Is there such a thing as a Narcissistic Signature?
Monday, April 15, 2024.
Research Unveils: CFOs with Bigger Signatures More Likely to Be Narcissists…
In a delightful twist of fate, a recent study has uncovered a curious correlation between the size of one's signature and the propensity for narcissism…
Yes, you read that right.
Apparently, if your signature could double as a sprawling piece of calligraphy, you might just have a touch of the narcissistic flair…
How the study was conducted
The study, which involved scrutinizing the signatures of 500 chief financial officers, revealed some eyebrow-raising findings. Those CFOs who wielded pens with a flourish, creating signatures that could rival the Great Wall in length, were more inclined to engage in some creative accounting practices.
You know, the kind that involves conveniently forgetting a zero or two when reporting company earnings or loosening those pesky internal controls like a waistband after a big meal…
Dr. Charles Ham, one of the masterminds behind this revelation, expressed his amusement at the unconventional methodology: "In a perfect world, we'd sit down with these executives and have them take a personality quiz. But alas, reality rarely obliges. So, we turned to the next best thing: their signatures. It's like a window into their souls, only squigglier."
Now, hold your applause for narcissism just yet. Dr. Ham cautioned against romanticizing this trait, despite society's penchant for idolizing the likes of Steve Jobs as the poster children of self-absorption. He clarified, "Sure, a dash of narcissism can be charming, like a well-groomed mustache. But let's not forget, there's a dark side to it too. Think less 'self-confidence' and more 'authoritative eyebrow raise' and 'exploitative grin'."
The study, meticulous in its approach, sifted through notarized documents provided to the Securities and Exchange Commission to extract these prized signatures.
Professor Nick Seybert, another brain behind the operation, assured skeptics that they left no stone unturned. "We crossed our 't's and dotted our 'i's, figuratively speaking," he quipped. "We even compared CEO signatures to see if it was truly the CFOs leading the charge in the oversight department."
Final thoughts
For the uninitiated, spotting a narcissistic flourish in a signature involves keeping an eye out for those extra loops and the occasional exclamation mark, because nothing says 'egotistical' quite like an exclamation mark after your own name!
In the end, the study, published in the Journal of Research in Personality (Mailhos et al., 2016), serves as a gentle reminder: when it comes to signatures, size does matter — just not in the way you might think. So next time you're scribbling your John Hancock, remember, it might just reveal more about you than you'd care to admit.
Be Well, Stay Kind, and Godspeed.
RESEARCH:
Mailhos, A., Buunk, A. P., & Cabana, Á. (2016). Signature size signals sociable dominance and narcissism. Journal of Research in Personality, 65, 43-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2016.09.004
