Michael Shermer Explores Graphology, Part 1

Graphology, or handwriting analysis, claims that personality characteristics such as introversion and extraversion can be inferred from the form and structure of letters, words, and sentences (introverts, for example, are said to write in smaller letters, extraverts in larger letters). Shermer puts graphology to the experimental test, showing that if you do not already know the personality characteristic you are looking for in the handwriting, graphology is no better than chance.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Shermer
• Graphology
• Handwriting
• Analysis

[garbidz]

People get upset at the guy who exposes the trickster, not at the trickster himself! Seen Randi getting attacked by furious ladies when he showed how Sai Baba made holy ash and flower rain. Now look at the reactions Shermer is getting, not to mention Dawkins. People love getting lied to.

So why not?

Fool and his money should be parted!

[Gemmabeta]

"Sho Blew up..."

To that idiot executive recruiter. If I have been interviewed for 6 hours and then being informed that I might be rejected because I do not cross my t properly or that the descender on my y's look crooked, I'll do more than blow up.

[marsproject23]

@garbidz "People love getting lied to"... People especially like hearing flattery. And believe any positive baloney. If the basis of belief is that it makes you feel important or special, The belief should be challenged !!

[marsproject23]

Just a point to the analysis of Michael Shermers hand writing and the comment about the good communicator. Being flattered tends to mute the critical instincts a bit. I am not finding fault. Just pointing out that he is a good communicator seems fitting, he is, look at the work that he does. But think about it, the person read a page of his writing. My assumption is the evidence for that was in the paragraphs he wrote, and not in the style of the writing of the letters. Kind of obvious.

[FinalRustyNails]

this is conpleatly bull shit

[ZombieDragQueen]

"Could be a con artist" - while I don't believe in graphology I must say that she hit the nail on that one. I mean it takes one to know one, right (just like the illusionist James Randi debunks psychics etc)? And his "con" was to try to get a faulty analysis of his own writing on false premises to debunk graphology.

Nobody holds monopoly over truth; neither Vatican, Richard Dawkins, Penn & Teller, James Randi, Billy Graham etc. Everyone has a subjective agenda of his own.

[Blackbeard280]

I would blow up too if you presented me with bullshit graphology results in a fucking job interview.

[MaximilianMontesa]

I tried some graphology that I read in the bookstore on one of my friends back in college. I took his notebook and told him what I thought his personality was based on his handwriting. I'd have to say he was surprised that I described him spot on.

[KingOfMadCows]

I guess graphologists have never heard of self-fulfilling prophecies. If you tell a teacher that a student is gifted then that student will do well, if you tell a teacher that a student is a trouble maker then that student will do poorly, all regardless of what the student is really like. That's because the teacher's expectation alters their treatment of the student. Same thing with graphology. If you have preconceived notions about someone, you'll treat them in a way that elicits that response.

[lolwhat221]

Tendency towardsssSSSS RRAGGEEE!!!!!

[beefygoblin]

It may be able to tell your mood at the time you wrote it -to a degree,but it certainly can't tell you anything more.

[strawberryseason]

@troonorth  You have astute insight. Handwriting is determined by psyches and our degree of muscle tension, as such it is indeed a form of body language.