Ever have your handwriting professionally analyzed?
March 28, 2007 7:21 AM Subscribe
Did you ever have your handwriting analyzed by a professional graphologist? What did you learn about yourself? What does it cost? Was it worth it?
It's not good... If you want to be told lots of harmless information, that you will then recognise as your own personality traits, then go for it....
But have a look at that site, and it'll tell you about the processes used.
Same as your daily horoscopes....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forer_effect
posted by the_epicurean at 7:59 AM on March 28, 2007
But have a look at that site, and it'll tell you about the processes used.
Same as your daily horoscopes....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forer_effect
posted by the_epicurean at 7:59 AM on March 28, 2007
No, never been to a professional graphologist, but I once bought a second hand book on graphology. I agree that it is pseudoscience, and therefore not reliable, but I also agree with Josher71 that it can be fun.
From reading the book I determined (however unreliably) that the previous owner, who had written his name inside the front cover, was a psychopath.
posted by Elmore at 8:00 AM on March 28, 2007
From reading the book I determined (however unreliably) that the previous owner, who had written his name inside the front cover, was a psychopath.
posted by Elmore at 8:00 AM on March 28, 2007
I once saw a graphology report on someone that was incredibly accurate, noting various violent tendencies and generally antisocial characteristics.
It struck me that finding this out by doing handwriting analysis was probably not the easiest approach, as reading the text the graphologist was provided with, rather than analysing the handwriting style, would have revealed that the subject was confessing to where the various body parts of his victims had been hidden.
posted by edd at 8:06 AM on March 28, 2007 [2 favorites]
It struck me that finding this out by doing handwriting analysis was probably not the easiest approach, as reading the text the graphologist was provided with, rather than analysing the handwriting style, would have revealed that the subject was confessing to where the various body parts of his victims had been hidden.
posted by edd at 8:06 AM on March 28, 2007 [2 favorites]
My sister drags me to psychic shows (or used to before I moved too far away), and at one of them, someone offered to do a handwriting analysis for free to try and shake my innate skepticisms.
Do you remember the movie Pretty Woman? When Gere takes Julia Roberts into the store and demands that there be sucking up? It was like that.
The "analyst", and I use the term loosely, said things like "You're a strong woman, with a brilliant mind. People are drawn to you. You're a natural leader...blah, blah, blah..."
I mean, sure...it's true; I'm a brilliant, charismatic leader, with my own cadre of devoted cult-like followers...but anyone could have told you that. The shaven-headed, saffron-robed, incense-bearing, chanting masses that follow me everywhere I go give it away, really.
posted by dejah420 at 8:21 AM on March 28, 2007 [3 favorites]
Do you remember the movie Pretty Woman? When Gere takes Julia Roberts into the store and demands that there be sucking up? It was like that.
The "analyst", and I use the term loosely, said things like "You're a strong woman, with a brilliant mind. People are drawn to you. You're a natural leader...blah, blah, blah..."
I mean, sure...it's true; I'm a brilliant, charismatic leader, with my own cadre of devoted cult-like followers...but anyone could have told you that. The shaven-headed, saffron-robed, incense-bearing, chanting masses that follow me everywhere I go give it away, really.
posted by dejah420 at 8:21 AM on March 28, 2007 [3 favorites]
oh, and you pretty much learn stuff that you already know. it's more reaffirming then informative.
That's to be expected from any kind of cold reading trick, which graphology is. Like horoscopes and psychics, its only value is the entertainment it provides.
posted by mendel at 8:24 AM on March 28, 2007
That's to be expected from any kind of cold reading trick, which graphology is. Like horoscopes and psychics, its only value is the entertainment it provides.
posted by mendel at 8:24 AM on March 28, 2007
As I understand it handwriting analysis is required for a vast majority of jobs in France and a few other European countries.
posted by JJ86 at 8:34 AM on March 28, 2007
posted by JJ86 at 8:34 AM on March 28, 2007
No to all of the above, but I did read a bunch of Graphology books in high school, then redesigned my handwriting to include all of the "crazy" or "unstable" or "serial killer" traits.
