Personality traits in Moretti graphological system The Morettian graphological method allow to define the following personality traits: 1. The altruistic and egoistic movement in Self: Curved/Angular Graphological signs concerned: Curved: openness, unselfishness, yieldingness Profused: expansion Top Opening of A - O: sexual tender emotion Angular: selfishness, self-preservation and self-defence A Angles: reactivity, resentment, emulation B Angles: persistency or stubbornness in clinging C Angles: shrewdness, manipulation, savoir faire Acute: sharpness, contradiction Arid: intellectual, moral and material meanness Wrapped up: distrust Touching Letters: apprehension 2. Mental quantity: widths and distances in handwriting Graphological signs concerned: Letter Width: potential openness of the mind Spacing between Letters: fair judgement, stingy or liberal Spacing between Words: reasoning, judgement, criticism 3. Inventive abilities: uneveness Graphological signs concerned: Methodically uneven: originality, inventiveness, creativity Disorderly (randomly uneven): disorder, entangled ideas
and actions Even: tendency to sheer reproduction Pedantic: pedantry 4. Psychophysical energy: graphical pressure Graphological signs concerned: Heavy: roughness, physical strength Filiform: delicacy in feelings Refined: fineness in feelings Off-and-on carved I: to be goal-oriented, domineering, overbearing, independent Off-and-on carved II: emotionality, impressionability 5. Reality perception related to sentiment of the Self: the size of handwriting middle zone Graphological signs concerned: Medium size: proportion inclined Large size: exaggeration of closing easiness, hyperbole Bold: megalomania Small size: stressed detail observing inclined Tiny: refinement in observation, development and logic conclusion Meticulous: meticulousness 6. Specific modes of psychic energy channelling and expression (graphical rhythm) Graphological signs concerned: Fluid: spontaneity Jerky: inner contraddictions leading to decision taking difficulty, surliness, anger Calm: calmness Slow: slowness Rushing: recklessness, thoughtlessness Springing: impulsiveness Dynamic: dynamicism
Short cut: abrupt decision making Quick: speed Impatient: impatience, restlessness Austere: strictness Bold: boldness Hesitant: shyness Wavering: indecision Pondered: careful consideration Diminishing: weakening Stately: pompousness, prosopopoeia 7. Quality and intensity in affective relationships: graphic slant Graphological signs concerned: Forward Slant: languor, abandonment Upright: self-possesion Backward Slant: tendency to contradiction Straight Extensions: inflexibility Right Bent Extensions: acquiescence Left Bent Extensions: repulsion 8. Psychological insight: axial direction Graphological signs concerned: Sinuous: psychological penetration Twisted: control Parallel: one-sidedness, lack of empathy Lithe: unsincere sympathy 9. Character constancy: direction of lines Graphological signs concerned: Stable on the Line: firmness Rising: easily fired, presumption Descending: moral weakness, discouragement, yieldingness Planted on the Line: seriousness and reliability
10.Continuity or fragmentation of inner movement: connection Graphological signs concerned: Connected: continuity, unbroken process (in action, in feeling, in thought...) Disconnected: detailed analysis Overconnected: intuitive logic 11.Clarity and precision in reality perception: form and accuracy Graphological signs concerned: Clear: clearness in learning and communication Neat: precision and distinction in self high opinion Accurate: carefulness, accuracy, precision in outward appearance Elegant: perspective art Levigate: affected propriety, pretentious correctness Dark: darkness in thought and action Confused: confusion, bewilderment Negligent: carelessness Essential: sobriety, terseness Tangled: nebulosity, indistinct superimposition 12.Fugitive gesture: flourishes Graphological signs concerned: Flourishes of Boldness: boldness Flourishes of Confusion: confusion Flourishes of Flattery: hypocrisy Flourishes of Hiding: careful concealment of the self Flourishes of Mythomania: fixed ideas, misinterpretation Flourishes of Phlegm: phlegm in thought and action Flourishes of Sobriety: sobriety, terseness Flourishes of Subjectivism: attachment to the self, cold attractive art
CURVED The CURVED graphological sign is the sign of sentiment's extroversion, in that it indicates 'social and socialised tendency'. It is a indication of sentiment that needs to express itself and is capable of compassion; it indicates the ability to accept and adapt. It transmits the tendency to selflessness, intended as the impulse to satisfy the aspirations, demands and desires of others, if it has the ability to remove obstacles. Otherwise it transforms into mere surrender, impersonal adaptability and disengagement, through Self's lack of precise aspirations to develop and satisfy. An excessive graphical roundness, therefore, indicates a predominance of the adaptive nature, that brings with it the disregard of Self's rights through inaction, by 'indolence, which Moretti defines as "nothing more than egoism characterised by not wanting to inconvenience itself to sort things out" and therefore lets things go their own way. For these reasons the above average curve injures, not only justifiable resentment, but also sensibility, independence, psychological comprehension and the ability of observation. On a graphic level the Curve requires not only a rounded line, but one without markings in that any sign of breaks or slowing down, including those due for example to accuracy, decreases the degree of the Curve. It is precisely this qualification that makes it a sign that is anything but easy to measure for amateurs, who must wait, before giving an opinion concerning it, to know all the other graphological signs that can support or oppose the Curve in some way. In fact not all Curved writings are writings of selflessness or surrender and this is because signs of preventative defence other than the angle exist, and it is extremely important for the graphologist, in order to arrive at a correct valuation of the altruistic/egoistic movement, to know how to recognise them. The psychological significance of the Curve sign, consequently, becomes the result of the following lines of study: 1. the measurement of the roundness of the line, which turns out to be inversely proportional to the quantity of angles, markings and breaks of various nature present in the handwriting;
2. the evaluation of the specific contribution given by all the other signs present in the handwriting, that can support the altruistic movement of openness (e.g. Sinuous, Rushing, Right extensions...) or obstruct it in that they belong to the psychological significance of care and defence of Self (e.g. Pondered, Stable on the line, Straight Extensions...)
