OVERVIEW
As a graphologist, one cannot help but react to a handwriting on a personal level. With Nelson, I was surprised with how many typically ‘feminine’ characteristics I found in his writing. This was at odds with what I expected of a military commander of his reputation.
His writing does not seem to conform to the handwriting model taught in that era, and is much more relaxed and down-to-earth than the handwritings of his male peers. I feel he had a very modern personality, ahead of his time in many ways. I am sure that he would have felt very comfortable in today’s modern world.
Nelson to me seems a man of contradictions: determined and highly practical, yet at the same time, a generous and warm-hearted man who wanted to be admired.
(See below for a summary of the graphology analysis.)
As a graphologist, one cannot help but react to a handwriting on a personal level. With Nelson, I was surprised with how many typically ‘feminine’ characteristics I found in his writing. This was at odds with what I expected of a military commander of his reputation.
His writing does not seem to conform to the handwriting model taught in that era, and is much more relaxed and down-to-earth than the handwritings of his male peers. I feel he had a very modern personality, ahead of his time in many ways. I am sure that he would have felt very comfortable in today’s modern world.
Nelson to me seems a man of contradictions: determined and highly practical, yet at the same time, a generous and warm-hearted man who wanted to be admired.
(See below for a summary of the graphology analysis.)
INTRODUCTION
Nelson used his left hand after his right arm was amputated in 1797, at the age of 39.
By 1800 he had developed a distinct handwriting style with his left hand, which we are focusing on in this analysis. The image at the top of the page shows a letter from 1801. However, I have analysed several handwriting samples, from Nelson's original letters at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.
The following factors need to be taken into account when assessing his writing, as they may have impacted upon the neatness and stability of the writing:
• the fact that Nelson would be writing on a ship, subject to swaying due to the waves;
• he would have had to learn to write with his left hand which would have taken quite a time to master;
• his delicate constitution, affected by seasickness, malaria, and of course headaches brought on by his head wound of 1798
• and of course the highly limited vision in his right eye after 1794
Below is a summary of the graphology analysis as part of my preparation for a 3-hour workshop I held for the British Institute of Graphology in September 2017 on the subject of 'Emma Hamilton and Horatio Nelson - their lives and handwriting.'.
A full graphology analysis takes 3 hours or more, so the below is an edited overview. A full personality portrait normally consists of a page of A4, outlining the personality in terms of Intellect, Activity, Adaptability and Emotivity. This process follows the French school of graphology, as used by the British Academy of Graphology.
Apologies for the some of the language I have used, there is a lot of graphology-jargon and technical terms. However, it does illustrate the process for a graphology analysis. You are welcome to skip to the Analysis Summary at the bottom.
FIRST IMPRESSION
• This writing flows with a natural rhythm with a slight lean backwards
• Some vowels look squashed but the overall feeling is one of warmth and ease
• The page is filled up with writing but retains a sense of order and legibility
INTERACTION BETWEEN FORM, MOVEMENT, SPACE AND STROKE
• The warmth of the Stroke & easy rhythm of the Movement stand out
• The Form is slightly Irregular. The Middle Zone is Large but Low, with more prolongations down than up
• Space is well controlled but Compact as Black dominates White, filling up the page with writing
• There is a thready, horizontal flow that is flexible and relaxed, with the occasional stiffening on the verticals
=
• Expression & communication with others is easy & natural, an inner freedom that is not held back by a need to put on a mask.
• There is a natural warmth and generosity of spirit
• Some self-doubt gives him sensitivity & intuition
• Likes to be at the centre of the action, operates well in his environment, he is well-adapted to his world
• His focus is on the here-and-now, practical realities and getting things done
GLOBAL POINTERS
• Movement type: Flowing (= natural confidence, calmness, good delegation skills)
• Tension 2 & 3: with sudden ''stiffening" on the verticals (= Discipline, adaption, ease with self)
• Open / Closed: Open: wide, curved, nourished (= receptive, adaptable)
• Structure: Well-structured (= comfortable feeling of self, solid Ego, good use of Defence Mechanisms)
• Axes: A balance between Horizontal and Vertical (= well-rounded efficiency, a balance between engaging with the outside world and self-control and independence)
GRAPHOLOGICAL SIGNS (Technical notes for Graphologists)
ANALYSIS SUMMARY
This is a naturally warm-hearted man, with ‘soft-skills’ that add to his leadership ability. His open-minded approach enables him to listen to others and be flexible in finding solutions to problems.
He has a down-to-earth practicality that gives him common sense, and an organised, detail-focused grasp of situations.
A strong sense of belonging means that he enjoys working in a team, and he has an attachment to family and his roots. He will be loyal to those close to him and will be able to delegate to others in his work.
He has strong confidence in his own abilities, and enjoys being at the centre of the action. He will seek the limelight and want to be praised. This will make him a little dependent on others’ admiration.
His strong sense of intuition is based on a sensitive streak that motivates him to be keenly aware of his environment. His restless nature gives him a taste for novelty, conquest and enterprise.
Despite his ‘feminine’ characteristics, he has a defensive underbelly, and will be stubborn, determined, and tenacious in his desire to achieve his goals.
Questions and further information
If you have any questions on this analysis, on graphology in general, or want to give some feedback, please email me at: insightgraphology@gmail.com
Nelson used his left hand after his right arm was amputated in 1797, at the age of 39.
