The Image of one's Signature

[butterfly]

I had a short but angry discussion with my father about my handwritten signature. He said it was a worthless signature and asked when i would finally get a 'decent' signature. I replied that this was my signature and i wasn't going the change it, as there was nothing wrong with it. He proceeded to say i was a self-absorbed fool who knew nothing about the world, that my signature was childish and that people would think less of me because of it. I told him he was being silly, upon which he basically said that with my attitude i would have serious trouble living in the 'real' world.

 

If your wondering, my signature is just my last name written as I would normally do it without a capital letter.

 

So i was wondering is he alone in his opinion, because I can't really see much merit in his reaction or his arguments. But i'm not the kind of person to just trust in what to me feels obvious and reasonable, so i wanted to get some feedback.

 

qwb,

 

PS I truly am a somewhat passive and self-absorbed person of him, so i suppose this maybe part of some long running frustation with those aspects of me.

[Gfted1]

Your signature should include capital letters for your first and last name and be legible.

 

Grow up you narcissist.

[Arkan]

Show him Prince's "signature."

[astr0creep]

I remember having a very similar conversation with father a long time ago. I think it was when he was teaching me how to write a check.

 

The point of a signature is that it has to be unique to you and, preferably, hard to forge. If you sign your name the same way you write any other words, it will not do and your father is right. Also, you need to be able to reproduce it almost identically everytime.

If you ever work in a restaurant and you get the opportunity to handle the cash register and customer payments, you will have many examples of what a signature should be.

 

My first name is very short and my last name is long. So my signature is basically my complete first name followed by a scribble of my last name where only the first two letters are discernable and the whole thing is written very fast.

Anyone who knows me can tell it's my name, anyone else can make out some letters and that's about it.

Edited September 27, 2006 by astr0creep

[Pidesco]

Your dad is right.

[Surreptishus]

Does your signature have hearts and stars in it?

Edited September 27, 2006 by Surreptishus

[Blarghagh]

My signature isn't even my name.

 

Nobody cares, and nobody looks at it. You could draw some flowers and nobody would give a ****.

 

Your dad is the one who doesn't see how the world works. Thinking that your signature actually matters in any particular way whatsoever, now THAT'S narcissism. Your signature is even less significant than your life.

 

EDIT: Also, if anything, your signature should be illegible as to prevent forgery.

Edited September 27, 2006 by TrueNeutral

[butterfly]

Your signature should include capital letters for your first and last name and be legible.

 

Grow up you narcissist.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Well with 2 of the 3 things i agree, but why does it have to have capital letters. It's those litle things i can't wrap my head around. So maybe this isn't that important but i still wonder. The reason why i write my name like i do is because i have a very unsteady hand, this is the best way to make my signature legible.

 

And i do need to add my first name, that was the only reasonable argument i think he had.

 

narcist,

Edited September 27, 2006 by butterfly

[Musopticon?]

I just scribble some long curved lines fast, it usually results in something resembling what normal people call signature.

 

It's a load of crap to think that how you write your signature actually matters.

[butterfly]

EDIT: Also, if anything, your signature should be illegible as to prevent forgery.

 

Actually i have heard the opposite, it's one of many litle fuzzy factoids buzzing around in my head. I know a lot of little things i just don't trust them.

 

qwb,

[Blarghagh]

I did read some article a while ago about some guy who never used the same signature. Sometimes he'd draw a grid, or a hamburger, or a flower, or whatever, and nobody ever noticed.

[LadyCrimson]

It doesn't matter, as long as you write it (pretty much) the same every time so it's recognizably 'yours.' People who like their sigs to be a certain way are just being...ah...old school or something.

 

My father, since he was disabled, wrote his signature with a pen in his mouth and used only his first and last initials, since the whole name was too much effort. No one cared, including banks and such. A sig is a sig.

 

My sig has become more and more sloppy as time goes on; after endless check-writing, it gets tedious making it pretty, so I take my cue from doctors; unlegible scribbles are cool.

[Hildegard]

The writings on my signature are a reflection of my thinking about certain things...

