Although handwriting may almost seem like a lost art in modern times of technology, where typing is really the new way to get the written word out there, you may want to start placing greater importance on your handwriting ability. Turns out the way you write certain letters can reveal a whole lot about your personality.
Growing up, you may have either hated or loved learning how to handwrite. While some of us were the type who loved taking the time to cross our t’s and dot our i’s, maybe even sometimes with a heart if we were feeling particularly creative that day, the rest of us couldn’t wait to throw our pens into the deepest depths of our backpacks and high-tail it out of there.
Graphologist Kathi McKnight says that handwriting actually communicates way more about who we are than we had previously thought. The way that we write the letters “l,” “t,” “i,” and “y,” especially, can say a lot about our individual personality type. McKnight is a certified master handwriting analyst (who knew that was even a thing?), so she knows what she’s talking about when it comes to writing by hand.
The way you write these letters reveals a lot about your personality:
As it turns out, these four letters are what many graphologists use as a measure of personality and here’s what you need to know.
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The letter L
When it comes to reading an “L,” it’s all about lower case. Annette Poizner, a certified graphologist, registered social worker, and licensed psychotherapist, told Reader’s Digest, “The more loopiness, the more warmhearted, expressive, playful, emotional, and/or sensitive the writer is.”
If the loop is larger than it should be, it could be interpreted as someone who is “just a little too easy to wind up or has too many nerve endings, you could say,” Poizner noted.
According to McKnight, a “looped L” says that you’re a hopeful dreamer, whereas a “retraced L” reveals that your hopes and dreams may have been squashed.
The letter T
When analyzing T’s Poizner said it’s all about how you cross them. Crossing Ts with sweeping T-bar strokes is a telltale sign of generosity. “This is the exuberant giver,” Poizner said. “The left side of the page constitutes the self, and the right side of the page symbolizes the world out there. When that horizontal stroke reaches toward the outer margin like that in a grand, sweeping gesture, this is somebody who wants to extend their energy and resources toward others.”
Another interesting note: if the T-bar is toward the top of the lowercase t, it’s a sign of ambition. McKnight added, A looped T says that you’re sensitive to criticism and paranoid, but a retraced T means that you’re a good worker with discipline and self-control.
The letter Y
McKnight shared that the letter y can be a glimpse into a person’s social life. She explained that a “slender Y” means that you select your friends very carefully, whereas a “broad Y” means that you have a lot of friends, suggesting a friendly personality. Meanwhile, a “long Y” reveals that you love traveling, and a “short Y” reveals that you would prefer to stay home.
The letter i
When looking at an I for personality traits, it’s all about how it’s dotted, according to Poizner. “Look at how the dot is formed,” Poizner said. “Is it a small, precise little dot? [If so, that could be a] potential sign of perfectionism, or somebody who is attentive to details.”
If you use an open dot or a smiley face or even a heart, you’re likely a fun and playful person. It could also be a sign that you enjoy being the center of attention or sometimes try a little too hard to get attention.
Caithlin Pena is an editor and former contributor for YourTango. Her work has been featured on Thought Catalog, Huffington Post, Yahoo, Psych Central, and BRIDES.
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