They say that what we wear says a lot about us, but we like to think that what we write with can also be a window into the soul. Even now, at a time when we rarely send handwritten letters, people often have a go-to type of pen that they prefer to use above all others.
What can a pen reveal about your personality?
Your pen choice can be a decisive statement even if, when you come to write, your cursive indicates that the only things you write by hand are birthday cards and shopping lists. Let’s find out what your pen choice says about you.
A cheap pen with a company logo that you got from your last recruitment fair (or more likely, stole from your roommate/co-worker’s pen pot): You’re practical, efficient, and good with money. You’re not bothered about using a cheap pen because you only want it to jot notes down when you can’t get to your phone. As an added plus, because you rarely pay for your pens, you’re happy to lend them out to other people without worrying if you get them back.
(If you run a business that could benefit from cheap personalised pens, like those from National Pen, you’ll be pleased to learn that these adverts will be seen by many people beyond the initial recipient because they’re more likely to pass on freebies.)
A marker: Either you’re moving, you’ve been to a lot of protests, or you like the smell of marker pens a little too much. Be careful that the ink doesn’t bleed through to the next sheet of paper (or the table you’re writing on).
A highlighter: You’re likely currently in education or work in some educational field, in which case you’re detail-oriented and very organised. Alternatively, you wildly overestimated how many highlighters you’d need during your degree and are now stuck using up the blue ones to write shopping lists.
A cartoon pen, featuring Queen Elsa, SpongeBob, or a Pokémon character, especially if it’s too big to write comfortably with: Adults who use pens that put fun over function are creative types that don’t let snide comments from boring people affect their day. They unironically like colouring books and love trying something new and different. (Alternatively, you’re a parent and all of your grown-up pens have mysteriously gone missing.)
Any red pen: You’re either a teacher or an editor, but either way you know the answers and want to help others, even if they don’t always appreciate it.
Any green pen: You’ve definitely written to the editor of your local newspaper citing a conspiracy theory about local council members being shapeshifting lizards. And in case you’re wondering, those letters went straight in the recycling.
A fountain pen: You’re a proper grown-up with a liking for the finer things in life and you want people to know it. You should volunteer to take the minutes at every meeting. Not only will you get to show off your fancy pen and your cursive, but it’ll save the awkward minute where everybody pretends not to have a pen.
Please take these descriptions with a grain of salt and share the article with people who need a laugh. Oh, and we beg of you, stop writing in green ink. No one will take you seriously.