Reading between the lines

[Eternal Harmony]

Some people state that they have the ability to "read between the lines".
That means by studying writings, reading and comparing thouroughly, they are able to tell a person's character, personality or even problems the person might have - all hidden in their writings = hidden messages between the lines.
I am going to put up a poll as well, where you can click one of your "possibilities" and I would be glad to read in the comments more about why you have ticked which answer or if you do not tick any answer what you are thinking about in general.

How I came to post such a topic and such a poll ... I feel there is some actual reason ... (just for the explanation of it).

EDIT: I have enlarged the poll, so that you have multiple choice to click.

[Peter Deadpan]

Yes, and it's not limited to just text. I do this all the time, with everyone.

[Wunjo]

Well this is an important part when we think about the "what"s psychoanalytic thought emprically bases its foundations on and it's possible to see some psychoanalysts to reach to the depths of one's character by using this methodology with other tools concerning this situation by observing the process of analysis, practicing the process of analysis or letting yourself to be psychoanalyzed or just reading the works of the analysts in question. So, my answer is yes.

[Agent Washington]

this is potentially such a complicated question that i'll just leave a wiki article

Hermeneutics - Wikipedia
Linguistic turn - Wikipedia

[Hiraeth]

I do for sure. In real life I've also been told that I'm not direct enough and people often have to read beyond what I say. In regards to other people, I try to find other reasons for possible conclusions and then perhaps a process of elimination of sorts of the most likely scenario rather than simply taking something by word directly.

Additionally, I do my artwork in the same format with multiple meanings dressed up in symbolism. For me it's like a shield that provides some protection, as this form of expressing myself wouldn't be so obvious to most people and therefore I'd feel less vulnerable in the process.

[Population: 1]

How you say something is as important as what you say. What you don’t say about things you discuss is also telling. Absolutely you can read between the lines. You can determine quite a bit about people online if you have a large enough sampling of their writing. We’re all giving away quite a bit on here.

[Eternal Harmony]

Just wanted to say inbetween that some answers here to read are really interesting in a way.
Go ahead

[LucieCat]

It is possible. Howeve, it's usually time consuming and I really can only do it after spending a substantial amount of time talking to someone. One thing I'm good at is figuring out what motivates or scares people by what they say. Often, there are reoccurring themes in both categories for all humans. Lots of people fear being alone or unloved or are driven by a desire to be loved and cared for. I can pattern recognize these people quite easily after I get to know them well. There is just a similarity that I can't describe.

[ceecee]

I pay more attention to what people do vs what people say. Actions, they lie less therefore, less need to read between the lines.

[Metis]

It is partly possible.

It's possible to read between the lines, but it's also easy to misread between the lines. There are things you can learn only by reading into things, and there are things that need clarification, such as a yes/no response or a direct, often verbal, clarification/explanation from the person. People make a lot of untrue assumptions about others, while thinking that they're reading between the lines. It helps to have data from both and weigh the evidence. Sometimes, an assumption is plenty enough to go on in order to make a practical decision, such as in the "Being rude can save your life" thread, where posters have described instances in which they've leaned toward (or "erred" in the direction of) either politeness or personal safety. But at other times, more information is needed to come to an accurate (or close enough) conclusion or to decide a reasonable course of action.