Personality Plus! Get to Know the Four Temperaments

We are wired with different temperaments. Knowing these temperaments will help us appreciate the people we relate with and help us understand ourselves better.

Personality Plus, written by Florence Littauer, is the first book I’ve read in years about personality development and ‘psychology’-related. I often hear the words “sanguine”, “choleric”, “melancholic” and “phlegmatic”. Honestly, I have no idea about those terms. I even thought that those are communicable diseases!

They are called temperaments.

Littauer discussed the four temperaments with much detail and rich illustrations that I can easily relate to. I felt elated with her accurate descriptions exposing my weaknesses. It’s as if we’re just pals. And all of us belong to one of those. Allow me to share my insights based on how I understood the book.

Sanguine

They are the outspoken type, the life of the party. Typically talkative, whenever you are with them, rarely there are dull moments. Because they share the most stories and their animated antics when they speak, sanguines are the usual hosts in school and office programs. They speak about their recent travels and OOTDs and have a lot of projects in mind! They want to be the presidents in class or leaders in group projects and because of their natural charm, they often win! Not because they are good, but because they are admirable and energetic. 

Their downside: they are sometimes overacting. They exaggerate their stories only to amuse their listeners. It hurts them when people no longer listen to them or they fail to get the attention of the crowd. Do you know someone who falls in this category? I bet you do.

Melancholic

They are the opposites of sanguine. Melancholics stay away from the limelight. They seem to abhor attention. However, they are often artistic and detail-oriented. They are good at analysis and their critical thinking is outstanding. They write good novels and create astounding paintings and soulful music. If you know someone very detailed and presents a lot of out-of-the-box suggestions, most probably that person is melancholic. 

Their downside, however, is they easily get depressed. They don’t want embarrassment and ridicule. And they don’t want their plans to fail and get blamed for it. They are typical pessimists – seeing the world with dark lenses. Emotional, so to speak.

Choleric

Cholerics are leader types and have strong personalities. They want things done and no one should get in their way. They are most likely to climb the corporate ladder because of their determination to be on top. Do you know someone willing to do whatever it takes just to reach for his or her dreams? That person has a choleric personality. (Don’t worry, not to be confused with cholera though). If you want results, you can depend on someone who is choleric. 

Unfortunately, in their passionate approach to life to accomplish something, they fail to realize that they accumulate enemies along the way. The choleric want to control, and they want it now. People see them as bossy and demanding. But as long as they rise in rank, they don’t care. 

Phlegmatic

They are the people who are passive, the opposite of choleric. They are peaceful and they are the kind of people you would love to hang out with. If you have problems in life, they could be your perfect companion. They will not complain because and will prove to be very much patient with your never-ending stories. They are the typical best friends in movies. Their relaxed personalities still stand even when everyone else around is panicking. Not because they do not care, but because they do not want to get tired, which counts are their downside. 

Phlegmatics are passive and indecisive. People think that they have no concern at all. When asked, their typical reply would be, “whatever’s your choice, that’s it!” They do not want to overstep boundaries. Their indecisiveness often leads to laziness. 

Would you like to know what your temperament is? Take this simple test online.

http://personality-testing.info/tests/O4TS/

My Temperament

As for me, I am phlegmatic. It’s amazing how these personality types or temperaments can shed light on how we can effectively relate with others. After reading the book, I realized that sometimes the problem is not in our differences, but our limited understanding of our differences.

To be honest, I don’t like people who are too proud, or “choleric” as this article is concerned. Since I am phlegmatic, I feel uncomfortable when someone with a strong personality bosses me around as if I’m to no good. But looking past these differences, I realized that it’s just the way they are wired. If I extend my patience and my understanding to these kinds of people, maybe we can go along well. And true enough, knowledge of these temperaments will be beneficial in the areas of relationships. I now see them through the four-fold lens of temperaments and I learn how to approach them, make them feel secure and loved. 

We all have differences, but we can always find something to share to make our lives better. Let us learn from each other. Our differences are intended not to build a wall between us, but to make interactions more lively and engaging. I can’t imagine how my life would be if all the people around are phlegmatic like me – life would be very boring! We all need each other. We complement each other. 

How about you, what is your temperament?