Introduction

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In ancient Greece, it was not difficult to find people who were constantly searching to understand both the world around them and the internal characteristics of the human being.

Among the famous people of this wonderful culture is Hippocrates, considered by many as the "father of medicine" and whose study of diseases considered the balance of the body and four liquid substances within it (which were associated with each of the temperaments that we will describe shortly).

To make the long story short, hundreds of years later the doctor Galen, also Greek, took up the theories of Hippocrates and applied them in his time and during all this the temperaments were described as "emanations of the soul" because of these liquid substances. Later all this theoretical frame would be denied, but like the medical advances of these times, the referential model of the temperaments disconnected of those mythical substances was at the disposal of the modern society like method to understand how the people react before certain stimuli, situations and their patterns of behavior in a general way, although nowadays there is an inclination to consider that temperament, based on personality, has at least a partially genetic basis.

Source

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After explaining this, the following paragraphs are inspired by the book "Personality Plus" by Florence Littauer, added to my personal experience of analysis and dealing with the public, as well as that of several partners, family and friends. This is a completely referential guide, in the sense that it does not have a solid and modern scientific basis beyond the study and grouping of characteristics and trends in the behavior of different groups of people without considering why, and that in many cases the personality based on a single temperament or two is not completely measurable, as we all have features of the 4 types. However, it is an excellent support when it comes to effectively improving coexistence and understanding among individuals, and the identification of weak and strong points within ourselves. The test that I put in the end is not mine, but every so often I use it to review in what things I have changed over the months and years and establish an address towards which I want to improve.

That said, let's start:

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The Four Temperaments

Melancholic

The Melancholics have a description quite associated with their name (wow, what a surprise ☻). Shy, thinkers, calculators, dreamers and retailers. If you identify with any of the above words, you probably have a bit of Melancholic. They are those people who sit at the end of a conference room or on a transport, or are able to sit behind a busy seat if it is a class or a workshop. They usually take many notes or keep track of important events, also in many cases they are good with numbers, organization charts and complicated procedures. They remember the details of each thing and are easily offended compared to people who possess another dominant temperament. The rhythm in which they change their emotions is quite slow, since they can be happy a week for some small event and then not wanting to get out of bed for ten days because something important for them went wrong.

They take time to make decisions and always want to know all the variables, or have all the information before jumping to do something. Their bags are very well organized and his or her desk has to have one or two details in a state of order that satisfies them mentally. They concentrate easily for long periods of time if something really interests them, however their deeply emotional nature can retain them with periods of inconsistency due to their sensitivity. Many Renaissance artists, for example, have every appearance of being Melancholic.

The good:

• They can handle an incredible amount of details and information
• They can organize and make good plans
• When they do something with pleasure, they get it perfect thanks to their dedi

The bad:

• Life does not work the way they believe. You can not measure it and control everything by yourself, and there are things that do not depend on you.
• If they are sad, they can spend that way for long periods of time.

What they need:

• Support. Knowing that someone is there to give them a hand and cheer them up a bit when their melancholy attacks. By the way, supporting is not the same as feeling sorry for them.

Sanguine

The Sanguines are the soul of the party. Funny, noisy and in many cases known all over the world, it is difficult for them to go unnoticed. If you identify even a little with what I just said, probably the Sanguine temperament has a presence at least noticeable in you. They like physical contact (hugs, affections, kisses, handshakes, etc.), and although this depends a lot on the society and culture in which they develop, they always have the impulse to go a little further than the average in physical contact, or more frequently. They let their mind fly when they tell stories, and although they may exaggerate a bit or deviate from the main theme they always leave something to remember in the minds of those who listen to it, if they already heard them in the first instance (sometimes some temperaments get tired of noise or prefer not "wasting time", referring to the Melancholic and Choleric).

Irremediably sometimes they forget things, as a side effect of being with the mind in the clouds. They are also creative but usually do not focus enough to put that characteristic of them into practice in retail drawings or long stories. Maybe a good joke or word game is a better way to express that quality for them. They get distracted easily, and sometimes unintentionally, but they have moments of inspiration and dedication in what they do that gives them spectacular spurts in sports (physical activities they love) and in business. Unfortunately after that they usually lose focus at least for a short period of time. They have a rhythm of change in their emotions very fast, and they can go from crying to laughing in a few seconds. They are also very emotional, and sometimes they say things without thinking and may end up offending others inadvertently or even without knowing it at the time.

The good:

• They fill families, friends and colleagues with energy when they are happy.
• They are the best party companions, and they help you meet people and "let go".
• They have strong and temporary motivation starts.

The bad:

• They tend to be disorderly, forgetful and / or disorganized.
• In the long term, they need someone to help them stay in their habits and duties.

What they need:

• Direction. Not everything is a party, there are times when we need to get serious and get organized and then celebrate the great successes that can be had in the company of a Sanguine.

Choleric

The Cholerics tend either to be natural leaders even if they have no charge, or battalions of a single man or woman. In what sense? In that they always seek to do things their way and their influence easily extends to their surroundings. Risky, assertive, confident, strict and even visionary. If something of what I said is similar to you then you have the seed of a Choleric in your mind (and you will decide if it germinates or not, or if you even need to prune the tree at the time).

the Cholerics do not seek to waste their time. they usually leave aside the verbiage and focus on the key points of each operation or procedure they intend to perform. His assertiveness and/or stubbornness in many cases can lead to clashes of wills with other people, especially if both protagonists of the conflict turn out to be Choleric. Taking this temper to the extreme can cause people to show arrogance or believe that "if they do not do it or they supervise it, things do not go well". They love giving orders, which is not at all bad in many situations, but can clash with almost every other temperament. Sometimes they stay a little short of friends because of all the above reasons.

