Psychological maturity of human personality expressed in handwriting In this paper we undertook a difficult task—getting to know the personality of adults on the basis of identifying specific signs of psychological maturity in their handwriting. We begin with a precise statement from the cover of E. Jablonský’s (2005) Príručka interpretácie grafologických znakov: graphology is a craft, a science, and also an art. It is fairly easy to learn how to determine most graphological signs, but it is very difficult to understand and interpret them correctly in a specific handwriting.
This statement captures exactly what we realized while studying graphological material in which we looked for a “trace” by which we could orient ourselves amid contradictory findings that in some way touched on graphological signs expressing aspects of the personality of a psychologically mature person. In the midst of numerous and at times diametrically opposed opinions of authors, we could not do anything else without our own serious research than select for readers, as examples and for reflection, those handwriting characteristics that in our view may indicate psychological maturity in the writer. We present them as questions and assumptions (hypotheses), because we did not specifically and concretely verify these signs through research.
It appears that without serious research on handwriting features, one cannot responsibly comment on this topic. Therefore we ask readers to consider our view of the manifestation of psychological maturity in handwriting, for the time being, only as a preliminary sketch of a hypothetically possible occurrence of handwriting signs characteristic of a psychologically mature person. In this way, potential supporters of graphological examination are invited to verify the hypotheses presented in this paper.
We outline aspects of individuality and the concept of psychological maturity that we have published in several journal papers since 2008 to date and summarized in monographs (Preventívna sociálna práca - Edukačná paradigma v sociálnej práci, 2013; Edukačná sociálna práca, 2014). We defined individuality as a psychologically mature person who is motivated by inner drives toward their own personality development and the realization of their own individual potential, that is, toward personally and socially positive self-realization. This means they actively engage in developing their inherited and innate dispositions to the fullest and highest degree in a positive sense, in order to achieve a high level of human being. Such a personality gradually and thanks to its positive motivation and life activity becomes aware of its personal possibilities and limits, consciously integrating them into personality traits, behavioral expressions, and actions. It consciously cultivates and protects its (M. Machalová, 2013, 2014):
- Identity.
- Autonomy.
- Individual freedom of thinking, feeling, and acting with awareness of personal responsibility.
- Creative coping with one’s life, specifically: communication, social relations, life tasks.
We mentioned these aspects of individuality because we consider them foundational so that people are able to adapt and integrate in the following two realities: As human beings, people adapt and integrate by enacting their spiritual, psychic, bodily, and psychosocial potential over the course of personal history and life path. Psychologically, they adapt and psychologically integrate into life on this earth according to their own dispositions and life possibilities under environmental influence.
As a human being, a person has diverse concrete tasks arising from their position in social groups, that is, circumstances lead them to adapt to the social environment, i.e., to socially adapt and socially integrate into the characteristic spiritual, cultural, social, natural, and material whole and context of society.
Psychological maturity can be identified by understanding the human mode of existence as a living holistic system and by the way these aspects are integrated. Psychological maturity, or psychological maturity of a person, is visible in the person’s expressions, in which the following properties and states of a specific person can be recognized:
- somatic maturity;
- psychological maturity, i.e., rational, emotional, intuitive maturity;
- spiritual and value maturity;
- conative maturity, that is, creative decision-making and action;
- social maturity, i.e., moral and prosocial relations, communication, and acts.
Manifestations of a person’s psychological maturity and its reflection in handwriting
Manifestations of a person’s psychological maturity and its reflection in that person’s handwriting can be identified on the basis of two criteria: a psychological criterion concerning psychological normality of personality and a social criterion concerning the person’s behavior (manifestation) and actions (deeds, acts) within various kinds of social groups (small, medium, and large).
We will again summarize the signs of a psychologically mature person’s personality on which one can formulate questions and establish hypotheses relating to identifying handwriting signs of a psychologically mature person, that is, a self-realizing personality that we called individuality in the concept of psychological maturity.
A psychologically mature personality is characterized by these features: it has a clear identity, is autonomous, is free in decision-making, is creative, is psychologically integrated, is socially integrated, and prosocial action is typical of it. Such a personality initiatively and continuously develops its individual potential through self-directed learning throughout life, that is, over the life course and in the making of one’s personal history. (M. Machalová, 2013, 2014.)
A psychologically mature personality is a unique and unrepeatable being, possessing also contradictory traits—for example, it is friendly and cooperative while at the same time individualistic; it is extroverted in contact with others and simultaneously markedly introverted in emotional experience, and so on. A self-realizing personality is expressed in a unique, creative way, which may also appear in the handwriting of such a person.
We believe that defining a generally valid image of people’s handwriting is counterproductive because people’s handwriting is unique and unrepeatable, as it reflects the uniqueness and unrepeatability of the writer’s personality. When attempting to create any general average of graphological signs and trying to work out not an individualized profile for a specific person but for multiple people, one must do so with respect. With awareness of the fact that we may create, for example for didactic purposes, general graphological characteristics, yet we only have generally valid graphological data available. Therefore, handwriting description can only be indicative.
