How Long Has Handwriting Analysis Been Around?

Aristotle used "Graphology"...

Handwriting analysis (the technical term is "graphology") isn't as new as you might think. The first recorded remarks about handwriting appeared in 330 B.C. and have been attributed to Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, who wrote:

"Speech is the expression of ides or thoughts or desires. Handwriting is the visible form of speech. Just as speech can have inflections of emotions, somewhere in handwriting is an expression of the emotions underlying the writer's thoughts, ideas, or desires."

Then, around 100 A.D, the Roman historian Suetonius made a study of Emperor Augustus' personality from his handwriting. Suetonius was quoted as saying: "He doesn't separate his words - I do not trust him."

In print...

One of the first publications on graphology was written in 1662 by Camillo Baldi, who is the accredited father of handwriting analysis. Baldi, was an author and professor of medicine and psychology at Bologne University in Italy. He even used Aristotle's theories in his teachings. Baldi maintained that "handwriting reproduces something of its writer's temperament, personality, or character."

Over the next 200 years a formal system of assigning characters to particular personality traits was developed. And for a time, several European universities even required the study of graphology for a psychology or teaching degree.

But, despite all of the interest in handwriting studies in Europe, the United States didn't get into the act until about the turn of the century. And only within the last 20 years or so has handwriting analysis started to used by teachers, therapists, law enforcement officials, large corporations, and even couples just wanting to learn more about each other.

Besides all of the serious uses of handwriting analysis, it's just plain fun to have your handwriting analyzed to see what it can tell you about yourself... or someone else for that matter.

Til next time...
Cheryl