FULLNESS Fullness of handwriting is an easy quality to recognize, but to assess and to evaluate it correctly can sometimes be difficult for the beginner.
Basically, the term "Fullness" is used to indicate letter shapes which are usually rounded, and encompassing more space on the page than the same letter prescribed by the school copymodel.
The opposite quality to fullness is "Leanness" which, as you might expect, indicates that less space than shown in the copymodel has been taken up, often with the result that we see letters reduced to their basic core in 'up/down' movements.
Compare these two signatures, the first being formed with full and rounded movements, note in particular the 'i' "dot":
whilst the second is comprised of linear, angular movements, with little "paper-space" encompassed within the letter forms:
Evaluation:The quality of either 'fullness' or 'leanness' cannot be 'measured' by the use of, say, a ruler, or any other "scientific" means, and therefore the evaluation, by the student graphologist, must always be to some degree a subjective one, with only the school copymodel available as a 'standard' from which to compare. (Serious students will find that qualified tuition is vital if correct assessments are to be made.)
In addition, it is quite common to find the qualities of both fullness and leanness present, in which case both must be given proper weight - they do not cancel each other out. For example, It is common to find "fullness" in the middle zone letters, and "leanness" in the upper and/or lower zones. Indeed this is the preferred state, since the middle zone is where we would expect or "prefer" to find fullness, representing as it does the core of the personality. By contrast, fullness in the upper and/or lower zones, with leanness in the middle zone, indicates that the 'fullness' is not genuine but 'artificial', and reflects a dearth of inner resources, which in turn can point to calculated behaviour (depending upon other factors) which the writer employs in an effort to 'convey' the desired impression. When found throughout the script, this reveals a dominant characteristic of the writer.
"Artificial Fullness":
As will be explained, the interpretation can be a general one, applied to the writing as a whole, or at the other end of the scale it may be found in the occasional letter form, e.g. the 'a', 'd' or 'o' etc., in which case it can simply point to possible tendencies (which as stated before should always be supported by other corroborating factors before any definite conclusions can be drawn).
The interpretation will therefore depend upon the frequency of the movement, and whether it is most prevalent in one zone.
Recognition:
The degree of fullness is judged by the impression given of enclosed space. The space may not be fully enclosed by a complete line as long as the impression of enclosure is clear. See for example in the lower extension of the letter 'g':
 = Full;  = Lean
Full writing is generally the result of curves, while lean writing derives more from straight lines, which in turn implies a degree of angularity. Fullness is a 'creative' movement, indicating something added to the basic form, usually of an imaginative nature, whereas lean writing emphasises the skeleton and is quite definite, and sometimes even 'dry'.
General Interpretations: (with 'positive' interpretations to the left as before, and 'negative' to the right)
FULLNESS:The guiding image is embracing and the source meaning imagination, from which derive:
| Vision |
Lack of realism |
| Creative ability |
Dreaminess |
| Fullness of life |
Subjectivity |
| Artistic Tastes |
Universal approach, as opposed to the specific + Vagueness |
| |
Individual rather than general topical interests |
LEANNESS:The guiding image is that of seeing forms without the spaciousness within and the basic meaning is sobriety. Derivative meanings are:
| Sticking to essentials |
Dullness |
| Objectivity |
Pedantry |
| Specialist outlook |
The quality of being 'boring' |
| |
Realism | Note: The term 'realism' should be used with discretion, as it may have different meanings for different people. A Christian might hold that the Bible holds realistic truth, whereas a scientist might consider realism to be confined to the truth found in the laboratory.
Distribution between the zonesIn considering fullness or leanness and their interpretation, the zones in which the features occur have some relation to the specific, rather than the general meaning. The following examples are by no means comprehensive, but are sufficient to show how the distinction works.
Fullness in the middle zone can indicate warmness and geniality, but exaggerated fullness, especially in the letters 'a' and 'o', is more likely to be a sign of emotional cravings, daydreams or jealousy, and in a slow writing, of laziness. A lean middle zone is a sign of dryness or 'realism'.
Upper zone fullness, if not extreme, is likely to mean imaginative thought, often constructive. Very full, inflated upper loops however, often indicate fancies, illusions and enthusiasms. Loops where there should be none, as prescribed by the school copymodel, e.g. letters 't' and 'd', may be the result of vain tendencies, and can indicate a high degree of sensitivity. Shapely curves often suggest a sense of humour that goes with imagination.
Fullness in the lower zone is likely to show imaginative leanings in the financial, material or sexual spheres - artistic rather than intellectual tendencies are also evidenced below the line. Leanness in the lower zone may show a degree of emotional coldness, but a lot depends upon the copybook style that has been taught; the shape of loops in this zone is a study in itself.
In order to get a complete picture one must therefore consider the features both generally and from the point of view of balance between the zones. For example, fullness often goes with self-esteem and self-assertion, but when extreme and especially when only present in capital letters, e.g. the personal pronoun 'I' and in signatures, usually indicates a degree of self-importance which is based upon the writer's need to feel 'important', i.e. a lack of real self-confidence. Here too the zonal distribution will often show if the ego-inflation lies in the intellectual (upper zone), social or domestic (middle zone), material or sexual realms (lower zone). |
