What influences your personality? What makes you behave the way you do around other people? Many believe that it’s the environment, others base it on nature or biological qualities, and others believe it’s a combination of both.
Many personality tests assess those aspects, and one interesting personality typing system is the one that gives four temperaments of personality.
Temperament refers to how you behave and react to situations and what your consistent personality traits are.
Some say that temperaments are constant and determined by brain processes, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t change either your behavior or personality. As you age and your environment and experiences expand, your behavior and perception of the world evolve.
Four Temperaments – Sanguine, Choleric, Phlegmatic, and Melancholic
There are four temperaments and many of the personality types in other systems have been drawn from these four. When you look at Myers-Briggs’ personality types, for example, you may recognize a resemblance to these four.
In this article, we are going to cover the first two of these temperaments – the sanguine and the choleric.
The Sanguine
People with the sanguine temperament are people-oriented, outgoing, social, extroverted, and super friendly. They’re the life of the party! They’re the type who is easy to get along with. Even when you only just meet them, their warm and friendly personality can make you feel like they are a friend and that you’ve known them for a long time.
They’re energetic, spontaneous, and often impulsive. They can’t stand being bored, so they’re the type who seeks fun and exciting activities. They don’t like routines and they struggle to stay put if what they’re doing isn’t desirable. They’re the kind of people who tend to switch jobs easily. They also find it difficult to stay in relationships, although they can easily find a new partner and make new friends.
Sanguines are creative and artistic. They’re also optimistic and risk-takers, so they live their lives to the fullest. They enjoy the present moment. Many sanguines also have no problem in splurging on new items as the important thing is right now. However, they may regret their spending later once the impulse has subsided.
They always look at the bright side of things. However, their impulsiveness can lead to decisions that aren’t well-thought-out. Sanguines are also unlikely to have long-term plans.
People with this temperament also tend to have a wide range of emotions. They’re talkative, cheerful, and social, but they’re also emotional and need constant reassurance from their loved ones. They seek attention and tend to exaggerate their feelings.
The Choleric
The Choleric temperament is the rarest among the four types. Cholerics are usually leaders. They are results-driven, money-oriented, and success-oriented people. They’re practical and focused on their goals. They stick to their goals until they’ve achieved them and they’re always moving forward.
They’re self-confident, strong-willed, and decisive even when others may oppose them. They’re usually successful business people and those who enjoy work because that’s fun for them. They’re the leader and independent type, but they can be dominating and controlling.
They can also be compassionate, although it takes time for them to build relationships with others. That’s why they often only have a handful of close friends. They’re straightforward and aren’t afraid to talk to people and speak their minds. So even when they try to be friendly, they may still come off as being stern and commanding.
Cholerics are analytical and highly logical. While they don’t like to get bored, they have an excellent ability to focus and concentrate on their work. They like to systematize everything. They’re also creative and often athletic. They excel in sports and science too. Cholerics best perform in management roles.
In Summary
So here you have a description of the sanguine and choleric personality types. It’s rare to have one pure temperament. Most people also have a secondary temperament. You’re born with a dominant temperament, but your environment and experiences shape your secondary temperaments.