If we are dealing with expert analysis of handwriting signs, integration of findings, and a comprehensive assessment of a specific writer’s handwriting for diagnostic purposes, graphological examination should be characterized by precise analysis of handwriting signs, synthesis of findings, and finally evaluation of findings in the form of a graphological report. Diagnostically recording and interpreting the uniqueness of an individual’s handwriting requires professional preparation needed for in-depth handwriting analysis and for producing an expert report. This work is carried out by experts in handwriting, or trained graphologists from fields such as psychotherapists, psychologists, educators, social workers, and others.
Our experience with statistical averaging of measured handwriting features and their subsequent interpretation has convinced us that such results indicate the frequency of occurrence of a certain graphological variable in handwriting. However, one cannot automatically infer the characteristics of the unique and complex system called human personality (i.e., traits of nature, character, behavior, or action of a specific person) from visually noticeable and isolated strokes and shapes alone. (M. Machalová, 1994 - 2003.)
In relation to our intention to create a handwriting profile that captures the nature of psychologically mature persons, we consider it realistic in this paper only to identify the anticipated handwriting signs of psychologically mature people, which must be further verified through research—preferably by supporting graphological findings about a specific person with results obtained through other psychological diagnostic methods.
Some handwriting signs that are manifestations of the writer’s psychological maturity
We propose that in the handwriting of a psychologically mature person there will appear handwriting signs that are visible and measurable expressions of the qualities of a psychologically mature (developed) personality. On the basis of such handwriting signs, psychologically mature (developed) personality can be identified.
First question: How does psychological adaptation and psychological integration of the writer’s personality appear in handwriting? Hypothesis 1: We assume that psychological adaptation and psychological integration are expressed in handwriting signs indicating psychological stability of personality. The basis of psychological stability, in our view, consists of: self-esteem, contentment, optimism, calmness, relaxation, self-confidence, a sense of health, and relative autonomy—independence from people, environmental stimuli, and life circumstances. Personality stability is expressed in handwriting, according to J. Kulka (1991, p. 138), by these graphological signs: firm, homogeneous, and sometimes sharp lines, regular and rhythmic pressure, rightward movement, medium values of middle-zone height, smaller differences in length, moderate right slant or upright orientation, tasteful and purposeful simplification of letter forms, carefully placed diacritical marks, appropriate size of initial and final strokes, fluent writing, garland-like connections, smaller spaces between words, medium spacing between lines, straight line flow, a high level and originality of writing, good handwriting structure, regular and symmetrical writing.
E. Jablonský (2005, p. 254) writes that “a stable person is calm, thoughtful, steady, with balanced judgment and preferred evaluation, relaxed, relatively independent of surroundings, and able to concentrate better.” According to this author (2005, p. 254), stability in handwriting appears through these writing signs: harmonic and balanced script, non-fluctuating pressure, balanced middle zone and width, no large pronounced differences in lengths, good segmentation, even slant, straight lines, balanced connecting forms, a signature that does not stand out from the general style of handwriting, and the presence of terminal strokes.
We were also interested in additional handwriting signs through which a writer’s personal maturity is expressed. Such a person we call a psychologically mature (developed) person. Personal maturity is reflected according to E. Jablonský (2005, p. 255) in these signs: a tendency to simplify forms, regular pressure, stable writing size, balanced lengths, natural and regular rhythm of writing, well-segmented handwriting with appropriate distances between lines and words, and writing and signature of the same character.
We only add that such handwriting characterizes a person who is aware of their Self, aware of the value of their personhood, a person with positive self-appraisal and healthy self-confidence. (Note: M. Machalová)
Second question: How does social adaptation and social integration of the writer’s personality appear in handwriting? Hypothesis 2: We assume that social adaptation and social integration of the writer’s personality is expressed in handwriting signs pointing to personality sociability. The essence of sociability according to us consists of: a social disposition of personality to live with other people—accepting social roles, building social status, fulfilling duties in social groups, claiming one’s rights in social groups and in society, defending one’s dignity and uniqueness in a social environment, understanding social situations, events, and problems, the ability to communicate optimally on an interpersonal level, understanding what is happening in a broad social environment of people (large and medium groups) and also in close social environments (family), the ability to experience, act, adapt, and integrate prosocially in social groups. We understand sociability as the ability of both the individual and group to actively reproduce social experience.
Based on our own research of handwriting signs of sociability (M. Machalová, 1993), we compiled handwriting signs that we investigated in handwriting of teachers in retraining studies and in handwriting of psychology students, and then submitted these signs to graphological analysis. We processed the findings statistically and interpreted the results.
