Four temperaments

The four temperament theory is a proto-psychological theory which

suggests that there are four fundamental personality
types: sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic.[2][3] Most
formulations include the possibility of mixtures among the types where
an individual's personality types overlap and they share two or more
temperaments. Greek physician Hippocrates (c. 460 – c. 370 BC)
described the four temperaments as part of the ancient medical concept
of humourism, that four bodily fluids affect human personality traits and
behaviours. Modern medical science does not define a fixed relationship
between internal secretions and personality, although some
psychological personality type systems use categories similar to the
Greek temperaments.

Humorism, an ancient medical concept, is at the heart of this typology.

Humors here refer to fluids that are present within one’s body. Different
people have different proportions of these fluids; the predominance of
one fluid defines one’s temperament and psychological type. For
example, the predominance of a phlegm humor corresponds to a
Phlegmatic personality type. The four temperaments and their
predominant humors are as follows:

 Sanguine: blood
 Phlegmatic: phlegm
 Choleric: yellow bile
 Melancholic: black bile

The predominance of one humor is said to affect one’s appearance and

behavior. However, most people have mixed temperaments, and judging
solely by appearance may be difficult for untrained enthusiasts such as
ourselves.

Sanguine Personality Type

People with a sanguine personality type tend to be lively, optimistic,

buoyant, and carefree. They love adventure and have high risk tolerance.
Sanguine people are typically poor at tolerating boredom and will seek
variety and entertainment. Naturally, this trait can sometimes negatively
affect their romantic and other relationships. Because this temperament
is prone to pleasure-seeking behaviors, many people with sanguine
personalities are likely to struggle with addictions. Their constant
cravings can lead to overeating and weight problems. Sanguine people
are very creative and can become great artists. Moreover, they are
fantastic entertainers and will do well if they choose careers in the
entertainment industry. Their natural abilities will also serve them well if
they choose jobs related to: marketing, travel, fashion, cooking, or sports.
The Sanguine personality is affected by a chemical called dopamine,
which makes these people intensely curious and creative. Their curiosity
can be expressed in their love for reading and different kinds of
knowledge. Sanguine people usually possess high amounts of energy, so
they may seem restless and spontaneous.

The Luxurious Lifestyle

This type of personality loves the life of luxury; they like to impress
others by their expensive clothes, designer accessories, and flashy cars.
If choleric people thrive on the money-making process itself, sanguine
people know how to enjoy money, luxury, and comfort like nobody else.
They are big spenders. If they can afford it, they travel a lot. They are
likely to stay in splendid hotels, enjoying exciting safaris and luxury
cruises, deriving full happiness and pleasure from their wealth. They will
indulge in their rich, comfortable, and sumptuous living effectively
ignoring the world’s problems and crises.

The Risk Takers

People with a sanguine personality are willing to take risks for the sake

of pursuit of their diverse interests. These people feel bored if they are
not absorbed by something intriguing. Their constant cravings for
adventure and novelty are the primary motivating force behind their
actions, decisions, and choices. People with a sanguine personality adapt
quickly and, generally, can play many roles. Buoyant, lively and
optimistic, they have the ability to absolutely charm the pants off anyone
that seeks their attention. Their need for variety and luxury explains why
they prefer to live in big cities where they can satisfy their desires much
easier.

The Boredom Busters!

Sanguine people are very poor at tolerating boredom. Routine jobs,

repetitive experiences, and dull companions annoy and irritate them. For
the most part, they will try to avoid routine and monotony at all costs.
Even more so, they love and thrive on interruptions because they get
energized during these small changes in course. These people
are impulsive, and they will often find it difficult to control their cravings
and may struggle with weight. More than any other types of personality,
this temperament is more susceptible to smoking, alcohol, drugs,
gambling, and risky behaviors. Their spontaneity reflects in last-minute
plans and moments of intellectual discovery. Sanguine people are usually
more creative than other types, be it poetry, music, theater, art,
business, or cooking. Sadly, they are also most susceptible to chemical
imbalances, addictions, and mood disorders. This personality type is
characterized by curiosity and having a wide range of interests.
People of this type seem to be hungry for knowledge – some of them are
walking encyclopedias, while some others visit almost every country in
the world. Many stay in school years and years after their peers have
graduated. They will do almost anything to satisfy their always present
need to be absorbed by something meaningful and exciting. As a result,
they will often end up having several degrees.

The Dopamine Course!

