Chapter 11 Melancholics; Cholerics; Sanguines; Phlegmatics

Chapter 11

Melancholics; Cholerics; Sanguines; Phlegmatics

 To reiterate, much has been written and recorded on the subject of human temperament, but we also have writers, teachers, psychologists and psychiatrists who deny the very existence of these inherent, biological human temperaments. We have people who firmly believe in mixed temperaments and we have people who believe in five separate temperaments as opposed to the well established four. But there really are just four distinct temperaments.

Exactly how these four temperaments evolved in the human race is unknown. For the evolutionists, it could have been the result of inbreeding back in the days when humans first walked on the face of the earth. For those who believe in the story of creation, it is possible that there were two original human beings and then two more were created at a later date, all four of them with different temperaments. But for those who believe that ancient aliens created the human race, there exists the possibility that when the ancient aliens mixed their own DNA with the DNA of the original inhabitants of planet earth, they used four distinctly different sources of DNA from four different kinds of aliens. Whatever a person believes is immaterial when compared to the truth which in fact nobody knows for sure.

The four temperaments are called, the Melancholic, the Choleric, the Sanguine and the Phlegmatic. There is no special temperament that is better than any other. Each has its own positives and each has its own negatives, and the universality of good ways of thinking and bad ways of thinking reside in the brains of all four. But these brainwaves give off a special kind of vibration that is quite easy to pick up, if anyone wants to be bothered looking for it. It doesn’t take long to determine who is broadcasting melancholic, choleric, sanguine or phlegmatic thoughts and ideas.

Over the years this brain activity begins to register in the flesh. Every thought, wish and desire that passes through the brain gets recorded in the facial features of the person who is attached to these vibrations. Therefore, it is quite often possible although not always possible, to detect the temperament type of a person just by the look on his or her face.

At one time, there must have been a particular genetic component that also dictated the facial features of each different temperament type, but this particular genetic component has become so adulterated that for the most part it has been lost. This long-lost genetic component, can sometimes but not often, be seen in the long face of a Melancholic, the sharp featured, bony face of a Choleric, the soft bone structure of a Sanguine or the rounded child-like face of a Phlegmatic. But this method of determining a person’s temperament type can not be relied on. It is very similar to ethnic facial features that have disappeared over time but sometimes resurrect themselves in particular individuals, to the degree that their ancient ethnicity becomes apparent.

Temperament is not personality although temperament does form the base on which personality evolves. Temperament is genetically inherited from only one biological parent and it cannot be changed and it cannot be erased, but it can be modified. Personality is the result of not only this genetically inherited temperament but also the result of learned behaviors, circumstances, intelligence level, past human interactions, failures and achievements together with the after effects of a myriad of human interactions.

So many people go to their graves without ever understanding who they are and what they are. It is similar to being an adopted child not knowing who his or her parents are, and not knowing where he or she came from. The fault lies with the medical establishment who brushed this knowledge aside without realizing how important it is for human development.

Sadly there are not many people who have taken the time to trace their ancestry, their relationships or even their friendships, as it relates to temperament type because there is little interest in this subject. Who among us wants to hear that they are basically manipulative, controlling and prone to telling lies? Where is the person who is ready to accept the reality that he or she is stubborn, lazy and selfish?

Robert Burns, a famous eighteenth century, Scottish poet wrote it best when he penned his famous poem, “Ode to a louse, on seeing one on a lady’s bonnet at church.”

Burns Original Poem

Oh wad some pow’r the giftie gie us

To see oursels as ithers see us!

It wad frae mony a blunder free us

An’ foolish notion:

What airs in dress an’gait wad lea’e us

An’ ev’n devotion!     

English Translation

If only some power would give us the gift

To see ourselves as others see us!

It would free us from many blunders and foolish ideas

Pride in physical appearance would disappear

Religious piety would also be a thing of the past

Few people have understood that the reason their father was such an angry man is because he was a thwarted Choleric. Not many understand that the reason their father drifted into sex addiction so easily is because he was a loveless Sanguine, and many a child who has grown into adulthood would benefit greatly from knowing that the reason their mother neglected them was because she was an unhappy Melancholic, or the mother who was always trying to keep the peace in the family was only able to do that because she was a peace-loving Phlegmatic.

Nature knows very well what it is doing. In the case of biological partners, like does not attract like; it is the opposite; like repels like. When a person is free to choose a sexual partner, each temperament type will only select a partner from the other three types and never from their own temperament type. Sadly, in cases of arranged marriages where the same temperament types are forced to marry each other, disaster ensues.

Nature has implanted a natural repellent into the brains and bodies of the human race and these marriages do not produce normal children. In cases of incest where a father or a brother rapes a female child in the family, the female child usually has a different temperament inherited from her mother. Quite often the victim with the different temperament type can become pregnant.

Melancholic

The Melancholic stands out as an enigma because the Melancholic can be either an extrovert, or an introvert, or both depending on the circumstances of his or her life. This difficult to understand person, can be somewhat passive and somewhat aggressive, or what is more often the case, both passive and aggressive simultaneously. The more lethal passive-aggressive Melancholic has mental issues that need to be resolved. These awful passive-aggressive individuals are usually afraid of instigating direct confrontation with people who have offended them. They resort to expressing their anger in totally inappropriate ways, ways that are subconsciously designed to make the perpetrator feel innocent of all wrong doing but to give satisfaction in exacting revenge.