This was a Very Bad Idea and I'm still trying to fix my writing.
posted by mmoncur at 8:42 AM on March 28, 2007 [2 favorites]
This was a Very Bad Idea and I'm still trying to fix my writing.
posted by mmoncur at 8:42 AM on March 28, 2007 [2 favorites]
I had it done for free (I would never pay for this), and it was akin to a really good horoscope reading. In other words, useless.
Not to derail ... but ... funny story about horoscopes. I used to work in the newspaper industry. Horoscopes are delivered to papers for printing in weekly batches. Sometimes, the batches fail to show up. So we'd write the horoscopes ourselves ("OK, OK, hmm, Aquarius ... 'avoid making difficult decisions.' That's good. Need another pithy one. 'Treat yourself with healing therapies.' Perfect."). Other times, we'd re-run horoscopes from previous weeks.
Nobody complained. Nobody even noticed.
posted by frogan at 9:01 AM on March 28, 2007 [1 favorite]
Not to derail ... but ... funny story about horoscopes. I used to work in the newspaper industry. Horoscopes are delivered to papers for printing in weekly batches. Sometimes, the batches fail to show up. So we'd write the horoscopes ourselves ("OK, OK, hmm, Aquarius ... 'avoid making difficult decisions.' That's good. Need another pithy one. 'Treat yourself with healing therapies.' Perfect."). Other times, we'd re-run horoscopes from previous weeks.
Nobody complained. Nobody even noticed.
posted by frogan at 9:01 AM on March 28, 2007 [1 favorite]
A group I was part of in college had it done for all of us by the group leader's wife. I understand her intent was sincere but she was so completely off with me I found it insulting. My participation in the group was limited due to a number of factors and her results mirrored what little the people in the group knew of me. It might as well have been the group leader telling me his thoughts directly.
Now that I think of it, when I challenged her conclusions I had to confront the generalizations that typify this sort of thing, so a lot of the group thought she was partly right, etc. There really wasn't a way to fight back, at least politely.
posted by jwells at 9:02 AM on March 28, 2007
Now that I think of it, when I challenged her conclusions I had to confront the generalizations that typify this sort of thing, so a lot of the group thought she was partly right, etc. There really wasn't a way to fight back, at least politely.
posted by jwells at 9:02 AM on March 28, 2007
I actually studied graphology for a research project in school, and the most fun thing was when different texts would be completely contradictory about the exact same thing (ie, not closing your g-loops means you are sexually unfulfilled to one expert, while to another it indicates a normal sex life). The personality-analyzing aspects of it are, as others have said, just precisely as informative and interesting as astrology or phrenology. The forensic aspect of it (did the suspect write this note) is much more interesting.
posted by Rock Steady at 10:36 AM on March 28, 2007
posted by Rock Steady at 10:36 AM on March 28, 2007
I got a free ""computer-generated" handwriting analysis at a county fair when I was a kid. I had to sign my name on a little transparency, the transparency was fed into a machine, and a dot-matrix printer produced a personality profile.
All I remember from the analysis was that I had an overly high opinion of myself. Which may have been true, but it kind of a mean thing for a computer to say to an 10-year old.
posted by faster than a speeding bulette at 2:00 PM on March 28, 2007
All I remember from the analysis was that I had an overly high opinion of myself. Which may have been true, but it kind of a mean thing for a computer to say to an 10-year old.
posted by faster than a speeding bulette at 2:00 PM on March 28, 2007
This thread is closed to new comments.
never really heard of any 'professionals', though. it's more of an art then science. also, it's better when the subject is used to doing a lot of writing--like a student.
oh, and you pretty much learn stuff that you already know. it's more reaffirming then informative.
posted by lester's sock puppet at 7:57 AM on March 28, 2007