This is a question we all need to answer sincerely; and knowing your temperament(s) doesn’t imply identifying which one(s) you are, you should also know your strengths and weaknesses.

Temperament is the combination of traits we inherited from our parents. It combines with other human characteristics to produce our basic makeup. Most of us are more conscious of its expression than we are its function.

Meet the four temperaments:

THE SANGUINE

Warm, buoyant, lively and “enjoying” person. Receptive by nature and an extrovert, feelings rather than receptive thoughts predominate to form his decisions. The sanguine has an unusual capacity for enjoying himself and usually passes on his fun-loving spirit. He is a fascinating storyteller and his warm, emotional nature almost helps you relive the experience as he tells it.

He can genuinely feel the joys and sorrows of anyone he meets and has the capacity to make him feel important, as though he were a very special friend-and he is, as long as he is looking at you. Then he fixes his eyes with equal intensity on the next person he meets.

A sanguine always enters a room “mouth first.”

His noisy, blustering, friendly ways make him appear more confident than he really is, but his energy and disposition get him by the rough spots of life.  People have a way of excusing his weaknesses by saying, “That’s just the way he is.”

THE CHOLERIC

Hot, quick, active, practical, strong-willed, self-sufficient, and very independent. He is strongly opinionated, finding it easy to make decisions both for himself and for other people. Like the sanguine, he is an extrovert but not so intensely.

The choleric thrives on activity; he stimulates himself with endless plans, ideas, goals etc.

He is not frightened by adversities, they tend to encourage him.

His emotional nature is perhaps the least developed part of his temperament. He does not sympathise with others, does not show or express compassion. He is usually embarrassed or disgusted by the tears of others and is usually insensitive to their needs. He has little appreciation for music and the fine arts unless his secondary temperament traits are those of the melancholy.

Once he has started toward a goal, he may run roughshod over individuals who stand in his way. He tends to be domineering and bossy and does not hesitate to use people to accomplish his ends. He is often considered an opportunist.

THE MELANCHOLY

Probably the richest of all the temperaments, he is an analytical, self-sacrificing, gifted, perfectionist type with a very sensitive emotional nature. No one gets more enjoyment from the fine arts than the melancholy. He is prone to be an introvert by nature; but since his feelings predominate, he is given to a variety of moods which sometimes will lift him to heights of ecstasy that cause him to act more extroverted. At other times he can be gloomy and depressed, and can withdraw and become quite antagonistic.

The melancholy is a very faithful friend but unlike the sanguine, he does not make friends easily.

His reticence to put himself forward is often taken as an indication that he doesn’t enjoy people. Like the rest of us, he not only likes others but has a strong desire to be loved by them but finds it difficult to express his true feelings. Disappointing experiences make him reluctant to take people at face value; thus he is prone to be suspicious when others seek him out or shower him with attention.

The melancholy usually finds his greatest meaning in life through personal sacrifice. He seems desirous of making himself suffer and will often choose a difficult life vocation involving great personal sacrifice. No temperament has so much potential when energized by the Holy Spirit as the melancholy.

THE PHLEGMATIC

Calm, easy going, never-get-upset individual with such a high boiling point that he almost never becomes angry. He is the easiest type of person to get along with and is by nature the most likable of all the temperaments. Life for him is a happy, unexcited, pleasant experience in which he avoids as much involvement as possible. He feels more emotion than appears on the surface and appreciates the fine arts and the beautiful things of life. Usually he avoids violence.

The phlegmatic does not lack for friends, because he enjoys people and has a natural, dry sense of humor. Possessing the unique capability for seeing something humorous in others and the things they do, he maintains a positive approach to life.

He tends to be a spectator in life and tries not to get very involved with the activities of others.

In fact, it is usually with great reluctance that he is ever motivated to any form of activity beyond his daily routine. The phlegmatic seldom conveys his true feelings. When once aroused to action, however, his capable and efficient qualities become apparent. He will not volunteer to leadership on his own, but when it is forced upon him, he proves to be a very capable leader. He has a conciliating effect on others and is a natural peacemaker.

These are the four basic temperaments and I say basic because no one is 100percent sanguine, choleric, melancholy, or phlegmatic. We are all a combination of at least two and perhaps three temperaments.

Having read this, you would be making a huge mistake to think you now know all you need to know about temperament and behaviour. (It’s no problem though, I made the same mistake!) This is just an excerpt from WHY YOU ACT THE WAY YOU DO by Dr. Tim LaHaye. I recommend every human on planet earth read that book; it is a stepping stone to evolution!

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