You might think of it as little more than a line of ink; but a signature can actually reveal a whole lot about the person writing it. Think, for a second, about what a signature really is—a statement, repeated and refined over decades, that serves as a one-of-a-kind representation of an individual. It binds you to legal documents. It authorizes your purchases. In other words, it’s yours—and that’s why signature analysis is so revealing.

Is your signature big or small? Messy or neat? Do you sign in the center of the dotted line or a little bit to the right? It turns out all of these things can offer a major glimpse into who you are.

Signing your name in a way that people can actually read is an intentional choice. This is the theory according to the online encyclopedia of handwriting analysis. A clear and complete signature shows a person who is open, straightforward, and willing to share who they are with others. An indecipherable signature, on the other hand, may reveal a person who is arrogant and self-important.

The encyclopedia of handwriting analysis says that embellishments in your writing reveal a lot about who you are.

For example, underlining may indicate a need for responsibility and importance. It also shows a lack of self-confidence and a desire for status and recognition. Embellishments matter because these are deliberate attempts to draw further attention to something that is already apparent—and the things you choose to draw attention to often reveal who you really are.