Temperaments and Helping Others
The classic way of understanding the fundamentals beneath our personalities
By John Rieping | Written for local religion teachers August 2007 | Last Revised 6 Sept. 2014
By John Rieping | Written for local religion teachers August 2007 | Last Revised 6 Sept. 2014
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One largely forgotten classic that is useful for parents, ministers, and teachers is the idea of four basic human temperaments, the foundations beneath the personalities we develop. Knowing the temperaments can aid understanding of our own, and other's, strengths and weaknesses.
A BRIEF HISTORY Ancient physicians, beginning with Hippocrates (c. 460-377 B.C.) and Galen (c. A.D. 129-216), proposed that humans could be categorized as being primarily choleric, sanguine, melancholic or phlegmatic. The names came from the bodily fluids mistakenly believed to be the cause of these natural dispositions. |
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Since then physicians, philosophers, theologians and -– more recently –- psychologists have theorized further about human temperaments. These include Plato, Thomas Aquinas, and clinical psychologist David Keirsey, who each personally affirmed the validity of the four temperaments. According to Keirsey, the consistency of the temperaments over millennia was no accident, because they “reflect a fundamental pattern in the warp and woof of the fabric of human nature.” (Keirsey, “Please Understand Me II”)
Regardless, no theory of human behavior is perfect or comprehensive. Each of the thinkers listed above had their own thoughts on temperament, and Keirsey reworked them considerably. In recent times, the notion of four temperaments has grown less popular, either in favor of more complex models of personality or none at all. Yet the idea of four temperaments persists even so, I think, in part because despite any shortcomings some people continue to find it understandable, useful and relevant. THE BASICS What is a temperament? Psychology would perhaps define temperament as our natural preferences, which shape how we tend to react or interact with our environment and others. The Catholic philosophical tradition might define temperament as “the pattern of inclinations and reactions that proceed from the physiological constitution of an individual.” (Art and Laraine Bennett, “The Temperament God Gave You,” p. 6). Our temperaments do not define who we are or how we always behave. Essentially our temperaments are the raw materials out of which our personalities, through training and experience, are sculpted. Personalities evolve throughout our lives, but our temperaments, which lie underneath, remain stable. Most people are a combination of two of the four temperaments (one dominant temperament and one subordinate temperament), but a minority seem to have only one temperament. At the root of the four temperaments are three basic leanings:
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Those who tend to react most quickly are often considered “extroverts” and would mainly have the choleric or sanguine temperaments. They would prefer to be active and express their reactions outwardly. They are keenly aware of what is happening around them and are refreshed and energized by interaction. They like to resolve conflicts or personal confusion by talking.
Those who react more slowly would be viewed as “introverts” and would primarily be melancholic or phlegmatic. An introvert tends to react inwardly and passively, and takes time to process ideas and experiences. Very self-aware, they have a quite strong interior life and need time to recharge after intense interaction. They like to resolve conflicts or personal confusion by reflecting before acting.
Those whose reactions tend to persist would mostly be choleric or melancholic. They are primarily motivated by their goals, their ideas, and their ideals, and do not value feelings as much as principles. Their main concern is to seek the simple truth of a matter rather than worry about how others may respond or feel about it. They tend to love justice and perfection. They prefer doing things their own way and are natural leaders. However the extraverted choleric prefers to take charge quickly while the introverted melancholic would rather analyze matters first.
Those whose reactions last briefly would mostly be sanguine or phlegmatic. They are relationship-oriented and people-motivated. Harmony is a top priority, so they tend to be flexible, cooperative and agreeable. They tend to be forgiving and sensual. They prefer to support others rather than lead, but when they do lead their people skills can be very effective. Introverted phlegmatics tend to lead by example, while extraverted sanguines often lead by force of charisma.
Those whose reactions tend to be the most intense would probably be the sanguine, choleric, and the melancholic. Yet how this unfolds is different in each case. The melancholic reaction tends to be mild at first but grows more intense with time and endures for a long time. The sanguine reaction tends to be immediate and passionate at first but soon diminishes with time, and the choleric reaction tends to be quick, intense, and lasts for a long time. In contrast, the phlegmatic is slow to react, but -– if aroused to action –- the reaction tends to be long-lasting. However, even so, a phlegmatic is like an iceberg. This is not because they are cold-hearted but because much more lies below the surface than the little portion that ever meets the eye.
