Sex, Lies, Handwriting, and Presidential Candidates
A few months ago, I was working on an article about graphology, or handwriting analysis, and I came across the website of Michelle Dresbold, author of Sex, Lies, and Handwriting: A Top Expert Reveals the Secrets Hidden in Your Handwriting. Dresbold is one of the country’s top experts on the subject of handwriting interpretation and analysis, and has been helping law enforcement agents solve cases for a decade.
In fact, go HERE to enter to win a free copy of Dresbold’s book!
Hurry! Contest ends October 31!
OK, I don’t know about you, but I find this sort of thing fascinating. I find it most interesting that people can’t really “fake” their handwriting consistently without their “true” handwriting revealing itself. No, graphology doesn’t predict the future, but it can reveal a person’s motivations, intellect, idealism, vanity, honesty, psychological strengths and weaknesses, and even emotional and physical health.
And all of this is nothing new. Confucius philosophized, “Handwriting can infallibly show whether it comes from a person who is noble-minded or from one who is vulgar.” Aristotle wrote, “Just as all men do not have all the same speech sounds, neither do they have all the same writing.”
So why am I bringing all this up now? Well other than to give you a chance to win a copy of Dresbold’s book, I also want to point you to some analyses that Dresbold has done on signatures that you might find interesting about now:
Interesting, no?
Have you ever had your handwriting analyzed?
22 Beans of Wisdom to “Sex, Lies, Handwriting, and Presidential Candidates”
Michelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived.
Calabria Guidebook
Recipes
I found her analysis interesting. But, not interesting enough to not vote for Obama!
I’ve never had my handwriting analyzed. I wouldn’t have a clue where to get it done or why I’d need to.
Hah, well I don’t know that you’d *need* to, but it is an interesting exercise. You can actually learn some telltale signs yourself with a little Internet research….
I had mine done once in college and thought it was so cool I bought a book on it. My AXO gals stopped writing me notes b/c I’d “analyze” them! lol
Fun topic, indeed.
Cherrye at My Bella Vita’s last blog post..Travel Tip Tuesday: 2009 Top Destinations Mirror Calabria
Hee hee…good thing we communicate online 😉
I’ve never had mine done but it was fun to read those. Even though elections in Canada were disappointing this year and we know what happened here, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Nov 4!
joanne at frutto della passione’s last blog post..A taste of things to come
Me too, Joanne. Me too.
I had mine analyzed when I was in high school. I’d say almost 80% of what he said to me were true or came true. I would have loved to win the book but the riddle is too difficult for me!!
Grace @ Sandier Pastures’s last blog post..Experiencing farm life in Japan
Very interesting, Grace; hope you can still get a copy…sounds great, doesn’t it?!
I find this subject very interesting as well. Everyone’s handwriting is unique.
I have never had mine done but found insight about it in articles about handwriting.
I wonder what it means when grown woman put hearts or circles about their “i”. It drives me crazy when I see that.
nyc/caribbean ragazza’s last blog post..I’m so glad the election is only two weeks away.
Hah, I’m with you there. I believe Dresbold has something on her site on this regarding Paris Hilton….
That’s fascinating stuff, Michelle, thanks for sharing! I’ve never had an analysis done. I have become so accustomed to the keyboard and unaccostomed to writing anything by hand that I have difficulty writing with a pen or pencil now. I wonder if my handwriting has changed…and if an analysis of it would be different today than before?
saretta’s last blog post..Fall Crocuses
Excellent question Saretta. My handwriting has definitely changed over the years, and it makes sense to me since so have I…but how does the fact that you just don’t write as often play into it? Hmm….
Not quite hand writing analysis, but I find that people that make their signature illegible are not as trustworthy as those whose signatures you can read.
running42k’s last blog post..Thanks
Interesting hypothesis. One of the basic tenets of handwriting analysis that I’ve read (if I remember correctly) is that signatures actually aren’t as telling as a fuller writing sample since they are so isolated and in a vacuum. Still interesting though 🙂
It’s all interpretive. I did get analyzed one time by a friend of my ex. All it showed me was what said friend secretly thought of me, which wasn’t much. None of it was true nor has any of it ended up showing up in my life or character. So maybe you could find someone who could take anonymous writing and say something cogent, but I am not sure.
