What your handwriting says about your personality

Graphology, the science of analyzing handwriting for personality traits, has been around since the days of Aristotle.

Today, it's used for a variety of purposes, from criminal investigations to understanding your health. Some employers even use handwriting analysis to screen potential employees for compatibility.

We talked to master graphologistKathi McKnight what the seemingly insignificant details in your writing say about your personality. "Just from analyzing your handwriting, experts can find over 5,000 personality traits," she says.

McKnight readily admits that the information she provides below is a basic overview, so it won't apply to everyone in every situation and you won't want to rely on it too heavily. But, if you have a few minutes, perhaps consider putting away your smartphone to explore what your handwritten words truly say.

Start by writing out a sentence. We suggest: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." Then, keep reading to see what your handwriting says about you.

Jenna Goudreau and Maggie Zhang contributed to an earlier version of this story.