Anthony Weiner's Handwriting Analysis Reveals 'Traits of a Master Politician'

Are you curious as to what Rep. Anthony Weiner's resignation signature says about him? If so, you are in luck, because it has been analyzed! Thank you, Internet. Via the New York Times City Room blog, the signature, which resembles a lowercase "n" written by someone who might be having some sort of apoplectic attack -- hence the dot, midway to the right -- gives a number of clues as to his persona. What's amusing about handwriting analysis is that it's always done after the fact, when the personality "clues" are actually less clue-like than simply reinforcing of a public perception, but we'll let the experts speak.

"He's out of bounds; he's not within boundaries," said Dianne Peterson, a handwriting expert based in Tennessee. "His emotional slant is that his head overrules his heart; his head is in control of his heart."

The "big hump" at the center of the signature represents the desire to cover up, pretending to live by rules that one actually eschews in private. Also, it's a "symbolic signature," which means you can't really read what it says -- no, you can't. The type of person who chooses a symbolic signature tends "to have a cluster of traits in common: excessive ego, secretiveness, need for privacy, arrogance, and high self-confidence in their area of expertise." (This is because, chances are, they are a celebrity or a politician, or, maybe, a salesperson or a department head.)

Other notes about Weiner's signature: It's optimistic, intelligent, signifies fluid thinking, and might represent a flamboyant type -- but there's irony there, too. It's a private showiness! (Photos of Weiner at the gym notwithstanding.) And there's anger, too. All in all,

"This seems to be a man with typical traits of a master politician," Mr. Baggett wrote.

Handwriting Experts Weigh In on Weiner's Signature (and Psyche) [NYT]