Monday, April 28, 2008

Slant: The ‘Body Language’ of Handwriting

Did you know that your handwriting will change at least two or three times a day depending on your mood? It’s usually your slant that changes, and it’s the slant that indicates your mood of the moment.

If the slant of your printing or writing is predominantly vertical, it means you’re projecting objectivity, poise, and outward coolness under pressure. For this slant, picture yourself standing straight, similar to the posture of a soldier. If your slant is vertical, you’ll usually consider situations from a logical, practical standpoint. When you need to appeal to someone with a vertical slant, make sure you’re the voice of reason: Give the person logical points to consider and that person will be on your side.

The more forward your slant, the more your emotions will emerge. If your writing has a gentle forward slant, you’re likely to appear slightly warmer, more friendly and empathetic. While you may not feel ‘warmer’, it will be a little easier for you to show how you feel. You’re likely to be quite pleasant with other without being effusive. You’d also be more inclined to tolerate someone who was a long-winded conversationalist to be polite.

Should your slant tip over slightly more, you’re the type of person who appears extremely empathetic to others; you’d be a natural counselor and others would feel they have an instant rapport with you. There are times when you’ll organize your work with your emotions rather than logically: You’d rather make sure you go out to find your friend’s birthday present than take care of a towering laundry basket.

If your slant is far forward, adjectives such as ‘restless’ and ‘impetuous’ may apply to you. Jumping head-first into activities, you may tend to find yourself exhausted mid-day. You’d rather align yourself with short-term goals and achieve more immediate results. At times you may push ahead with a relationship or a new association without stopping to consider the approach that would work best, even with your heart in the right place. The key for you in certain scenarios would be to pause for just a moment, take a breath and slow down.

As I stated at the outset, the slant of handwriting is analogous to body language. Think of a person leaning backward as he stands at a party talking with you. What is this saying about him? This is the type of person who, no matter how outgoing they appear, will hold you at arm’s length until he or she has time to assess the situation before allowing you to advance too quickly into your world. If you’re seeking closeness with a person who writes with a left slant, let it be on their terms and in their timing! If someone upsets or betrays someone with a left slant, that individual will more than likely have a long, long memory.

Should you meet someone with multiple slants within a sentence or even a word, be aware that you are dealing with someone whose mood changes readily. This type of person can be quite versatile and lively, although the ‘wear’ on their emotional system from pulling back and then jumping forward can make their emotional control a little erratic.

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