If crime dramas like “Law and Order” and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” are to be believed, then our handwriting can identify us almost as certainly as the fingerprints left behind on a murder weapon. Unlike fingerprints, it is said that our personality and the way we think can be seen through how we write.

“For honesty you look to the closing of S’s, if the S’s are closed that indicates honesty. If the S’s are open it can indicate anything from ‘I’m capable of getting through the loopholes’ to ‘I’m somebody who commits dishonest acts, I go out and rob banks,'” said handwriting analyst Paul Dau.

The people who study this field professionally are called graphologists. They are taught to recognize the minutia of our signatures and handwriting styles that may prove we are, who we say we are or even that we possess a tightly wound narcissistic personality.

Handwriting analysis is a process of comparison, part science and part intuition.

“People ask whether it’s scientific, and my answer to that is yes to some degree it has to be, it’s a little bit different from tea leaves and psychics, we actually base it on something which is the difference between how you write now and how you wrote when you learned to write. All the people in the United States are pretty much taught the same system of writing, there hasn’t been a change in it for 90 years,” Dau said.

Nearly anyone could learn to understand how to do it, at least to some extent, if given a few days.

“You learn things as you go, and it’s not immediately out there nor can I give you all of the information of what I look at, but generally people could learn it in a few days of just sitting and talking with somebody who does it,” Dau said.

Here are a few examples of what graphologists, like Dau, look at when analyzing handwriting samples. Click the samples to enlarge them.

The large style of handwriting indicates that she likes to be noticed and stands out in a crowd. She has a broad perspective and makes an impression on people. She is also bold, ego driven and action oriented. She may not be given to detail and could be egocentric.

The upward slant to the baseline of her handwriting shows that at the time she was writing she had an optimistic, upbeat and positive can-do attitude. It emphasizes a view that she is feeling ambitious and hopeful. A downward slant on the other hand would indicate a tired, overwhelmed or pessimistic outlook, a person who is not feeling hopeful and sees more of a chance for failure than success.

The general slant of her letters is to the right, which indicates that she is a social and responsive person who is interested in others. She has a good coping ability, is an extroverted, outgoing and friendly person. She also has a future directed personality. A stronger slant to the right would indicate a person that is impulsive and has a need to relate to others. They would also be future directed but would let their emotions rule them as they tend toward spontaneity and impulsiveness. A stronger rightward slant would also indicate an enthusiastic and demonstrative personality.

The small size of her writing indicates she is an introspective person who does not seek out attention. She is modest and pays attention to detail. She has good concentration and is generally humble. She may also be self-actualized. A person with very small writing would indicate a private person who tries to stay out of the limelight. They would be introverted and would also have good concentration, would also be precise and cerebral. They would have a low-key personality but would also be selective.

Medium-sized handwriting indicates that she is an adaptable person and can fit into crowds. It also indicates she is balanced, practical and realistic about things. she would work well both in groups and on her own.

Click here for more analysis of these samples.

Contact Molly Cahill at [email protected].