What Your Signature Reveals About You

The name “John Hancock” has become a synonym for “signature” in the United States. When people say, “Sign your John Hancock,” they are referring to John Hancock's signature on the United States Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation.

Hancock's signature is the most famous signature in the United States. It is large and stylish, and has become a synonym in the United States for one's own signature.

Signature: Definition

According to the dictionary, a signature is a handwritten representation of someone's name. One's signature is often required on documents as proof of identity and intent to do something.

A signature is a representation of a person in graphic letters. It is an informal way for people to introduce themselves without saying a single word. Your signature is a form of external energy that is displayed when you sign your name.

Handwriting experts can tell a lot about a person, and you can learn to do so as well. The practice of finding out intricate details about a person from their writing is called graphology.

Don't confuse a signature with an autograph. Autographs may be more artistic and decorative, and do not prove any intent.

About Signatures

A person's signature is the name that makes legal documents official. It is also used to identify him and to seal a contract. Most people don't realize that the way they sign their name can often reveal a lot about them.

Signatures are used to solve crimes and to determine who is a better fit for a job. In other words, your signature is a fashion statement of who you really are.

Have you ever noticed that when you look up someone's profile on Wikipedia and other sites, a person's signature is listed? Some of those signatures are seen below, along with a glimpse into their character.

What Graphologists Say About Signatures

Graphologist Kathi McKnight says there are over 5,000 things that a person's handwriting can reveal. To get the most from an analysis, it is necessary to look not only at what is written, but also how the letters are formed and whether a person underlines or uses additional marks in the signature. A lot can be revealed about a person from the connection between letters, spacing, pressure, and slant of the signature.

Graphologist Tracey Trussell is the founder of Handright, a handwriting analysis company. She describes a person's signature as a unique calling card because it shows how the writer wants to be seen by the world.

A lot can be said about Donald Trump's signature. Usually, a signature does not change significantly. In the photos above, it is clear that Donald Trump's signatures are different. The top one is before he became President of the United States, and the bottom one is after he became president. It is the way he signs his name today.

The top signature is larger and more open, with spaces between the letters. The bottom signature is tight and more angular and extremely condensed, indicating that the writer is guarded.

Handwriting expert Michelle Dresbold says Trump's signature shows that he is bold, aggressive, competitive, rigid, and uptight. He is never relaxed and finds it hard to be nurturing. She points out that his angular writing with almost no curves shows up in the signatures of workaholics with sharp minds, who have little or no room for compromise.

What People Think About the President's Signature

Social media has many jokes about Trump’s signature. Someone said it looks like a lie-detector test chart. Another person said it looks like someone is having a heart attack.

Trump’s signature has absolutely no curves, only angles, meaning a lack of empathy. His signature shows he is hungry for power. The way Trump signs his name is a good indicator that he is a tough negotiator and one who doesn't change his mind easily.

Notice that First Lady Melania Trump's signature includes long, tall letters like her husband's, except hers is not as tight. There is some space between her first and last names, indicating that she is not as uptight as her husband. The space also indicates that she can compromise.

Former President of the United States Barack Obama is proud of his first and last names. Notice how large the “B” is in his first name and the “O” is in his last name.

The line through the O is like the Greek symbol for the phi sign. It means the person has balance and things are in a proportional ratio to life.

Michelle Obama was successful before she married Barack Obama, and her signature shows it. There is space between her first and last name, indicating she really didn't need the last name to be who she is.

Even though her last name defines her, she embraces it. That is evident by the way she signs her first and last names with the curves at the ends. However, notice that the “e” in Michelle is ascending while the “a” in Obama is descending. That means that the former First Lady of the United States would have been successful even if she had not married Barack Obama.

It is no surprise that Oprah Winfrey uses only her first name on many occasions. She has taught the public to know her just as Oprah. Whenever she writes her name, she is saying to the universe, “I am Oprah, and my last name doesn't matter that much.”

All of that is indicated not only by the separation of her name, but also by the fact that her last name is smaller. In her signature, Oprah says her last name is insignificant to who she is. Look at how big and decorative the “O” is in her first name.

When she reaches the last letter in her last name, she is so thrilled to have finished it that she uses the long curve as a sign of relief that the process is over. Notice how high the dot is over the i. This also indicates that her last name is not as significant to her as her first name. The W in Winfrey seems to point to Oprah's first name.

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, worked as a calligrapher to make ends meet before becoming a successful actress. She still signs her name in calligraphy. Her last name ends with an upward curve.

Different Types of Signatures

People with ascending signatures aspire to go higher in life. Those with descending signatures have given up and are on their way down. Those who write in a straight line are usually balanced.

If a person signs his name in very small letters, he tends to be stingy and can't be trusted. On the other hand, a person who signs his name in big bold letters tends to be open and kind-hearted and can be trusted.

Curves in a signature show softness and nurturing behavior. When there are no curves in a person's signature, the signer lacks empathy for others and craves power, prestige, and admiration for himself. Notice there are no curves in Donald Trump and his wife's signatures.

A person who writes in a straight line, whether on ruled or unruled paper, has a specific goal in mind, like the signature of Meghan Markle. She is thinking about her goals as she writes, and one can tell she is having fun writing her name.

Analysis of My Own Signature

I recognize the energy that is exuded every time I sign a document. Whether it is a medical form or a credit card receipt, I think of my name and what it reveals.

My signature is an example of my external energy that is displayed when I sign my name.

• My first name is always bigger and bolder than my last name. That's because I inherited my first name, and I have had it since I was born.
• The letter “t” in my first name makes it easy to connect my first name to my last name, which is much smaller.
• My last name is the one I received when I got married. Even though I kept my last name after my divorce, I am reminded of my divorce every time I sign my last name because I use it without the benefit of marriage.
• My last name is always written smaller than my first name, even though it is never written that way intentionally. My external energy prompts me to write it that way.
• The open spaces in my first name indicate freedom. They are not as obvious in my last name.
• The upward curve at the end of my name tells the world that I will succeed despite my marital status.

Tidbits About Signatures

• Signatures should always be written in cursive, not printed.
• You should write your signature and fill out applications in black ink, never blue ink, which fades over time.
• Never write your signature in pencil. It could easily be erased.
• People who do not know how to write are permitted to make an X for their signature.
• If you ever have to sign a document for someone, sign their name and make your initials after it.
• Usually, people sign their name the same way every time for legal purposes.
• Make sure you can recognize your own signature in case of identity theft.