Signature for Success. Arlyn J. Imberman

about people, based on first impressions, which proved to be a superficial and often inaccurate method. Handwriting analysis offers a more reliable and objective way to assess personality and potential for greatness or dishonor, educational and personal achievement, parenting and interpersonal skills, romantic and business compatibility, or entrepreneurial and leadership traits. Graphology arrives at its ultimate assessment by uncovering not only the writer’s “public” face but also what lies behind the mask—insights that speak to a person’s character.

      Relationships are seldom what they seem. As the American screenwriter Frances Marion said: “Do we really know anybody? Who does not wear one face to hide another?” While the average person can only surmise about what makes another person tick, a professional graphologist can tell us much, much more.

      The best data gatherer and all-around computer in existence is the human mind, that “subconscious psychologist” which exists in all of us and has evolved from generations of experience in interpersonal evaluation. When we write, that subconscious is revealed by how we create those strokes and slants, and graphology helps us decipher these personal codes.

      Freud believed it’s impossible for anyone to keep a secret, but in actuality, when it comes to self-protection, people can be quite adept at keeping things hidden. And when we suddenly discover that a person we thought we knew turns out to be not who we think he is, it is shocking and disturbing. How do you reach inside to unlock the combination that defines another person? How can we understand more about another to foster compatibility, communication, and closeness? How can we lift the haze surrounding another soul? And what do we learn about ourselves in the process? Graphology is a tool to aid you in the journey of self-discovery, as well as the discovery and understanding of those with whom you live and work.

      Though we’ve managed to accumulate considerable knowledge about ourselves, few of us are aware of how much we know. Therefore, the study of graphology, along with other techniques of personality assessment, turns out to be a matter of simply discovering the sources in others and ourselves that have always existed but been unknown and untapped. It is a single, direct, and immediate way in which one’s weaknesses and blind spots can be discovered.

      In the course of reading this book, you’ll learn how to look at a writing pattern and decode it as professional graphologists do. You will examine the spacing, movement of letters, form of connection, margin, slant, signature, and much, much more.

      You will also recognize how to achieve compatibility with a mate, friend, business partner, professional adviser, a team or family member. And, because the book is replete with illustrations of handwritings, along with charts and checklists, you will gain a better understanding of yourself and others with whom you come in contact.

      This book is merely a first step, but I hope one that helps you begin discovering a discipline that will bring you insight and enjoyment in revealing the hidden traits and emotions that make up that fascinating enigma, the human personality.

      ARLYN IMBERMAN

      NEW YORK CITY

      CHAPTER 1

       Writes of Passage

       AN INTRODUCTION TO GRAPHOLOGY

       This chapter discusses the global use of graphology as an accurate diagnostic tool in assessing personality and human potential. A brief history of graphology is presented, along with its various “schools” in Europe. The chapter concludes with a look at how graphology is used in the business world, and what the future holds, especially now that people write less and use computers more.

      THE CLUES TO CHARACTER are everywhere: on a shopping list taped to the refrigerator … in the birthday cards you receive … on the note your boss left on your desk or a friend passed to you in class … even on your paycheck. Every day, everywhere, handwritten notes, letters, and signatures cross your path, and you’ve probably been unaware of the fascinating insights they hold. Until now.

      Handwriting is a remarkable reflection of a person’s true, but often “hidden,” character, revealing things about personality, aptitudes, emotions, and state of mind beyond what can be observed in superficial actions or words. Learning to “read” the hidden character in handwriting not only helps you understand others but also is a valuable tool for self-discovery.

      The use and application of handwriting analysis is called graphology. Graph comes from the Greek word graphe, which means “writing,” and ology means “the study of.”

      Graphology has been seriously practiced for centuries throughout Europe. In America, businesses, universities, and government bureaus often retain the services of qualified graphologists to learn more about employees and students, as well as to uncover vital details in criminal investigations.

      In everyday life, graphology can be used for personal and professional benefits—for yourself and in relationship to others. When you learn more about the secret language of handwriting and what it reveals, you’ll gain insight into:

      • uncovering your hidden talents and skills

      • recognizing inner strengths and weaknesses, hopes and fears

      • discovering how compatible you are with others

      • recognizing signs of conflict, anger, anxiety, and melancholy

      • identifying romantic possibilities … or people to avoid

      • seeing who’s being honest with you … and who’s not

      • hiring the right person for the job and other useful applications

      Best of all, this is knowledge that can be derived in a subtle and discreet manner.

       The ABC’s of Individuality

      Think back to your childhood—say the first grade, or whenever you learned to write. Remember how you had to copy each letter of the alphabet—capital letters and small ones—using the standard copybook format that all school-age children are given? Once you learned your A’s, B’s, and C’s, and began connecting the letters to create words and sentences, you probably noticed that even though you and your classmates were learning the same techniques in the same manner at the same time, your handwritings were not alike at all! You may have thought your penmanship was beautiful and perfect—just like the template you copied from. But Jonathan’s writing was different—his letters seemed to be crammed together. Danny wrote so hard you could see indentations through the back of his page. Sarah’s handwriting was large with big loops, while Carmen’s was smaller and rounded and didn’t have much of a slant. You wondered: How can that be? How can we learn to write the same letters the same way but have our writing turn out to be so different?

      Since handwriting—and the skills of creating letters on the page—comes from our deeper self, it contains a great deal of information about our character. Whenever we write, our immediate emotions, moods, or state of mind influence our expression on paper. Our brain transmits this information to the motor reflexes in our hand. Therefore, our handwriting is a unique combination of our conscious and unconscious thoughts and feelings. Our handwriting reflects our personality in a way that is similar to our facial expressions, speech, and body language. It is, in essence, body language on paper.

      The slants, strokes, size, pressure, and speed with which our pen glides on a page create this window to the soul. As we change and mature, so does our writing. Haven’t you noticed the changes in your handwriting over the years, or even from day to day, depending on your mood or health?

      The qualities in handwriting and its relationship to the writer have been studied for centuries, and they continue to hold fascination for psychologists, writers, philosophers, legal professionals, historians, and anyone else seeking deeper knowledge of the human character