The analysis of human temperament is one of the most fascinating subjects. The best theory of temperament was proposed by Hippocrates 2,400 years ago. He suggested that people fit into four basic categories: the sanguine super-extrovert salesman, the choleric extrovert strong-willed leader, the melancholy introvert perfectionist, and the phlegmatic super-introvert passivist. Then the following describes them.
The Sanguine
The sanguine temperament breeds a warm, friendly, and outgoing person who draws people like a magnet. He is a good talker, a happy-go-lucky optimist, the “life of the party.” Though generous and compassionate, responsive to his surroundings and to the moods or feelings of others, he features some natural weaknesses. He is often weak-willed, emotionally unstable and explosive, restless, and egotistical. And he has a strong tendency to be disorganized and unproductive. Sanguines make good salespersons, speakers, actors, and sometimes leaders.
A sanguine is rarely depressed in the company of others. He is such a response-oriented person that the sight of another individual usually lifts his spirits and brings a smile to his face. Whatever periods of depression he does experience almost invariably occur when he is alone.
The Choleric
The choleric temperament produces a practical activists. He is strong-willed, a natural leader, and very optimistic. His brain is filled with ideas, projects, or objectives, and he usually sees them through. Although very productive in life, he reflects serious natural weaknesses. He is self-sufficient, impetuous, and hot-tempered and tends to be harsh or cruel. In fact, no one can be as cutting and sarcastic as a choleric. He makes a good supervisor, general, builder, crusader, politician, or organizer, but he is not usually skilled at doing precise detail work.
The choleric rarely becomes depressed, primarily because his active, goal-conscious mind keeps him so motivated that he projects fourteen different programs simultaneously. If one of them proves baffling or frustrating, his disappointment is short-lived, and he quickly pursues a fresh challenge. Cholerics are happy when busy, and thus they have little time to be depressed. Their primary frustration in life is that there are not enough hours in the day to engage in their endless supply of goals and objectives.
The Melancholy
The richest of all temperaments is the melancholy. Rich not only in gifts and aesthetic appreciation, this temperament has the capacity to experience the entire spectrum of emotional mood fluctuations. It is also rich in emotional weaknesses, particularly in the tendency to become angry and depressed. Some of the world’s greatest geniuses have been gifted melancholies who squandered their talent in the slough of despondency, becoming apathetic and unproductive.
Naturally perfectionistic, very sensitive, and appreciative of the fine arts, she is analytical and self-sacrificing. As a rule she is not outgoing by nature and rarely pushes herself forward, but she makes a very faithful friend. However, she tends to be moody, critical, pessimistic, and self-centered. The world’s greatest artists, composers, philosophers, inventors, and theoreticians have typically been melancholies.
The Phlegmatic
The easygoing, never-get-upset “nice guy” is the phlegmatic. Besides featuring a calm and likable disposition, Mr. Phlegmatic is a cheerful fellow who works well with other people, an efficient, conservative, dependable, witty person with a practical turn of mind. Since he is quite introverted as a rule, his weaknesses, like his strengths, are not as readily perceptible as those of other temperaments. His most obvious weakness is a lack of motivation. He can ignore work graciously and is prone to be stubborn, stingy, and indecisive.
His ability to look at life through the eyes of a spectator may generate a tendency to avoid getting onvolved with anything. Phlegmatics make good diplomants, since they are natural peacemakers. Many are teachers, doctors, scientists, comedians, and editors. When externally motivated, they make very capable leaders.
- Tim Lahaye & Bob Phillips’ Anger is a Choice