By 1800 he had developed a distinct handwriting style with his left hand, which we are focusing on in this analysis. The image at the top of the page shows a letter from 1801. However, I have analysed several handwriting samples, from Nelson's original letters at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.
The following factors need to be taken into account when assessing his writing, as they may have impacted upon the neatness and stability of the writing:
• the fact that Nelson would be writing on a ship, subject to swaying due to the waves;
• he would have had to learn to write with his left hand which would have taken quite a time to master;
• his delicate constitution, affected by seasickness, malaria, and of course headaches brought on by his head wound of 1798
• and of course the highly limited vision in his right eye after 1794
Below is a summary of the graphology analysis as part of my preparation for a 3-hour workshop I held for the British Institute of Graphology in September 2017 on the subject of 'Emma Hamilton and Horatio Nelson - their lives and handwriting.'.
A full graphology analysis takes 3 hours or more, so the below is an edited overview. A full personality portrait normally consists of a page of A4, outlining the personality in terms of Intellect, Activity, Adaptability and Emotivity. This process follows the French school of graphology, as used by the British Academy of Graphology.
Apologies for the some of the language I have used, there is a lot of graphology-jargon and technical terms. However, it does illustrate the process for a graphology analysis. You are welcome to skip to the Analysis Summary at the bottom.
FIRST IMPRESSION
• This writing flows with a natural rhythm with a slight lean backwards
• Some vowels look squashed but the overall feeling is one of warmth and ease
• The page is filled up with writing but retains a sense of order and legibility
INTERACTION BETWEEN FORM, MOVEMENT, SPACE AND STROKE
• The warmth of the Stroke & easy rhythm of the Movement stand out
• The Form is slightly Irregular. The Middle Zone is Large but Low, with more prolongations down than up
• Space is well controlled but Compact as Black dominates White, filling up the page with writing
• There is a thready, horizontal flow that is flexible and relaxed, with the occasional stiffening on the verticals
=
• Expression & communication with others is easy & natural, an inner freedom that is not held back by a need to put on a mask.
• There is a natural warmth and generosity of spirit
• Some self-doubt gives him sensitivity & intuition
• Likes to be at the centre of the action, operates well in his environment, he is well-adapted to his world
• His focus is on the here-and-now, practical realities and getting things done
GLOBAL POINTERS
• Movement type: Flowing (= natural confidence, calmness, good delegation skills)
• Tension 2 & 3: with sudden ''stiffening" on the verticals (= Discipline, adaption, ease with self)
• Open / Closed: Open: wide, curved, nourished (= receptive, adaptable)
• Structure: Well-structured (= comfortable feeling of self, solid Ego, good use of Defence Mechanisms)
• Axes: A balance between Horizontal and Vertical (= well-rounded efficiency, a balance between engaging with the outside world and self-control and independence)
GRAPHOLOGICAL SIGNS (Technical notes for Graphologists)
- ‘Warm hearted’: Flowing + Large + Spontaneous + Connected + Open
- ‘Concrete thinking’: Stable Baseline + Low + Connected + Dominant Lower Zone + Compact
- ‘Belonging’: Open + Flowing + Stable Baseline + Orderly
- ‘Self Confidence’: Flowing + Large + Spontaneous + Full + Wide + Dominates the page + Superelevations. Superelevations = Maslow 4 i.e. he was motivated by peer recognition and approval. Pride exists (the Superelevated, Starting Strokes, especially on the word "My", the tall capitals; his confident u/z connections, the overall dimension is quite Large despite being often Low, and he does take the page for himself after all (Jupiter).
- ‘Defensive’: Left Slant + some stiffening Tension + some Angles (usually well-executed and firm t-bars realistically placed on the stem) + Reared in the l/z, so his instincts are stubbornly defensive no matter what level of amiability he consciously expresses. Double-crossed T-bars and Whips, the straight sharp angular connecting strokes from the stem of "t" and the u/z hooks.
- ‘Sensitive’: Irregular Dimension & Continuity + Wide + Tendency to Threads
- ‘Extrovert’: (ease of Movement + lively rhythm + Spontaneous + Animated + Sanguine). Some introverted qualities (short end strokes, left slant, some regressive strokes). An extravert (who goes with the demands of the collective) but who nevertheless has 'brakes' to guards his personal rights.
ANALYSIS SUMMARY
This is a naturally warm-hearted man, with ‘soft-skills’ that add to his leadership ability. His open-minded approach enables him to listen to others and be flexible in finding solutions to problems.
He has a down-to-earth practicality that gives him common sense, and an organised, detail-focused grasp of situations.
A strong sense of belonging means that he enjoys working in a team, and he has an attachment to family and his roots. He will be loyal to those close to him and will be able to delegate to others in his work.
He has strong confidence in his own abilities, and enjoys being at the centre of the action. He will seek the limelight and want to be praised. This will make him a little dependent on others’ admiration.
His strong sense of intuition is based on a sensitive streak that motivates him to be keenly aware of his environment. His restless nature gives him a taste for novelty, conquest and enterprise.
Despite his ‘feminine’ characteristics, he has a defensive underbelly, and will be stubborn, determined, and tenacious in his desire to achieve his goals.
Questions and further information
If you have any questions on this analysis, on graphology in general, or want to give some feedback, please email me at: insightgraphology@gmail.com