Judith in Umbria’s last blog post..Italian times
Yes, I would imagine that a biased “reader” wouldn’t be the best if s/he couldn’t keep that bias in check….
I find this type of thing fascintating, too! In fact, I was just thinking about this the other day and wondering what my own handwriting says about me. However, I think you have to take this stuff with a grain of salt . . .
Lots of info online and lots and lots of books for those who are interested; I think the information gleaned can definitely be used in positive ways, particularly if you use it to improve on weaknesses.
i think this kind of study is fascinating too…my dad used to have the handwriting analyzed of all his prospective employees.
erin :: the olive notes’s last blog post..back on this side of the globe
Ooh that is *very* interesting Erin! I’ve read that plenty of employers use handwriting analysis, but I’ve never “met” one before 😉
That was truly fun! I love handwriting analysis.
jen of a2eatwrite’s last blog post..A Great Reminder
Glad you enjoyed Jen 🙂
Interesting (particularly Sarah Palin’s analysis)!
I’ve never had my handwriting analyzed, but I think it would be fun.
Stefanie’s last blog post..It’s a wonder a corn grits beverage never caught on
I think it would be fun too 🙂
Go Obama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Billy’s last blog post..Sausage and links
Wooooohooooo!!!!!!!!
That was very interesting! Makes me feel even better my candidate 🙂
Happy belated Birthday, btw! Hope you had a wicked awesome day!
Janet’s last blog post..plain / adorned
Me too 🙂 And thanks for the bday wishes 🙂
That was absolutely fascinating… Thank you for sharing that!!!
Carm’s last blog post..The Flight of the Seagull
So glad you enjoyed Carm!
Fascinating! I have to find out who the murderer is in her riddle; that’s going to drive me nuts. You ought to post about it when the contest is over. OY!
Love the puzzles and mind benders, aren’t those great!
Thank you lovely lady, it’s always so good to visit here!
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
Wanderlust Scarlett’s last blog post..Fall Fashion In Santa Fe
I knew you’d love the riddle! I’m a puzzle person myself…but you probably knew or could at least guess that 😉
I’ve always found it interesting too. I’ve even had mine analyzed. But then, I always enjoy exercises of self-discovery – personality tests, etc. I’m talking about the scientific ones of course, that they had us do at work. They’re an eye-opener.
Mary’s last blog post..On the campaign trail
I love those things too…always interesting to know how our personalities are expressed in ways that we might not expect.
It must be a ‘girl libras’ thing… ;o)
Very cool stuff though, I spent a while on her site. You always know where to find the most interesting stuff!!
XOXOXO
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
Wanderlust Scarlett’s last blog post..The French Patisserie In Santa Fe
So glad you enjoyed; I spent a lot of time there myself 🙂
Another yeller dog finds those analyses most interesting. I’ve never had my handwriting analyzed. Several of my Italian friends have told me that all Americans write the same way. Maybe that means we’ll also all vote the same way? Boh!
Valerie’s last blog post..Ventidue
Hmmm…interesting theory 🙂
I’ve never had my handwriting analyzed, but I can tell myself what I felt the moment I wrote it. When I’m in a rush, it’s large and slanted to the right and when I’m in a good mood it is upright and neat. However, when I write a letter to my mom, I write the way she does – the “m” looks like a “w” and the “n” looks like a “u”. I just want to make sure that she can read it. 🙂
Rosa’s last blog post..“Gourmet” Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Oh that’s funny, and so nice of you to write specially for your mom 🙂
My curiosity is piqued, I must say. My dad also took courses on handwriting analysis, and I’ve always found it fascinating. I wonder what my own writing says about myself. It definitely changes with my mood, so handwriting is like a mood ring for me.
NewWrldYankee’s last blog post..How to Not Lose Money in Getting the Local Currency
Same here. I can definitely see differences in my handwriting with different moods. Fascinating for sure 🙂
I seem I’m weighing in late here, but as a handwriting analyst with 40 years experience, and an author on the subject, I was very pleased with Obama’s handwriting. Left-handed males have the most difficult time producing handwriting that looks good, but his is just excellent. It shows good balance, empathy, but firmness. He’s got excellent leadership potential, as we are already seeing. Michelle Obama’s handwriting is also a good counterbalance for him.
Thanks so much for sharing this, Sheila! I knew I liked them as a team for some reason…now you confirm it for me 🙂