What Your Signature Says about You

A signature is more than just a scribble that serves as legal identification. Beyond that function, it also reflects personality features, fears, and secret ambitions.

Even though you can’t know somebody’s personality just by looking at their signature, it does offer important clues about them. Some even say that a signature is like a synthesized autobiography or self-portrait, in terms of the evaluations that people make of themselves.

Unlike other forms of writing, one’s signature also involves the flourishes and strokes that accompany or replace the name. That is, all the lines, adornments, or distinctive elements that are added, basically so that the signature isn’t easily forged, but also to unconsciously provide information about ourselves. Here are some of the main interpretations of signatures:

General features of signatures

One of the main elements of the signature to observe is the way the name is written. Some people write their names completely, while others shorten it or simply omit it altogether. Consider the following variations:

• Writing the complete name: this is a sign of self-appreciation, security, and self-acceptance.
• Abbreviating or omitting the first name: this indicates some rejection of childhood experiences and a desire to forget the past.
• Abbreviating or omitting the last name: there’s probably an unresolved conflict with a parent that remains unconscious.
• Initials only: this suggests that the person carries heavy guilt within them.
• First name and last name written on different lines: this indicates that the person undervalues themselves and the existence of an inner conflict that causes them to feel divided.

The size of the signature is also important. Large signatures correspond to people who want to have a high status or be noticed, while small signatures indicate that the person wants to go unnoticed. If the first name is bigger than the last name, this suggests that the person is attached to childhood experiences. If the last name is bigger, this represents a great need to be socially successful.

What the style of signature tells us

In graphology, there’s a saying that goes “less signature, more personality.” This means that simpler signatures identify people who feel more secure in themselves, and vice versa. There are also other elements of signatures that describe the signer.

• Wraparound signatures: in these signatures, the name is surrounded by lines that enclose it. This suggests insecurity, dependence, immaturity, and a strong attachment towards the mother. It also refers to the need to hide oneself, because there’s a latent sense of self-rejection.
• Signatures where the name is crossed out: sometimes the name appears to be crossed out by the lines of the signature. This represents a fear of being attacked by ones parents, specifically the father. It suggests an excessive desire for perfection and the use of severe criteria to guide one’s life.
• Signatures where the name is illegible: instead of a name, it looks more like a series of lines or scribbles, without any apparent meaning. This can be interpreted as the result of an escapist person who is very afraid of showing who they really are. It indicates feelings of inferiority and hidden fears.

Location of the signature

The way the signature is positioned on the paper also offers clues about people, and in particular, how they relate to themselves and the world. Whether the signature is slanted or placed towards the left, middle, or right suggests different temperaments.

• Slanted or placed to the left: this indicates disappointment and fear of others. These people put limits on themselves so they can achieve their goals.
• Centered: this suggests the person in indecisive, and they tend to put off their plans and projects. If the signature is big, that person tends to display more theatrical behavior.
• Slanted or placed to the right: this indicates that the person is independent, proud, and individualistic. There’s also some sort of instability and need to be occupied by many things at the same time.