Temperament, simply put, is the way people react to situations. It is the different ways people response and handle their endeavours. Some react faster than others. Some people are more susceptible to anxiety, fear, anger and depression than others. Knowing your temperament will enable you behave better, improve your lifestyle, relationships and productivity.
These are four main temperament types:
- Choleric
- Sanguine
- Melancholy
- Phlegmatic
1. Choleric: People that belong to this category are firm, independent, hardworking, domineering and natural leaders. A choleric reminds you of a stern headmaster who is extremely strict. He is fast at dishing out punishments and both teachers and students tremble at his presence.
A choleric is good at making decisions on the spot. He sticks tenaciously to his goals and is self-motivated. People in this group can be very good boss (very bossy), team leaders, campaign leaders, supervisors, principals and military officers.
On the flip side, a choleric is very susceptible to anger and shouting. They are often considered as unnecessarily strict, unsympathetic and unfriendly to others. The appropriate symbol of a choleric is fire.
People in this category have to learn to be more patience, loving, sympathetic and less hostile to others.
2. Sanguine: You must have met someone or have a friend who is just too cool (it might even be you). A sanguine loves enjoying life. He/she is flamboyant, likes gatherings, outings and parties. They are the kind that can light up a boring day. As a friend, he/she is very lively to be with.
However, a sanguine doesn’t like commitment. As a result, he/she might not be very reliable. People in this group are also easily distracted as everything catches his/her attention. She is an impulsive buyer and talker and liar. He may find it hard to keep only one girlfriend. In most cases, a sanguine is no very good academically. He/she finds academics boring.
A sanguine needs to learn to be more disciplined, serious and purposeful. In as much as it is good to joke and party, there are situations that demand sobriety and meditation.
3. Melancholy: Melancholy is the most emotional of all the temperature. He/she pays attention to those things others prefer to ignore. People in this category are perfectionists. They want to attain nothing less than 100%, even 99.999 is no good enough. And because of their perfectionistic tendencies, they end up unhappy and dissatisfied. They set high targets for themselves and others, which they often do not meet. They also find it difficult to accept and give compliments or approval. They are equally not very good at relationships and are prone to mood swings.
However, people in this category are often very creative. Their reserved lifestyle often give them time to come up with great ideas and inventions. A melancholy is often that sad-looking but intelligent student that answers all in the questions asked by the teacher. They are also very sympathetic and can easily be moved to tears.
A melancholy needs to learn to enjoy life a bit more. He/she should probably make friends to a sanguine, who will expose him/her to the pleasures of life. They also need to be confident in themselves and in their work. Most importantly, a melancholy needs to realize that being human means being flawed. No one is perfect. So it is advisable to be more realistic than idealistic, and then settle for the possible.
4. Phlegmatic: You might know an easy-going, peace-loving, non-rebellious, stress-free neighbour who just wants everything to be the way they should be. A phlegmatic is hardly confrontational, he/she easily apologizes for doing something wrong in order to maintain a peaceful and cordial atmosphere. Most of the time, he/she needs to be pressured to produce results. Left on her own, a phlegmatic wants to lie on his bed watching the television idly. He just wants to avoid anything that would bring stress or tension. A phlegmatic might be that man who leaves all the decision making to his wife. Or that women who has no opinion of her own and relies on whatever her spouse says.
As a result of his calm and peaceful nature, a phlegmatic is prone to be bullied or cheated. Since he/she is not the confrontational kind, he/she is often falls victim of dubious people. “Let him go with it”, a phlegmatic will say, “we will get another one in future.” A phlegmatic might make a good gardener, cleaner, reliable friend, cook, baby sitter etc.
People in this category need to learn that the world is not as friendly and peaceful as they look at it. They have to stand up for their rights and avoid been trampled upon. A phlegmatic needs to be more active and needs engage in activities that will bring him/her out.
PLEASE NOTE:
It is possible to have more than one temperament, in fact, most of us have up to three temperaments. However, there is often a dominate one that overshadows that others. It is important to find where you belong and help yourself live a better life.