Dopamine activity promotes motivation and goal-oriented behavior, as

well as enthusiasm, focus, assertiveness, incentive, and drive to achieve.
However, sanguine people are so busy with their many interests that
they will procrastinate completing their tasks. They are just too busy to
think about deadlines and actually finishing one task before going ahead
to begin another. These people are very autonomous and unconventional.
They trust their impulses and take risks. Their motto is: “Nothing
ventured, nothing gained”. They launch into projects that seem sure to
fail but somehow always manage to win big! People with sanguine
personality are extreme optimists who make it their job to seek joy and
find a way to be happy. These are sensation seekers that derive pleasure
from highly arousing experiences; they “drink life” and enjoy it to the
fullest.

Phlegmatic Personality Type

Someone with a phlegmatic personality is usually a people person. They

seek interpersonal harmony and close relationships, which makes
phlegmatic people loyal spouses and loving parents. They make it a point
to preserve their relationships with old friends, distant family members,
and neighbors. People with phlegmatic temperaments tend to avoid
conflict and always try to mediate between others to restore peace and
harmony. They are very much into charity and helping others. Ideal
careers for phlegmatic personality types should be related to: nursing;
teaching; psychology or counseling; child development; or social services.

People with phlegmatic personality are unassuming, agreeable, and

intuitive. They possess the ability of “web thinking”, i.e., to see the
relationship between many bits of data they collect.

Phlegmatic Skills

They have an incredible skill to gather facts, classify them into different
categories, and then see the relationship between seemingly
contradicting elements. Essentially, it is the ability to read between the
lines. Phlegmatic men and women don’t do very well at memorizing
separate unrelated facts. They grow bored and annoyed. To be excited by
the process, they need to be able to generalize.
It’s all about the estrogen!

Phlegmatic personality traits are linked to estrogen, which is present in

both men and women. However, phlegmatic people are predominantly
females. Millions of nerve fibers connect the two hemispheres of the
brain, and estrogen builds more nerve connections between the remote
areas within each region. These connections assist the ability of “seeing a
bigger picture” or “web thinking”.

– These people are imaginative; they like to think abstractly. For

example, they will try to read your body language and tell you what you
were thinking. Phlegmatics want to know other people’s deepest
feelings and strive to build intimate attachments with about everyone in
their lives. They are interested in cooperation and interpersonal
harmony, and this is why they preserve their family ties and friendships.
When there is a conflict, they seek to agree and to satisfy the needs of
everyone involved.

– These men and women are very empathetic and compassionate. They

try to understand what the other person is thinking and feeling, then to
respond accordingly, which allows them to connect with that person.
People with a phlegmatic personality are very agreeable. Phlegmatics
could be described as cooperative, considerate, charitable, sympathetic,
trusting, and warm. They like to express their feelings, sometimes
dramatizing their experience, which is the evidence of high estrogen
activity. Phlegmatic men and women seek to contribute to society at
large. They strive to fight cancer, donate to orphanages, and help the
poor. They also strive to greater self-knowledge, which they see as a
must.

On the negative side, people with a phlegmatic personality can be

indecisive and unable to focus on essential details. They keep ruminating
on the bigger picture while ignoring the crucial aspects. Their
talkativeness can be annoying, and because they seek connection, they
may appear needy, constantly demanding reassurance. They may be
trying to understand you, but they also may assume that you see and
feel the world the same way they do. They might take criticisms as an
insult and pout for days, weeks, and months. Finally, they are very prone
to depression.

Choleric Personality Type

Someone with a pure choleric temperament is usually a goal-oriented

person. Choleric people are very savvy, analytical, and logical. Extremely
practical and straightforward, they aren’t necessarily good companions
or particularly friendly. They dislike small talks and enjoy deep and
meaningful conversations. They would rather be alone than in the
company of shallow, superficial people.Ideally, they want to spend time
with people who have similar professional interests. Ideal jobs for
Cholerics are related to the following industries: management; technology;
statistics; engineering; programming; business.

The Choleric personality type is associated with testosterone, and

although every temperamental makeup is represented by members of
both genders, most choleric people are men. Generally, Cholerics are
money- and success-oriented people. They are fascinated by stocks,
investments, money markets, and all kinds of revenue generation
methods, just like others are fascinated by art and poetry. These people
are very practical, and they make for naturally gifted businesspeople.
Continually looking for opportunities and always working on themselves,
they build successful businesses that thrive and benefit others.

That doesn’t mean that these people are greedy for money by any means!
From their perspective, work is fun. However, they never do well in a
subordinate position – they are all about independence, financially and
otherwise.