Fig. 3 - Altruistic movement (Curved) obstructed by other signs (Accurate, Heavy, Backward slant)
Fig. 4 - Altruistic movement (Curved) strengthened by other signs (Large spacing between letters, Rushing) As Moretti says, "The true Curve, psychologically speaking, does not exist and one can graphologically disregard it... We assign the Curve sign and we consider it graphologically to facilitate the evolution or the practical application of Graphology, in that we, by fixing the opposites, although one of them does not in reality occur, understand things better. And that
precisely because, in this way, we consider them in their dynamic part and not in their simple static position." (Moretti, 1972, p. 59) In order to adequately understand the Curve sign, therefore, it is necessary to introduce its opposite extreme, the
ANGULAR The angle requires an abrupt change of direction, or rather it requires the subject to always have a prompt responsiveness, the subject has the means to develop its own personality keeping it distinct from others. The angularity, in this sense, is an indication of introversion in that it protects the properties of the Self. Its actions are actions of personal defence. The angle constitutes, moreover, a coefficient of the impulse to act and awakens intellectual activity, in the shape of attention and sensibility, thanks to the incitement (A Angles) that sparks the reaction and thanks to the resistance (B Angles) that does not give in and has the ability to selfcommand in order not to give way under difficulties.
Fig. 5 - A Angles and B Angles The angles are necessary for any action that requires a constant and long struggle, but they can obstruct the lucidity of conscience and express itself in a fight for the triumph of Self, even against reason. The angle, moreover, increases the attention and therefore the perception of each little sentiment, it favours introspection and makes thought more distinct and refined. On this point Moretti writes: "The Angle is the sign of selfishness, but at the same time it is the sign of the impulse to fight with ourselves and with others, an impulse that for its very nature cannot help but be fully conscious in that it involves all the attention and the intentions of the Self. We can say that the Angle leads
Self not to a dead end as can happen with the Curve sign, but it throws it in the middle of the calm or stormy waves of an immense sea so that it realises all that springs from or can spring from the calm or the storm... So that the Self is forced to measure, weigh and consider its responsibilities towards itself and towards others..." (Moretti, 1955, p. 88) In its analogical significance, the Angle requires an interruption of the movement, a pause, followed by the resumption of the graphic, and each break, psychologically speaking, prepares the stance, therefore it is the opposite of the Curve sign. Saudek also observes that the Angle is preferred by people who do not seek decisive compromises, but prefer the conflict with difficulties. Moretti distinguishes two types of angles, that is two distinct forms of direct defence of Self: the reaction against each attack perceived as directed to Self (A Angles); •
the resistance in attachment in order not to be deprived of what the Self cares about (B Angles). •
A ANGLES These are an indication of active intangibility of Self. The Self, when attacked, feels grievance and in resentment it reacts. In itself the disposition to resentment is a form of "fragility of the soul that is made sensitive regarding its own defects through the observations of others" (Moretti, 1972, p. 72), but all this depends on the degree with which the sign materialises. When the sign is constituted for the most part by sharp angles the resentment becomes so accentuated that it expresses itself in a state of irritability constantly waiting to find a pretext to show itself.
Fig. 6 - A Angles On the analogical level the reaction presupposes a disposition of the personality to stop and raise itself in order to defend itself against aggressions. The more sharp are the stopping and the raising, the more sharp will be the angle and the reaction strong. In the most pronounced degrees Moretti speaks of attacks against whosoever attempts to debase the integrity of the Self, arriving at direct forms of aggressiveness. The sign of reaction (also defined as resentment or touchiness, according to the degree) can be found at the foot of the lower case 'a' on the left side, and takes the name of 'A Angles'
