Someone handed me a book on handwriting analysis when I was a young teen. I can’t remember the name of the specific book, but I found it fascinating. It made sense to me—how a person’s underlying nervous system, motor coordination, personality and sense of order could manifest in the detail, slant, size and form of the letters, the width and variation of the margins and spaces between the words, and the pressure applied to a No. 2 Pencil (remember those?). If you saw the handwriting of Charles Manson or Michael Jackson, you would be a convert too, I assure you. I, of course, poured over my own penmanship, looking for clues about myself, and tried to change it to be the person I wanted to be. I later read that you can alter your personality by changing your handwriting, a kind of therapy.

But mostly, I brought what I’d learned to the world around me. At a party, or on meeting someone, I might observe something in their writing and within moments, they were scribing on a blank sheet of paper for me to analyze, wanting to know more. People love to hear about themselves, and handwriting analysis is an icebreaker. Over the years, I have gathered information on acquaintances (and dates!) as they jot notes. I take a little peek at their a’s and g’s to get a handle on who they are. To be clear, few traits are inherently good or bad. Is it better to be an introvert or an extrovert? Careful with money or generous? One could make a case for either, but it might help to have a little additional information if in a new relationship or to understand a reaction. The French still use handwriting in hiring decisions, although less than in the past. It amuses me to think about what they look for in an accountant, say. Would you rather have someone who is detail-oriented or creative? To me, handwriting is more believable than astrology or palm reading, although I have fun with those as well.