Today I am thinking about handwriting analysis. A week or two ago I attended a meeting where an expert gave us the scoop on this skill. And she offered a good deal on a 15-minute analysis ($20 instead of the usual $30), so I took her up on it. She asked for a 3-sentence sample plus signature, saying she would call me in a few days to discuss her conclusions.

I actually had to give her two samples and two signatures, and this is where the schizophrenia comes in. I have two different names and two different styles of handwriting. My birth name is Cynthia, but my nickname of long standing is Robbie. Cynthia’s writing is kind of pretty, genteel, nicely slanted. Robbie’s writing is straight-up-and-down with darker strokes and lots of disconnects, some printing and some cursive forms. So judging by their writing, Cynthia and Robbie look like two different people to me. I wondered if I should be worried!

The answer is no, not to worry, because both samples have common characteristics even if they look different. Well, that’s good, right, even if less interesting than schizophrenia?

And yet, the report did make some distinctions:
Robbie is more aggressive/assertive, while Cynthia is more nurturing. Robbie is a quick thinker, processes information rapidly; Cynthia thinks more slowly and is more relaxed. Robbie likes to be alone, Cynthia is more sociable. Robbie is more independent in matters of looks and dress. Robbie is more understanding of men than women (?!). But Cynthia is a natural-born counselor. Robbie likes challenge, and without it she gets all bored and distracted. Cynthia is able to focus better, but Robbie is highly intuitive.

Things common to both Robbie and Cynthia:
Both have a high interest in spirituality and philosophy, and both are optimistic. We (is it a problem if you refer to yourself as “we”?) both like people to be direct and to the point. We mostly set attainable goals, but not always. We are generous. And because our signatures match our handwriting, we are deemed to be no different in public than in private.

So that’s a summary of what I got for my $20. It was fun but was it 100% accurate? Probably not, but still there is some insight offered there, food for thought.

I do solemnly swear that I will never again refer to myself as “we”. It just confuses us, er, I mean me.

Think about that.
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Here are some random quotes just for fun, appropos of nothing much:

It’s a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it’s a depression when you lose yours.
Harry S. Truman

Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.
Mark Twain
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