[LadyCrimson]

I did read some article a while ago about some guy who never used the same signature. Sometimes he'd draw a grid, or a hamburger, or a flower, or whatever, and nobody ever noticed.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And then there was the ZUG website experiment: http://www.zug.com/pranks/credit/

[Kaftan Barlast]

'Ah jus put me a darn ol' X on dem papers and things an all... after mah accident, dey translplanted my brain an replaced it with a monkeys brain and after that I don' think no good no more. Ah can' stop scratchin maself in intemate places and hurlin' my feces when I get all mad and stuff neither

[astr0creep]

'Ah jus put me a darn ol' X on dem papers and things an all...  after mah accident, dey translplanted my brain an replaced it with a monkeys brain and after that I don' think no good no more. Ah can' stop scratchin maself in intemate places and hurlin' my feces when I get all mad and stuff neither

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Poor Kaftan. If Bush would allow stem cell research they wouldn't have to replace your brain with a monkey's.

 

I feel for you man.

[Hell Kitty]

You should shave off your dad's eyebrows when he goes to sleep. That'll show him!

 

I'm in the "who gives a flying crapola" camp here regarding the importance of signatures.

 

My own signature seems to vary a bit , but then that's true of all my writing. A page of writing from me looks like it could have been written by several different people.

[Deraldin]

I did read some article a while ago about some guy who never used the same signature. Sometimes he'd draw a grid, or a hamburger, or a flower, or whatever, and nobody ever noticed.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And then there was the ZUG website experiment: http://www.zug.com/pranks/credit/

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hah! That was hilarious. Just read through everything there.

 

Hell Kitty: I have the same "problem". I have been asked by more than one teacher if I have indeed written everything myself in an assignment. "

[Volourn]

I think your dad needs to chill. They're signatures. People in the 'real world' simply don't care about how your sig looks like.

 

I also hate the whole idea of 'real world' vs. 'fake world'. Who thought up that garbage? LOL

[butterfly]

I also hate the whole idea of 'real world' vs. 'fake world'. Who thought up that garbage?

 

He didn't really say 'real' world, mainly because he wasn't speaking english. That's just my paraphrase of discussion.

 

qwb,

[Enoch]

I'm not saying that this is crucially important or anything, but I think that there are some important criteria in settling on a signature:

 

1) Professonal appearance. It should look like it was written by an adult who takes him/herself reasonably seriously.

2) Consistency. It should look pretty much the same all the time. Banks and the like do check signatures to verify documents.

3) Distinctiveness. You and people who know you should be able to recognize it.

4) Speed. You should be able to write it in 3 seconds or less.

[Gfted1]

Your signature should include capital letters for your first and last name and be legible.

 

Grow up you narcissist.

 

Well with 2 of the 3 things i agree, but why does it have to have capital letters. It's those litle things i can't wrap my head around. So maybe this isn't that important but i still wonder. The reason why i write my name like i do is because i have a very unsteady hand, this is the best way to make my signature legible.

 

And i do need to add my first name, that was the only reasonable argument i think he had.

 

narcist,

 

It should be capitalized because its a proper name.

[Darth Somethingorother]

Your signature should include capital letters for your first and last name and be legible.

 

Grow up you narcissist.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Well with 2 of the 3 things i agree, but why does it have to have capital letters. It's those litle things i can't wrap my head around. So maybe this isn't that important but i still wonder. The reason why i write my name like i do is because i have a very unsteady hand, this is the best way to make my signature legible.

 

And i do need to add my first name, that was the only reasonable argument i think he had.

 

narcist,

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

It should be capitalized because its a proper name.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Also, to me at least, it's sort of like saying you don't respect something if you don't capitalise where you're meant to. That would explain why I always write Lesbian with an upper case L... "

Edited September 27, 2006 by Darth Somethingorother

[Colrom]

Most people at banks and other institutions who really don't need to make personal judgements about you are indifferent to your signature so long as it is consistent - matches whatever they have on file. It could even be just artsy penwork and they would probably be satsfied.

 

Most people who deal with you personally and especially those who make judgements about you will consider your signature to be a reflection of how you think of yourself and your aspirations for the future.

 

If you make a wise ass FU signature everyone who sees it will likely understand it that way and they will act accordingly.

 

If you make a signature in all tidy script lower case with fine writing and no embellishments people will see you as being small unassuming neat and simple or unpretentious. "

 

The character styles you use can say something about your background also. If you are an American and use Greek or German or French or Hebrew or Arabic style letters for example.

 

Most folks develop a distinctive signature with bold capital letters and perhaps a mild embellishment or two. (w00t)

 

I would recommend that. :D

 

I think your father is giving you good advice wrapped in an unpleasant package. Throw away the package. Keep the advice. You and he can work the other stuff out over time.

 

Edited September 27, 2006 by Colrom

[Nartwak]

I can't make my singnature unless I have a quill and a field of at least five inches by ten inches to work with.

 

Edited September 27, 2006 by Nartwak