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Graphology became a common term. Many people have started to use it, but only few know what Graphology really means and what graphologist do when they analyze text samples.

In a nut shell, Graphology is the study and analysis of handwriting. The literal meaning of this term is "the science of handwriting" but the assertions that this science are based upon claim that handwriting is more than just a collection of lines, circles, semicircles, commas and spaces, but a reflection of the inner mind, therefore a better way to explain what graphology or handwriting analysis is, is to describe it as the psychology of handwriting.

Handwriting can tell many things about a person. Examining one's slant and size of letters, line spacing, pressure, margins and other considerations can shed light on the inner thoughts and feelings of the writer.

Anna Koren, a world expert in graphology, compared handwriting analysis to taking an x-ray scan of the brain. Expert graphologist, who examines a sample of handwriting, can identify many patterns and features that will help him to analyze and gather information about the writer of the text.

Graphology is an old science. The study and analysis of handwriting was practiced by the Chinese 3,000 years ago and was also very common in the Roman Empire. Later, the term "Graphology" was coined by a French abbot by the name of Jean Hippolyte Michon. Michon studied and helped to develop handwriting analysis. Nowadays Graphology has many uses and it serves as a unique and accurate diagnostic tool for employee hiring and evaluation, profiling, jury screening and many other forms of personality assessments.

The most interesting question is how exactly Graphology works.

The main idea is that the writing movement is not modified by the writing organs (the hands, the arms or the fingers) but by the central nervous system (CNS), the same system that controls behavior, therefore the written movement reflects personality traits.

Although handwriting is written by the hands, it's controlled by the brain, and since we all know that the brain is responsible for the functioning of the voluntary and the involuntary body mechanism, analyzing the handwriting can reveal many things about writer's thoughts, attitudes and characteristics.

The expert graphologist knows how to look for specific features in the handwriting and how to use them for analyzing the personality traits and the behavioral tendencies of the writer.

In order to become an expert handwriting analyst one must study this science and practice it with the guidance of experienced graphology instructors. It may take years of studying until one can practice graphology, but for those who are only interested in the subject, it is always recommended to attend introductory courses or to read books about graphology.

This article is based on the book "The secret self - a comprehensive guide to handwriting analysis" by Anna Koren, Adama, New Yorek:1987