When John Hancock picked up a quill pen in the summer of 1776 and became the first signer of the Declaration of Independence, he reportedly boasted that he would "sign it in letters bold enough so the king of England can see it without his spectacles."  Who could have known then that his flamboyant penmanship would eventually give him the distinction of a dictionary entry making John Hancock synonymous with "signature"?
 

"SIGNATURE" - FROM THE LATIN WORD "SIGNATUS" MEANING SIGN, MARK, TOKEN. A REVEALING SYMBOL OF "SELF" - IT REFLECTS SELF-ESTEEM AND WHAT THE WRITER WISHES TO PROJECT AS HIS/HER PUBLIC-IMAGE. IT IS THE MOST COMMONLY WRITTEN WORD COMBINATION.

It was Michel de Montaigne who wrote, "There is as much difference between us and ourselves, as there is between us and others."

Confusing? Not at all! There can be a definable difference between what is reflected in our general handwriting and what is reflected in our own signatures.

So, an even more personal means of identifying character, can be found in - our own unique signatures.

I think we all can agree - we are a nation of firsts. For instance.. did you know that the U.S. is:

FIRST NATION TO BE FOUNDED SOLELY ON BELIEF IN GOD.

FIRST NATION TO CALL ITS LEADER PRESIDENT.

FIRST NATION TO ELECT A LEADER BY THE SECRET BALLOT OF FREE MEN.

FIRST NATION TO HAVE A FORMAL BIRTHDATE: JULY 4, 1776.

On this birthdate: we formally adopted our Declaration of Independence. And whose signature was the first to appear on that document? John Hancock's, of course. In fact his written signature is so well known that his birthday, Jan. 23rd, is now designated as NATIONAL HANDWRITING DAY, and his name is synonymous and used interchangeably with the very word "signature" itself. Now we all probably know to some extent, the kind of personality John Hancock is alleged to project. One of his most obvious character traits, as revealed in his handwriting, was his strong desire for recognition. He wanted people to like him, and he loved being the center of attention. He was undoubtedly a showman. His flamboyance was reflected in his dress, his generosity, and of course in his signature. By the way... Mr. Hancock loved to practice signing his name, and actually tried several different styles of writing; but the signature you see here is, of course, the most famous.
      

Now your handwriting reflects your personality - its true dimension in every respect, but..your signature is your trademark. Wherever and whenever it appears, your signature reveals you at your worst and at your best. In your signature, you accentuate that which you are inclined to be.

Your signature represents you in business and before the law. It is accepted even when your presence is not. Identification in the form of your signature is required even when you appear in person.

Again, we are reminded that handwriting is a picture of mental, not physical traits. And of all the ways we communicate, one of the simplest ways in which we reveal our personalities may be through our handwriting.

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HERE ARE SOME PERSONALITY TRAITS THAT ARE REVEALED IN THESE WELL-KNOWN PRESIDENTIAL SIGNATURES....  Are any of them like your own?