I'm Feeling...Melancholy

A little earlier, I referenced a lesson KC taught at church on temperaments. I said then, that KC was Choleric and I was Melancholy. I thought I'd elaborate a little.

This is the brief version, kind of an overview of his lesson in addition to info gleaned from a quick internet search, if you want more info, there is a wealth to be found just by googling it. And if you're REALLY interested, here's a quiz for it...haha

Temperament: the artist's canvas. It's the basic beginning to the piece of art that is you. Varies somewhat from person to person, based on temperament blend and our individual personality development.

Personality: the paint on the canvas. Just like art can vary in style, two people with the same temperament can have two very different personalities. Many factors affect personality, some are: education, birth order, siblings or lack of siblings, relationships, among others.

Understanding temperaments - our own and others - better equips us to handle interpersonal relationships more successfully. Studying your own temperament helps you understand your strengths and weaknesses and why you do or feel certain things. Understanding another's temperament can help you adapt your communication to theirs or, at the least, understand why you have problems with them.

I think it started with Hippocrates, but even modern psychologists find that people can be grouped into four basic types of personality: Choleric, Sanguine, Phlegmatic, Melancholy


Choleric: (Extrovert/Outgoing)

• Most forceful and active of the four types
• Strong-willed, independent, and opinionated
• Most practical and makes sound, quick decisions
• Not afraid of obstacles and tends to drive right through or over problems
• Natural leader
• Easily angered and does not display compassion easily
• Quick to recognize opportunities and quick to capitalize on them
• Irritated by details and must delegate those to others
• Most likely to succeed when others would give up
• Impatient - This temperament is the horn honker and door slammer
• Goal/Task oriented

Sanguine: (Super-extrovert/very outgoing)

• Naturally receptive
• Outgoing
• Natural salesman, always talking
• Most comfortable around people and doesn't like being alone
• Cheery/happy
• Lack of discipline which shows up in different ways - including "messy lifestyle" or overeating
• Most emotional of the temperaments and can burst into tears or a rage without warning
• Emotionally inconsistent, which can affect other areas of his life

Phlegmatic: (Super Introvert/Very Shy)

• Easygoing, calm, and steady, not easily disturbed
• The easiest temperament type to get along with
• Prefers to remain an observer, tends to gravitate away from activities
• Dependable
• Organized
• Never volunteer, but make good leaders
• Appears to lack drive and ambition, sometimes seems lazy
• Self protective
• Can be very stubborn, although the trait hides under his easy-going ways
• The most fearful of temperaments

Melancholy (Introvert/Shy)

• Conscientious
• Naturally analytical and a perfectionist
• The most moody of the types and ranges from highly "up" to "gloomy and depressed"
• Doesn't make friends easily
• Most dependable due to perfectionist tendencies
• Analytical ability allows an accurate diagnosis of obstacles and problems, but makes changes difficult
• Prefers the status quo and may seem overly pessimistic
• Tend to become doctors, scientists, or artists
• Can be critical and negative
• Indecisive
• Has difficulty giving praise and approval because they cannot bring themselves to say something that is not 100% true
• Self-critical, easily offended
• Tends to be "all or nothing"; everything must be black or white and no shades of gray
• Most likely to be intolerant, legalistic, and rigid
  

Sometimes people can fall into more than one category, but one type will be the dominant type and the other, secondary.

Training, lifestyle, upbringing and other circumstances can also vary the traits exhibited in different people.

And just for the record, you know that quiz I linked earlier? Here's my results:

I took the "the temperment type" quiz on gURL.com
		I am... melancholic According to Galen's ancient theory of temperaments, people with melancholic temperaments are often perfectionists, and are analytically oriented. They are said to be sensitive and loving, but may also be hard to please because of their high standards. Read more... What's your temperment?

And I had already pegged myself as this before I even took the test! HAH.

I have a point to this whole post, but I'm going to end here and just reference this post later when I get around to writing the point. *grin*

Later!