardroom. Lloyds of London analyzes the handwriting of its job applicants for trustworthiness before bonding them. The FBI and CIA analyze death threats to decide which contain serious anger and aggression. Chase Manhattan, General Foods, General Electric, Montgomery Ward and Co., Firestone, US Steel and International Harvester hire through handwriting analysis. Smart personnel officers and company presidents are realizing that it is personality, rather than skills, that make employees compatible and productive. The validity of Graphoanalysis as a personality assessment tool is unimpeachable. Handwriting analysis is, in fact, a science, which has been empirically demonstrated over the years. It has long been accepted in Europe, and is taught at the university level for degrees in education and psychology. The relationship between handwriting and personality was even recognized by the Romans 2,000 years ago. Graphology has been a topic for many books and papers since 1612.

The scientific basis of handwriting analysis is that handwriting is actually brainwriting. The impulse to write originates in the cerebral cortex, travels through the nerves to the muscles of the hand, and results in most instances in a precise, controlled movement. What is happening is much like the reading obtained from a seismograph - the pen in your hand as you sign your name or write a letter records your personality.

To a trained, certified Graphoanalyst the letters of your "sample" are symbols. These symbols are made of up of various strokes which embody certain traits that reveal the pattern of personality. A "sample" is not read for content - what the sample says makes no difference. It's all in the strokes. The pen is the tongue of the mind.

Those trained in the field of Graphoanalysis can analyze even a "sample" written in another language. Information as to the age or sex of the writer cannot be determined from a "sample". Although you may have an"educated guess/hunch". This makes Graphoanalysis an ideal tool for equal opportunity employment. The strokes you use, the slant of the letters, the spacing between the words all tell something about the writer. The symbols are subconscious: this is applicable no matter how you write - with your hands, feet, mouth or toes. The method makes no difference - what is in the subconscious cannot be hidden.

Considering the fact that analysts look for more than 300 specific and evaluated traits, "quickie" is not a familiar word. There are some specific traits that can be determined instantly, but a proper, well-documented analysis can take up to a week and involve up to 40 pages of detail.

How detailed a report you receive is a function of what service you require. Analysts trained through the International Graphoanalysis Society in Chicago are capable of handling requests ranging from a general profile analysis to a compatibility report(for marriage and/or business partnerships). The analyst has undergone a year-and-a-half of rigorous training before earning the privilege of becoming recognized as a certified Graphoanalyst. The Masters certificate requires a further year-and-a-half.

Graphoanalysis is gaining acceptance in Canada, albeit slowly. Education and exposure to its benefits are the key to promoting its growth. At present Canada has three chapters, in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia.

Graphoanalysis has its place in the ordinary lives of many. The next time you apply for a job, be sure to mind your p's and q's, especially if you've been asked for a handwritten paragraph at the bottom of your application. Your character is showing, and whether or not you are hired might depend on how you write - not how well, just how.