Dear Lynette,
Thank you very much for sending in a sample of your small and backhanded writing for us to look at.
The slant of handwriting, like facial expressions and bodily gestures, indicates emotional responsiveness and involvement. A backhand slant means that the writer is inclined toward releasing energy inwardly toward himself or herself rather than outwardly towards others.
Lynette, you have a very significant backward slant. This shows that you are extremely self-contained and rarely show at first glance what you are thinking or feeling. You keep to yourself and hold others at an arm’s length emotionally. You, not the other person, decide whether or not you will become a friend.
In handwriting, movement toward the left symbolizes a return to safety, security and self, rather than an extension out into the world of the unknown. This tells me that you are very concerned about your ego and that you lack naturalness and spontaneity. This is your way of protecting yourself. Back in junior high school, you were subconsciously looking for emotional protection when you developed your backhand slant.
This is not all bad, however. Backhand writers tend to be individualists and act in ways that are unconventional and non conforming. A certain amount of caution and skepticism can be healthy.
Lynette, look at your capital I’s. You will see that the bottom loop has been cut off. This lower loop represents your “father figure” and shows that the influence of your father has been cut off. Perhaps you actually lost your father or maybe he was preoccupied or away a great deal of the time. In any case, you feel that you have been separated from his influence. Perhaps this happened at the same time (and this is the reason) that you began to write with a backhand slant.
Lynette, you make tall T stems. This means that even though you are sensitive to criticism, you are trying hard to attain high personal standards. You are working on discipline and self-control and on developing a positive self-image. You take pride in your appearance and in your work and are willing to do more than what is expected of you. This makes you a resourceful and dependable person.
Although you are fairly intelligent, you are a selective learner. This means that you don’t like to read or learn about topics unless you are already interested in them or agree with the point of view. This indicates that you have a fear of the unknown and it could lead you into a pattern of rigid thinking and behavior. This, in turn, could limit your growth, creativity, and resourcefulness. Try to keep an open mind toward new ideas because nobody is so wise that they can afford to put a lid on learning.
I believe that as you become more self-confident there is a good chance that your writing will change and that your backhand slant will be eliminated. You will probably return to the slant you had when you first learned to write.
I would really like to see your writing in a few years. The comparison would be interesting.
Don’t try to change your writing because of this analysis. Wait until it feels natural and spontaneous.
Good luck to you.
