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Griffin Daily News
EMOTIONAL
PROBLEMS?
• Yes. A handwriting analyst or graphologist can
detect a disturbance, say, in the rhythm of the
writing, which just does not “flow.’
"It may be a combination of factors," says Billie
Pesin Rosen, handwriting analyst and author of
"The Science of Handwriting Analysis” (Crown).
"The middle zone may be uneven, there might be a
change in the slant of the writing, and there might
be a change in the color—some letters are darker
than others.”
In her book, Mrs. Rosen says that a person will
deliberately dwarf the capital letter in the name of
a person, place or thing towards which he directs
hatred or resentment. An unrestrained or undisci
plined character may be indicated by muddled or
smeared words. Frustrations and feelings of inade
quacy cannot be hidden from the expert analyst
The reaction against receiving only limited gratifi
cation for instinctive drives can be shown by the
failure of the hand-writer to close some of the lower
loops when writing the letter “y.” Other negative
characteristics may be present when a person puts
many dots in odd places in his script: over letters or
words that don't call for them.
When a person’s handwriting constantly slants
down, says Mrs. Rosen, it could indicate depression
A comparison of two samples of handwriting taken
at appreciable intervals could turn up a difference
in the degree of pressure that may indicate that
individual is beginning to show diminishing will
power and physical endurance, and perhaps that he
is losing his ability to cope with life’s problems.
Any change in rhythm as shown by comparing
the two specimens can be very significant, especial
ly if the earlier sample clearly has a more rhythmic
flow and appears steadier and more "tuneful” than
the later one. “Irregularity in the spaces between
words readily catches the eye," says Mrs. Rosen
’*. . . We may psychologically interpret this lack of
rhythm as an upset in drives and tensions . . ,’’
The hand that writes and then moves on leaves
revealing traces of personality for the analyst
MIR ROR OF YOUR MIND
• Are exhibitionists uninhibited ?
As a rule, you are apt to find that
compulsive exhibitionists have more
self-doubt and more concerns about
themselves than the people they are
trying to impress. If one of these
exhibitionists seems to be “on” all
the time, he is almost sure to be
carrying on a continual fight with
himself to convince himself that he
enjoys being seen "at the scene.”
Clothing, hair, mannerisms—these
are all devices used alone or in com
binations by the inhibited exhibi
tionist to achieve “instant communi
cation" with others.
The clothing is generally high
styled and right up to the minute,
or it can be the complete opposite.
It can be of a "studied" casualness
or of a consciously dated era just
so that it makes the point of estab
lishing the wearer as a "personality”
to be reckoned with. The same point
is made with hair and mannerisms.
In most cases, that is as far as the
involvement goes.
. Many exhibitionists who hide
their inhibitions are afraid to let
anyone know they have not devel-
2
oped their full potential as adults
They look upon their "performance”
before the crowd as something that
is not really happening. They have
a rather detached regard for them
selves and. in this way. find they
are able to keep their doubts and
fears suppressed.
Years of being exhibitionists be
come away of life to them. They
feel they are constantly “in orbit.”
rotating around the nucleus where
all the action is. but they never
dare to plunge in and participate
for fear they will burn up in the
atmosphere of their own inhibitions.
They continue to play to the audi
ences, impelled by whatever little
applause or critical appreciation is
wafted their way.
It is not unusual for inhibited ex
hibitionists to cling together, offer
ing support, and preventing each
other from giving in to the tempta
tion that must come to all exhibi
tionists—the urge to take a long
hard look at themselves to see if
they can see what others think they
see in them.
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• IV JOHN cONW EI L
• Does moral support really help ?
Yes. of course. Even if. in more
scientific terms, moral support is
called emotional support, it can of
ten be the deciding factor in deter
mining success or failure.
G. Burnand. in a “Mental Health
Digest" article condensed from the
"British Journal of Psychiatry,"
says, "if a person is faced with a po
tentially frightening task such as
making a speech, the company of a
friend may improve the delivery of
the speech by his emotional sup
port .."
Moral support is effective, says
Burnand, when it is supplied by the
partnership of two or more people.
One has to be passive to supply the
support, and the other active to ac
complish a purpose: and the active
one must firmly believe that the
passive partner shares his goals.
Although emotional support is of»
ten called an illusion, it is. says
Burnand, real to the active person.
He believes and has confidence in
his passive partner. Moral support
is also found in situations in which
the active person is trying to de-
velop proficiency in a sport, a work
ing skill or some such thing, with
the help of his supporter: it is found
when an active person is learning
something in which he must parti
cipate alone, such as learning to
drive a car or pilot a plane; and
moral support, of course, is found
at work, as well as in parent-child
relationships.
There is a big difference between
emotional or moral support and
sympathetic emotion and praise,
says Burnand.
The ability to give or accept moral
support doesn't develop without
training. And the best time for that
comes during childhood, when par
ents. older brothers and sisters and
other children stand by. ready to
help the youngster.
Childhood, too, is a time when a
youngster learns to shy away from
giving or accepting moral support
if he is disillusioned by his parents.
From then on. he may resist any
attempt by anyone to lend him
moral support and he may never
want to offer it.