HELPING THOSE WITH DIFFERENT TEMPERAMENTS
Those who react more slowly would be viewed as “introverts” and would primarily be melancholic or phlegmatic. An introvert tends to react inwardly and passively, and takes time to process ideas and experiences. Very self-aware, they have a quite strong interior life and need time to recharge after intense interaction. They like to resolve conflicts or personal confusion by reflecting before acting.
Those whose reactions tend to persist would mostly be choleric or melancholic. They are primarily motivated by their goals, their ideas, and their ideals, and do not value feelings as much as principles. Their main concern is to seek the simple truth of a matter rather than worry about how others may respond or feel about it. They tend to love justice and perfection. They prefer doing things their own way and are natural leaders. However the extraverted choleric prefers to take charge quickly while the introverted melancholic would rather analyze matters first.
Those whose reactions last briefly would mostly be sanguine or phlegmatic. They are relationship-oriented and people-motivated. Harmony is a top priority, so they tend to be flexible, cooperative and agreeable. They tend to be forgiving and sensual. They prefer to support others rather than lead, but when they do lead their people skills can be very effective. Introverted phlegmatics tend to lead by example, while extraverted sanguines often lead by force of charisma.
Those whose reactions tend to be the most intense would probably be the sanguine, choleric, and the melancholic. Yet how this unfolds is different in each case. The melancholic reaction tends to be mild at first but grows more intense with time and endures for a long time. The sanguine reaction tends to be immediate and passionate at first but soon diminishes with time, and the choleric reaction tends to be quick, intense, and lasts for a long time. In contrast, the phlegmatic is slow to react, but -– if aroused to action –- the reaction tends to be long-lasting. However, even so, a phlegmatic is like an iceberg. This is not because they are cold-hearted but because much more lies below the surface than the little portion that ever meets the eye.
HELPING THOSE WITH DIFFERENT TEMPERAMENTS
- Choleric: While highly productive, motivated, generous, rational, and persevering, cholerics can be over-confident, and overlook details and people's feelings. Humility, prudence, patience, and care for others should be encouraged. A strong prayer life, spiritual reading, and spiritual counsel can be invaluable helps to a choleric to combat temptations to pride and anger.
- Melancholic: The high ideals, commitment to perfection, and thoroughness of a melancholic are good, but sometimes they can need help getting started on a new task or embracing something they haven't done before. Encourage melancholics to keep matters in perspective and be courageous. Acknowledge the obstacles facing the melancholic, but urge confidence in a higher power and in the person's gifts. Trust in forgiveness (human and divine) and thankfulness for blessings are extremely helpful for a melancholic to combat temptations to timidity, despair, and being overly critical of self or others.
- Sanguine: The enthusiasm, teamwork and creativity of a sanguine can be inspiring, but structure and encouragement is needed to help the sanguine overcome discouragement over long tasks that are no longer new and fun, unpleasant details the sanguine would rather ignore, or unpopular demands of living a life of integrity. Remind sanguines of the reward at the end of the work, encourage discernment and attention to detail, and set schedules. Regular prayer groups, the use of beautiful inspirational decor, charitable works for others, and spiritual direction can help a sanguine fight temptations to egotism, envy, inconstancy, and excessive esteem for the opinions of others.
- Phlegmatic: Calm under pressure, cooperative, diplomatic, and open to counsel and assistance, the phlegmatic can seem a problem-free student. But they need strong encouragement to face difficulties, persevere in trials, and to set goals. Without confidence-building, they can seem lazy and aimless due to lack of confidence, fear of the unknown (such as the future), and avoidance of confrontation or problems. Remind them of past successes, praise personal strengths, ask questions about their goals or plans, and help them become accountable. The use of tangible reminders and healthy routines fit phlegmatics well, but spiritual direction, imaginative spiritual meditation, group activities, and spiritual journals should also be urged to help the phlegmatic resist temptations to hedonism, sloth, and complacency.
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Temperaments and Helping Others by John Rieping is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.