We concluded that personality sociability can be identified on the basis of the following handwriting signs: Spatial signs (expressing personality demands on the social environment) — height of the middle zone, size and fullness of writing, primary width (width of letters), secondary width (distance between letters), tertiary width (distance between words), quartile width (spacing between lines) and line progression, margins (left, right, upper, lower).
Direction signs, which express the inclination and deviation of personality in communication, interpersonal and social relations — slant of writing, obliquity/direction of strokes, letter connections, morphological peculiarities of the letter “i,” which is considered a sign of sociability.
Signs of sociability in terms of predominance of writing signs of extraversion in personality were identified by several authors as follows (M. Kučera, 1991, D. Steinhäuselová, 1990, J. Kulka, 1991): rightward strokes, right slant, large middle zone, large differences in length, large primary width, large secondary width, full handwriting, leading diacritical marks, high fluency of writing, garlands and combinations with angular garlands, smaller spaces between words, ascending lines, wide margins, quick writing.
To social integration there also genuinely contribute such human qualities as affiliation, i.e., friendliness—love for one’s neighbor, and cooperativeness, i.e., the ability to cooperate. Affiliation—a friendly nature is expressed in handwriting as follows (J. Kulka 1991, D. Steinhäuselová, 1990 and other authors): rightward strokes, medium middle-zone height, dominance of ascenders, right slant, large primary width, small secondary width, fullness of forms, high fluency of writing, garland-like letter links, readable writing, well-segmented script, and regular spatial arrangement.
Cooperativeness of the writer, which is one of the behavioral and action traits of psychologically mature (developed) persons, can be identified on the basis of the following handwriting signs (M. Machalová, 1994-2003): medium-sized writing (in the middle zone), rightward strokes, right slant, larger primary width (width of letters), smaller secondary width (distance between letters), full oval shapes in writing, smooth continuous cursive writing, letter connection mainly garland-like and mixed (garland, arcade, angular garland).
Third question: How is the writer’s personality autonomy expressed in handwriting? Hypothesis 3: We assume that the personality autonomy of the writer is expressed in the capacities called personality independence and personality creativity in handling life tasks and situations.
It should be noted, however, that according to qualitative research in humanistic psychology, a psychologically mature person is a personality with a strong will, a clear set of values, attitudes, and opinions. Humanistic psychologists characterize such a personality as active and relentless in advancing in activities that this person considers important for fulfilling their life mission. For psychologically mature (psychically mature) personality, humanistic psychologists consider the characteristics of independence and creativity in managing life tasks and situations as essential. (M. Machalová, 2013, 2014.)
Personality independence as a complex personality capacity, in which thinking, feeling, evaluation, behavior, and action are included, is both a prerequisite and a result of the formation of an individual’s relative autonomy. We mention relative autonomy because a person must adapt to some extent to life conditions in society of which they are a part. Independence appears in the individual’s independent judgment, in their well-developed opinions, attitudes, and value orientation, and also in the individual’s resilience against open or covert forms of manipulation by others and pressure from the social environment. Important traits of a creative personality, besides independence, are also self-control, self-assertion, sensitivity, flexibility, immediacy, energy and motivation, and attentiveness of thought, feeling, and activity. (M. Machalová, 2013)
In handwriting, personality creativity appears in these writing signs (M. Machalová, 1994-2003.): dynamic and fast writing, stronger pressure, relaxed and emphasized lengths, large middle zone, wide letters, full loop and oval shapes, original letter and stroke forms, emphasized entry and terminal strokes, spatial segmentation of writing, predominance of thread-like connecting strokes, large margins. The overall image of the writing is dynamic and original.
Personality independence, in our view, is especially rooted in intellectual sharpness, initiative, courage, decisiveness, and clear approach. It is expressed, according to E. Jablonský (2005), in the following writing signs: vertical/near-vertical slant, firm and strong pressure, ascending lines, dynamic script shape, rightward movement, broad writing, simplified letter and stroke forms, large distances between words, large line spacing, well-segmented handwriting, and spatial arrangement.
Conclusion
In our paper we pursued two goals: The first goal was our modest attempt to present some handwriting signs through which it is possible to identify psychological maturity (development) of personality. Our expert opinion, supported by the text of the paper and findings from graphological analysis of handwriting, is offered to readers as encouragement and stimulus for interest in graphological research on the issue of psychological maturity (development) of human personality. The second goal we consider achieved because we fulfilled our intention and drew readers’ attention to the important issue of psychological maturity (development) of a person in the contemporary world. The significance of the issue of psychological maturity (development) for people’s lives is expressed in the words of thinker Osho (2003, p.191): “Using your intelligence fully—that is the beginning of maturity. The process of maturation is a process that does not end. It has no fixed point, not even a center... it keeps on continuing and continuing. The universe is infinite. And equally infinite are the possibilities of your maturation... Do not forget that you are not a container. You are the content. Form changes, but your being remains the same. And it keeps growing, maturing, and enriching itself.”
Author: Prof. doc. PhDr. Mária Machalová, CSc. References:
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