writing printing - Graphology - sources that permit or forbid it

I saw a orthodox Jewish newspaper that has a column on graphology. Are there any sources that discuss graphology, pro or con? Is it hocus pocus? Is it similar to palm reading?

Answer

Chabad.org has an article entitled Spiritual Graphology--The Soul of Handwriting, Finding the Mind, Body and Soul Connection.

It starts with a quote based on the Rebbe ztz”l

May G‑d help you fulfill the teaching of our sages, that "G‑d should be realized in every mundane thing" – as, for example, how the soul's control over the body can be recognized even in one's handwriting. (Based on the Rebbe's letter, dated Days of Elul, 1981, printed in Hechal Menachem, volume 2, p. 166.)

Another article approves of the use of graphology in helping teenagers.

So it seems that Lubavitch Chassidus agrees with it. No doubt there are qualifications on who is fit to do it.

There is a book Branching Out with Graphology, A Map Through the Forest of the Human Personality, by Rabbi Avraham M. Ashlag published by Hamodia which calls itself “The Daily Newspaper for Torah Jewry” which must imply some sort of approval.

Rabbi Avi Shafran has an article entitled GRAPHOANALYSIS: SCIENCE OR SNOW JOB?. {Snow job – definition - An effort to deceive, overwhelm, or persuade with insincere talk, especially flattery.} An extract:

A second important point to keep in mind when investigating graphology, at least as it is embraced by most people today, is that it is presented as a scientific discipline. There are those who claim a mystical ability to divine personality and facts about individuals from their handwriting, just as there are people who claim to be able to do the same from facial birthmarks or palm creases or tarot cards. Some of those methods, depending on how they are used, may be halachically forbidden, although there have been Jewish mystics who, it is claimed, could “read” a person from his face or his writing. Whatever the merits of such claims, though, graphology’s contemporary promoters do not claim any such supernatural divination.

Another extract:

Objective studies in recognized professional scientific periodicals have yielded no evidence that personality traits can be reliably divined from handwriting.

Last extract:

There are, however, effective ways to receive accurate and truthful information about one’s character, strengths, and weaknesses; and to obtain useful advice for how to make life-choices. For a believing Jew, the path to such good advice has been clearly pointed out by Chazal, in Avos (1:6): “Choose for yourself a rav,” the Sages advised, “and acquire for yourself a friend.” And when you need personal guidance, turn to them.

Rabbi Shafran obviously does not see graphology as an effective tool for us to use in our character development even though there have been Jewish mystics who, it is claimed, could “read” a person from his face or his writing.

Rabbi Shik at the source in Yishai's comment maintains from ליקוטי מוהר"ן that even from a person's phraseology where no handwriting is involved it is possible to determine their character.

In summary then, there are views both ways on the efficacy of “graphology”.