It’s About Exact Sciences!

Another unique quality of choleric people is their ability to systematize

everything. That is why they usually enjoy math and other exact
sciences. They have a hard time trying to understand why the
approaches they use for solving a mathematical problem cannot be used
when addressing relationship issues. Testosterone also contributes to
their spatial skills. Their spatial skills can be reflected in musical and
athletic ability, particularly sports that require spatial skills, such as
soccer.

Don’t Bug Me; I’m busy!

People with a choleric personality are good at math, geometry, and

engineering, which often affects their professional choices. They are goal-
oriented and have a sharp focus as they work. Their concentration is
deep and narrow. When they are busy with something, Cholerics are
simply not capable of noticing other things that are going on around
them. You could think of them as kind of “one-trick-ponies”. This type of
people is very analytical and logical. These people are kings and queens
of figuring out things. High testosterone activity in these men and women
makes them very straightforward.

Generally, Choleric people don’t strive to be polite, respectful, or friendly.

They do stuff according to what is convenient to them and, most
importantly, is in line with their goals. Wasting words and repeating the
obvious seem pointless to them. Forcing them to do so is a surefire way
to annoy them! Choleric personality is characterized by pragmatism, and
it is typical for them to take their decisions fast and act immediately.
Unlike many others, they don’t have a problem when offered multiple
choices. Extremely tough-minded, they act under their motto: “Talk is
cheap”. It means that they rather prefer to prove themselves with action
and put the talk aside. You will hardly hear a choleric going on and on
about what he is planning to do like it often happens with sanguine-
phlegmatic. This kind of behavior is extremely annoying and
embarrassing to Cholerics.

Although you might think Cholerics are boring and have nothing to
share, the fact of the matter is that they often are the ones who have the
most fun (alone). Years pass, and you may be amazed at what they have
achieved. It is no wonder why they are how they are. Choleric people
have everything they need to excel in business, sports, or science. They
are naturally predisposed to set goals then reach them and believing in
reasoning, logic, and investigation. They are skeptical and do not trust
easily. Cholerics need to investigate the facts on their own, then analyze
them.

Testosterone Rules

People with a choleric personality have excellent problem-solving skills –

as long as they are satisfied with the reasoning behind their strategy,
they act bold and self-confident. Both confidence and daring arise from
high testosterone activity. They have no problem with tolerating long
hours of work, isolation, and discomfort if only this takes them to their
goal. Highly independent people with not much respect for diplomas and
other credentials, they are armed with their autonomy and
independence. Both Choleric men and women are likely to be highly
competitive, almost to the point of being aggressive, which is another
sign of high testosterone activity. People with this temperament are
determined to succeed. They set high standards and work long and hard.
However, they are rarely satisfied with the time and effort they spend on
their projects. They keep on raising the mark to the point where many of
them live with the constant worry that one day, they will fail. Once they
disappoint themselves, they will blame themselves ruthlessly.

However, Choleric people never give up their attempts to succeed and

continue striving to the goals. They love knowledge and look for
intelligent partners. Otherwise, they generally avoid socializing unless
they are interested in the conversation, which of course should be
somehow related to their goals. This temperamental makeup is typically
characterized by detachment from their feelings because they admire
emotional control. Cholerics strive to be logical, analytical, competent,
just, and convincing. These people usually appear calm and collected.
They don’t smile much and avoid eye contact, and despite their best
efforts at total self-control, they might “lose it” sometimes and explode
into rage.
Melancholic Personality Type

People with melancholic personalities love traditions. Women cook for

men; men open doors for women. They love their families and friends
and, unlike sanguine people, they do not look for novelty and adventure.
Even more so, they avoid it as much as they can. Someone with a
melancholic temperament is unlikely to marry a foreigner or leave their
homeland for another country. Melancholic people are very social and
seek to contribute to the community. Being extremely thorough and
accurate, they are fantastic managers with good personalities. Perfect
careers for melancholic personality type should be in: management;
accounting; social work; or administration.

Men and women with melancholic personality share many traits – they
tend to be loyal to their family and friends and extremely careful.
Respectability and moral issues are particularly important to them; they
prefer to follow typical “norms” of society and family traditions. They are
respectful to authority, follow the rules, and feel comfortable in
hierarchies where structure, regulations, and order are implemented.
They need want to be a part of the larger community. They see their
loyalty to it as a duty.

The Serotonin Association

Melancholic personality traits are associated with serotonin, which

suppresses aggressive tendencies. That explains why melancholic people
are calm and self-confident, deeply attached to their family and
community, and loyal.

