All-caps handwriting reveals some key personality traits of the writer.
Why people write in all caps
Many people these days write in block letters, also known as all-caps handwriting or block print writing.
When I asked a mechanical engineer once why he preferred all-caps handwriting to cursive, he said, “It’s easier and faster to write that way.”
Many people believe they write in all caps because block writing enables them to write faster. The scientific truth, however, presents a different picture: it says you can write much faster in cursive.
As a matter of fact, writing in all caps takes much more time than normal cursive because the print writer is required to lift the pen every now and then, resulting in slower writing speed.
In contrast, cursive writing is fast because the letters are connected.
Apart from that, writing in cursive has many benefits. A write-up on www.campaignforcursive.com says:
Connected writing, or cursive writing, is not merely a form of communication. It unlocks potential for abstract thinking, allows the human brain to compartmentalise, and expands memory capacity. It develops individual expression. Research indicates that printing and keyboarding cannot achieve this in the same way.”
The question now is: if there are more benefits of writing in cursive, why do some people have all-caps handwriting?
According to handwriting analysis, cursive writing is an outcome of a complex co-ordination of mind and body, and some people find that coordination difficult. Which is why they take recourse to all-caps handwriting.
Analysing all-caps handwriting
People who have all-caps handwriting usually want to remain mysterious.
A small note: There are people who switch between cursive and all-caps handwriting. If that is case, we will analyse only cursive.
In order to understand people who write in all caps, you must know about handwriting zones.
Handwriting is divided into three zones. Each zone is significant and it reveals something about the personality of the writer.
Take a look at the picture below to understand the three zones of handwriting.
Three zones of handwriting
All three zones can be found in handwriting only when there is a mix of capital and lower-case letters. The proportions of the three zones determine the balance between the three major areas of ego development:
- The intellectual and spiritual sphere (Upper zone)
- Everyday social self and day-to-day concerns (Middle zone)
- Unconscious instinctual/materialistic drives (Lower zone)
Also, the upper zone represents the future, the middle zone denotes the present, and the lower zone reflects the past.
When the three zones are well-balanced and in a good and flexible form, the writer shows stability at the most basic level, as well as involvement and initiative. He can handle his own thoughts and feelings so as to get on with others, express himself, and accomplish his goals.
Overemphasis on any one zone always occurs at the expense of one or both of the others.
For example, a greatly extended upper or lower zone often tangles with the one above or below, which increases the confusion that the writer is having in sorting out his thoughts and drives.
Entangled handwriting shows the writer takes up too many tasks at at time.
Similarly, if the middle zone is strongly developed—but neither the upper nor lower zones are—the writer is overly concerned for himself and his own daily activities. His self-assurance borders on presumptuousness and conceit, and he will make great issues of trivial things.
In all caps handwriting as well, we only have the middle zone; the other two zones—upper and lower—are missing.
See the sample below:
All-caps handwriting
It is the two missing zones—upper and lower—which make an all-caps writer different from a cursive writer.
Let’s now uncover some personality secrets of people writing in all caps:
#1. They don’t like sharing much
People who write in all caps prefer not like to share their feelings.
I had an ex-colleague who wrote in all caps. We worked together for about a year and we sat barely a couple of meters apart.
But beyond his name and the fact that he worked there, I did not know anything about him. I still don’t. In fact, most people on the team thought the same about him.
Such writers do not like to disclose much about themselves to others.
According to graphology, all-caps writers are uncomfortable talking about their personal lives—at least in interpersonal relationships. They do not want others to know about themselves. Learn about signature in all caps.
#2. They suppress their feelings
People who have all-caps handwriting feel a compulsive need to sift their emotions through reason. They seldom allow their feelings to come out spontaneously.
In fact, they also repress their feelings primarily because they are suspicious or defensive. (Also read: Lucky Signature Samples)
In some cases, writing in all-capital letters may not be much hiding the true personality as it is controlling the expression of self. Control can be an effective response to stress, and it may be taken to the extreme.
#3. They are ‘narcissists’
Michael Watts says in his book, Lovescript, that all-caps handwriting may belong to writers with “narcissistic tendencies”.
If you also see any other narcissistic indicators in the writing, for example a large/large and showy signature, the writer is a “narcissist” with poor people skills, he observes.
However, it won’t be a good idea to call every call caps/print writers as narcissists. A handwriting analyst needs to find out what the rest of the writing shows about the writer’s personality.
As a matter of fact, many of these block printers have physical issues, and some mental health issues. It’s possible that they resort to block printing rather than display the problems with controlling the pen that would come in cursive writing or even in manuscript printing.
As a matter of rule, a handwriting analyst is not qualified to diagnose a condition; he can only describe what he sees in the handwriting. Therefore, always look at the whole picture before arriving at a conclusion.
(Also read: Learn how to make a signature and get the best signature style)
#4. They are set in their ways
All-caps handwriting lacks connection between letters, which indicates that the writer does not like to relate to people at a personal level.
Also, such writers are quite egotistic. They hold strong opinions and it’s very tough to get them to see another point of view. They emphasise a lot on their day-to-day lives, rather than spending time planning their future.
About all-caps handwriting, graphologist Sheila Lowe says:
The writer’s [Block printer] energies are concentrated in the day-to-day area of routine and social interaction… her ego is central to all aspects of her life. She does not mind sharing her opinions, and expects you to agree with her. But if you don’t, it won’t change her mind.”
All-caps handwriting: Personality Highlights
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They do not like to disclose much about themselves
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They don’t relate with others at a personal level
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They repress their feelings
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They may have ‘narcissistic tendencies’
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They avoid seeing another point of view
Final words
According to some handwriting analysts, most ransom notes are written in all-caps handwriting. The key purpose is to remain anonymous and unknown. That is not to say that everyone who writes in all capital could be a potential kidnapper.
But when you write in all-caps handwriting, you are—perhaps unknowingly—sending out the following message: “I do not want you to know what I think, and I do not want you to see who I am.” There is a conscious desire to keep a distance, be mysterious.
Should you then abandon all-caps handwriting?
If you are comfortable with it, switch to cursive writing. But do that slowly, especially if you have been writing in all caps for a long, long time.
Is your signature harmful? Find out.
Disclaimer: One element of handwriting may be analysed at a time, but always look at the entire handwriting sample before arriving at any conclusion.
