Have you noticed on TV how Barack Obama adds his signature to a document?

Being left-handed, he curls his hand in a protective gesture around his signature and seems to tackle it from above. The resulting signature is quite different from the rest of his rather conservative handwriting.

If you look past the flourish of the signature and concentrate on the body of the handwriting you will clearly see the difference in style and execution.

The handwriting itself is fairly traditional. Contained and firm it shows quiet strength and modesty.  You will notice how the small size and soberness of the writing show attention to detail, intelligence and a certain restraint.

Also note how the left margin recedes as the letter progresses. It’s an indication of caution and careful forethought.

But that signature! It overshadows everything else on the page. It billows out in a grand gesture and towers over the rest of Obama’s handwriting.

A signature is an emblem of one’s public persona.

If you can accept that a signature is an emblem of one’s public persona you will see immediately that there is great symbolic significance in Obama’s signature.

The size and commanding appearance of his signature shows him to be no shrinking violet.

Furthermore, the flair and expansiveness of the signature shows that his public persona is far more important to him than his private identity.

Interestingly enough, the sharp contrast between the handwriting and the signature shows some sort of conflict between his naturally private disposition and his public persona.

Obama’s handwriting speaks volumes about him but if we concentrate on the signature alone, we can see it as an imposing and eloquent statement of intent.

It declares publicly that he is ready and willing to take on the demanding duties of the huge public office to which he has been elected.

Here is a sample of Obama’s handwriting together with his important and rather grand looking signature.