During a boring meeting, a teleconference or a less-than-interesting class, many of us will doodle mindlessly on paper. It’s a way of passing the time, much like daydreaming. On almost any workspace or desk there are usually a few pieces of scrap paper with drawings and doodles. But what those doodles are could say a lot about the person who scribbled them down while listening to yet another team meeting on putting the cover sheets on the TPS reports.
Just like what each person sees in an inkblot is different, the small drawings and figures we doodle tell others a bit about what we are thinking. Tracy Trussell is a graphologist and recently explained, “Doodles are like little maps that guide us in the exploration of people’s psyches.” Those who doodle little flowers or hearts are seen as loyal and friendly, however drawing arrows, or pointed shapes indicates ambition and drive. According to Trussell, triangles might suggest a person is looking to advance to bigger and better things, but rounded shapes indicate a person is more collaborative. What’s on your scrap paper?