Hola everyone !
How do you feel about the way your life is going? and more importantly, how do you feel about your ability to decide where's it going to go?
The baseline of a writer tells you whether or not a writer has adequate guidelines; if he feels competent to make decisions , if he feels secure in the decisions he make.
A steady baseline indicates that a writer has a clear sense of objectives. A level baseline( the one which stays fairly parallel to the top and bottom of the page) indicates a realistic approach to life's situation. A person who writes this way may encounter as many problems as anyone else, but believes in his ability -and, more important, he believes in his right- to make decisions that will effect the course of his life.
The writer who uses a rigid baseline is someone who need to believe his guidelines are the only right answer.
There are some type of baselines and their meanings:
- Rigid: The baseline is as perfectly straight as a line of type.
This is hard to do even on lined paper, and it takes a special effort to make the baseline so absolutely perfect. The person who writes this way never allows himself to doubt, never questions his own motives, never hesitates in making a decision. It must be nice to always be so sure of yourself! But what do you do if you are suddenly confronted by a situation in which your rules don't work?
The rigid baseline indicates a writer who is literally walking a tightrope. He cannot afford a single misstep because he cannot permit himself to be wrong.
- Steady or firm: The baseline is fairly straight , though there may be either slight or occasional irregularity.
Within the line of script , the firmer the baseline, the firmer the writer's sense of objectives: the more clearly he can visualize what he wants to do, and the more certain he is that what he is doing and the way he is doing it is right for him, and these are the requisites for doing it well. Most baselines will vary to some extent , or at least some of the time: within a steady baseline , however a slightly irregular means that the writer can make a mistake, and is aware of it.
- Waver: Some letters dip below the line or float above it. The baseline is still fairly steady ( the writer is obviously aware of and is following an invisible guideline) but the irregularity is more pronounced.
When the baseline wavers, it means that the writer had doubts or questions about this goals, profession, or lifestyle, As we discussed above, a baseline waver can occur following a radical change in the person's life ; most often, it indicates conflict with established guidelines (i.e the person who has chosen a lifestyle or goals which are in conflict with society's norms)When enough people tell you you're wrong, you may still do what you think is right,but you are going to feel shaky ground! and its also a fact when you step outside established rules, you have to create your own guidelines, and the person in this position may always question just how valid and useful those guidelines are. These minor doubts are normal, and if not extreme, they do not impede the writer's ability to function. But they do mean that the writer has serious questions about his ability to succeed, and however successful he may actually be, there will always be that undercurrent of self- doubt.
- Temporary Fluctuations: One-time or occasional variations inside a given baseline shape.
a. Baseline Bounce: A section of the time, perhaps even an entire word or phrase, curves or jumps upward: the remainder of the baseline keeps the usual form.
You may see a lot of this in your samples. A sudden baseline bounce is the script equivalent of a giggle. It means that at the moment of writing, the writer experienced a sudden feeling of elation or just thought something was funny.
b. Baseline Sag: A section of the line curves or dips below the baseline.
This is the sign of depression: at the moment of writing , the writer was reminded of something that is making him unhappy.
- ERRATIC: The baseline jumps all over the place.
The erratic baseline shows confusion, emotional change. The feeling is called insecurity and its the most common form of fear there is . The person who writes like this feels that his life has no coherent direction at all; and hat he has no idea what to do about it.
B. THE DIRECTION OF THE BASELINE: overall formation
This measurement considers the general direction of the entire line of script, no matter the internal organization. There are three possible directions a baseline can take:
- Level : The line of script is horizontal, and both the beginning and the end of the line are roughly parallel to the top and bottom of the page.
This writer is realistic and he tends to be as level-headed about fate and luck as his writing shows. He understands that life normally has its ups and downs , and he depends on his own efforts to get him where he wants to go. And if he does not succeed , his attitude is likely to be that he has no one to blame but himself.
- UPSWING: The line of script slants or curves upward.; it ends higher on the page than it began.
The writer is optimistic . No matter what goes on in his life, he believes that eventually everything is going to work out for the best. Depending on other factors in his script, this may mean that he is more disappointments in stride. He may also be kidding himself.
- DOWNSIVING: The line of script slants or curves downward; it ends lower on the page than it began.
This writer is a pessimist. He suspects that no matter what his effects, the bottom is likely to drop out from under him; no matter what happens in his life, he expects the worst. He is hardly ever content.
That's all for now!
Next time, we'll find out how our subjects deal with other people.