They are very orderly and don’t like unpredictability – they enjoy making
definite plans and keeping schedules. They love routines, which they find
relaxing, and this should not come as a big surprise – any repetitive
motion increases serotonin levels. It is relaxing in its nature, but nobody
enjoys it more than a melancholic!

Attention to Detail

These people pay attention to detail: They remember special dates,

anniversaries, and events. They will remember details about their
neighbors and colleagues. Melancholics don’t see family and social ties
as something that limits their freedom and flexibility as this could be
with sanguines or cholerics. To them, these are safety nets, kind of a soft
place to fall but on a much grander scale. It is also something that adds
meaning to their life. Since society and family ties are such an essential
part of their daily lifestyles and routines, they absolutely can’t see
themselves without it. Take this part away from them, and they will be
devastated. That is why the melancholic is not likely to be somebody who
would marry a foreigner or leave to another country for permanent
residence.

It’s All About The Order!

Melancholics need to be orderly even in their speech. They will express

themselves precisely, accurately, providing all of the relevant
information. If you interrupt them or ask them a question, they will think
you are not interested in what they are talking about. Unlike Sanguine
people, they hate distractions and get frustrated by them. If you want to
impress them, don’t talk about your big ideas. Instead, give them precise
information and stick to the details. Their need for order is expressed
even in their jokes – they won’t be a fan of nonsense humor or
unresolved humor. Even their jokes reflect order, predictability, and
closure.

Accuracy Counts!

People with a melancholic personality are thorough and accurate. They

are process-oriented and like to pursue their goals in a precise,
straightforward way. Before they start a specific task, they need to
organize themselves and break down the task into the manageable steps.
An average melancholic is not the kind of person that will work well
under pressure. To be comfortable in a given situation, they need to be in
a clear-cut place where the details are known and proven.

Patience is a Virtue!

Melancholics are persistent and patient. They don’t get bored easily and

excel at tasks that require attention and repetition. Interestingly,
repetitive actions raise levels of serotonin even more. That is why some
people repeat the same movement over and over when they are anxious.

The Taste Test

Their orderliness is also reflected in their tastes. Melancholics love

geometrical designs that are simple, orderly, predictable, repetitive, and
symmetrical. If you give a melancholic man one striped shirt and
hundred shirts with asymmetrical design, he will be wearing that one
striped shirt every day. Asymmetry makes them too uncomfortable. Note,
however, that most people are a mix of several personality types that
make them much more flexible.
The Melancholic Manager

These people make excellent managers and administrators because they

follow the rules and stick to the facts. Even more so, they are reliable
and make it a point to maintain social ties. They are superb at managing
people, whether it is at work or at home. One of their strongest needs is
the need to belong, and this is why they want to be reliable, respectable,
and charitable. Their emotional well-being depends on their social
networks.

Pride

Melancholics are proud of their accomplishments – they will display their

trophies, medals, diplomas, certificates, and photos with influential
people.

Generally, they want to do the things in an accepted way; they prefer to

plan things in advance and to know ahead of the time what they are
going to do.

The Negatives

On the negative side, people with a melancholic personality may become

close-minded, dogmatic, and stubborn. They also tend to turn to
pessimism which may turn into fatalism, believing that nothing will ever
change for better. Sometimes they get overly critical and judgmental
because they often believe in their own moral superiority. Their frugality
may turn into stinginess.

Some melancholics can become fixated on the past. They can ruminate
for hours how their life would be if they did or chose something else in
the past. Also, they may have difficulty with stopping what they are
doing, so hoarding is often a very common problem

Jung’s Equivalents for Each Personality Type

Pure Temperaments:

 Sanguine –> ESFP

 Phlegmatic –> INFP
 Choleric –> ENTJ
 Melancholic –> ISTJ

Mixed Temperaments (Predominant-Secondary):

 Sanguine-Phlegmatic –> ENFP

 Sanguine-Choleric –> ENTP
 Sanguine-Melancholic –> ESFJ
 Phlegmatic-Sanguine –> ISFP
 Phlegmatic-Choleric –> INTP
 Phlegmatic-Melancholic –> ISFJ
 Choleric-Sanguine –> ESTP
 Choleric-Phlegmatic –> ENFJ
 Choleric-Melancholic –> ESTJ
 Melancholic-Sanguine –> ISTP
 Melancholic-Phlegmatic –> INFJ
 Melancholic-Choleric –> INTJ