However, in many cases, all the Cholerics want is the best for themselves and for those who care, only that their way of expressing it is a bit strong. They are also good with numbers and analyze the pros and cons of everything, to a lesser extent than Melancholic ones and take action much faster. When they are asked to direct an operation or planning, they shine with the effective management of resources and time. To be a leader requires at least a little of that angry spirit.

The good:

• They are born leaders and love managing projects.
• They do not usually waste time with others and often speak directly to the point.
• They are easily organized and carry agendas.

The bad:

• Its strong character can clash with many people if it is handled incorrectly.
• They have a hard time admitting that they are wrong.

What they need:

• Delegate and relax. We are all human, and we can not be everywhere either. Also, if you appreciate people you should deposit even a little confidence in them and in what they emphasize and they are good.

Phlegmatic

It is difficult to notice the phlegmatic of a group. I probably will not talk much and be the person you can almost always count on, even if you do not expect me to talk to you while doing it. Relaxed, diplomatic, calm and usually get carried away by the current. If you see yourself reflected in any of these words you probably have something Phlegmatic and I hope you can take advantage of the paragraphs that follow.

The Phlegmatic is that person who, faced with a disaster of apocalyptic proportions, will be calmer than 90% of the people. Simply for that inner peace or tolerance to chaos is very useful when it comes to organizing ways to get out of bad situations. He will be the one who thinks cold both in what was described above and in group discussions, family or friends. His words are few but wise. However, in the individual aspect he does not enjoy describing his life or his experiences and problems with great details or emotion. Neither is very affective in the first instance. It is simply someone who is relaxed by life.

But all that relaxation comes at a cost. At the time of putting to work in a project or planning is likely to go at your pace, which in many cases will be slower than others. It is also almost impossible to get him to do something when he has made the decision not to do it and vice versa. He is usually very estoic in the decisions that, after meditating them very calmly, he got to take. In an extreme case it can become lazy or go aimlessly through life, even when you have excellent ideas and several hidden motivations.

The good:

• You can always count on a Phlegmatic to support you, unless he or she can't due to force majeure or convictions and values.
• They are extremely good at being diplomats and mediators.
• They remain calm in the face of accidents and disasters.

The bad:

• Many times their rhythm is not what the vast majority possess, therefore they may be left behind in some aspect of their life.
• Their tranquility can easily degenerate into inaction and laziness.

What they need:

• Motivation. They are happy living life at their pace but if they want to achieve something they really want in many cases they need a little push. Not very strong, because if you put too much pressure on them in some aspect they may feel uncomfortable and decide to close many doors, even those of their friendship.

The Combinations

Usually we have one or two dominant temperaments that govern our personality and leave the two remaining in a second or third plane. That is why it is not surprising if in some cases an individual identifies with a temperament and in some cases with another. It may even have many advantages of one and many disadvantages of another. All this depends on the development of the person over time, and their environment may favor that some things develop in that person and not others. However with this summary information it is easier to predict with certainty how someone will behave under certain circumstances, and what are their weak and strong points.

The opposites:

• Choleric and Phlegmatic: Their behavior manifestations are extremely opposite in many cases. Action and inaction, stress and tranquility, and giving orders and following orders are some key examples.

• Melancholic and Sanguine: Although both are deeply emotional their times of change are totally different. In addition to introvertivity and extrovertivity, and concentration and distraction are key examples in their differences.

The neighbors:

• Sanguine and Choleric: These are temperaments that unfold uninhibitedly in the social environment, but for different purposes.

• Sanguine and Phlegmatic: Both take life lightly, and in combination could be the best friend you can have or a total lazy. Everything will depend on the person.

• Melancholic and Choleric: Both love numbers and seek good results, but one is more emotionally sensitive and the other does not enjoy the most minute details or long periods of time meditating or with few results.

• Melancholic and Phlegmatic: Neither of them likes to be the center of attention, but one will overflow with details if you get their trust and the other is simply less words than the others.

We are all a combination of many parts

It is important to note that although all this helps us in some way to improve our personal relationships, not everything can be predicted. And we all have a little of each of these groups of characteristics to a greater or lesser extent, throughout our lives.

What is the important? That if your partner is Melancholic you know how to understand when I tell you that you do not want to leave. That if everyone's friend forgets his birthday, you should not feel too offended and that if you see someone very stressed or very calm do not necessarily have something wrong in his head. And these are one of the few examples that I can give, and to not take more time or do infinitely long post, I say goodbye leaving this additional information so that, if they want to know something else, look for it on their own when they like ☺.

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The TEST in english is in the following LINK

The TEST in spanish (the version i use) is in the following LINK

Source

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Another interesting links:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_temperaments
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperament
• https://psicologiaymente.net/personalidad/temperamentos-ser-humano
• https://thisjourneyismyown.wordpress.com/2010/03/27/personality-test-melancholy-sanguine/

Bibliographical references:

• "Personality Plus" - Florence Littauer

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If you liked it and want more articles like this you can leave your comment about what your dominant temperaments are, and share this article and/or the test to those who are curious to know a little more about their personalities ☺.

Best regards,

Larry Pérez