An example of this would be giving a gift that the passive-aggressive knows the recipient of the gift will hate, but because it is a gift the recipient is forced to smile and say thank you. The passive-aggressive person feels justified because it is a gift, but deep down inside there is a sense of satisfaction at knowing the veiled insult has hit its mark. Another example of passive-aggression would be when a husband first makes sure to tell his wife how pretty she is and then hands her a gift certificate for the local beauty parlor.

Melancholics have deep inside themselves an ability to become extremely accomplished or extremely depraved. Life evolves around them according to which mental choices they make. Will they choose to toss off the world at large and move on up to better things, or will they succumb to mollycoddling themselves and nursing their grievances?

Many of the world’s geniuses were Melancholics. But these deep thinkers are troublesome people because they are extremely critical of others and they are difficult not only to live with, but also to work with. Melancholics do not measure up to the same high standards that they set for everyone else. But in their own minds they tend to view themselves as superior to the rest of mankind. On an upward climb, a Melancholic can become as haughty and arrogant as a Margaret Thatcher or on a downward slope they can sink into depression similar to Frida Kahlo who constantly struggled on under the black cloud that hung over her for the better part of her life.

But sometimes a Melancholic can sink into severe clinical depression that culminates in a wasted life, a life that could have been better and a life that was a constant battle just to get out of bed in the morning. A melancholic wife who is so browbeaten by her choleric husband is quite capable of just giving up the effort to assert her rights as an individual. This type of woman gets so wrapped up in her own misery that she neglects her children, her household and herself.

On the positive side, Melancholics can be highly analytical, extremely focused and they tend to be perfectionists with any particular project that interests them. But, God help the people in their families if the Melancholic doesn’t like the job at hand. This is when the pendulum swings and they can slip into becoming slothful, lazy degenerates who seem to lack the basic skills needed just to wash a sink full of dishes.

A highly energized Melancholic has the ability to excel in their chosen career and rise to heights of superiority like a Michelangelo or an Einstein. They can write beautiful poetry, they can invent new things that benefit humanity, and they make great warriors in the battle for human rights. But the potential for mood swings is always there hovering under the surface.

The reason for such mood swings lies in the basic negativity inherent in the Melancholic temperament. It’s a self-centered, self consumed existence. The moodiness and preoccupation with tragedy quite often casts a shadow over the entire family and the Melancholic who desperately wants others to understand their deep mental pain and suffering, is quite often cast aside because their black moods are not easily tolerated by others.

Along with this proclivity for depression, just like Frida Kahlo, the Melancholics can easily become obsessed with their own medical problems. They tend to wear their illnesses like a badge of honor, and their favorite topic of conversation is often their own ill health. These are serious people who take life very seriously. On the other hand, if life is working out well for them, the Melancholics of the world can become very self reliant, self sacrificing and seriously creative individuals.

Like Margaret Thatcher, Melancholics in positions of absolute power and in times of crisis can grab the reins and with their deep analytical skills they are able to plot out a winning strategy because, unlike Cholerics who jump in without thinking, Melancholics will take time to think things out.

Melancholics can be highly argumentative because they tend to play devil’s advocate and they have a tendency to always defend the underdog, even if the underdog is in the wrong. This is the reason that Melancholics make lots of enemies in the workplace. They don’t seem to understand what is right and what is wrong because they march to their own drumbeat, switching positions to suit their mood.

These pessimistic but idealistic people are very thinned skinned and tend to carry grudges to the grave. They make great leaders or they can in turn become horrendous despots, depending on which way their pendulum swings. Melancholics tend to be good listeners but after commiserating with someone close to them, they can quite easily turn to others and criticize everything about the suffering person. These moody people are prone to disputing everything that is said in a conversation. If one person remarks that the sky is blue, a Melancholic will tend to disagree and state his or her view that the sky is green.

However, Melancholics make the best orators, the best debaters, the best actors, the best entertainers and they have the best brains in society. Melancholic dentists or doctors are likely to be very competent in their chosen profession because of their perfectionist tendencies.  Whenever this temperament type is in action, their work is usually good no matter what kind of work it is, as long as they enjoy what they are doing. But if a Melancholic does not enjoy his or her chosen profession, the work can turn out to be sloppy, carelessly carried out and downright dangerous if the profession encompasses things like nuclear reactors, repairing airplanes or piloting a ship.

No other type of temperament so personifies the inferior/superior complex than rides constantly in the minds and brains of the Melancholics. They can become obsessed by their own facial features and they constantly worry about their physical appearances. They like solitude but suffer tremendously from loneliness and so they go through phases where they need to have people around them, and then like Elvis Presley, they search for ways to find some solitude and respite from the people that have clustered around them.

But if funds permit, the Melancholic has an innate sense of how to dress well, entertain well and make everyone feel welcome with their gracious hospitality and their extraordinary sense of good taste. However if funds are low the Melancholic can go to extreme lengths to save ten cents. They make the best misers in the world.

Choleric

If you want to get a job done fast and if you want to get the job done well, hire a Choleric. These hot tempered, feisty people are hard to miss because they do tend to make themselves noticed no matter where they go. Cholerics are scary people because of their tendency to fly into a rage at the drop of a hat but as opposed to the Melancholic who gets angry over things of the mind, the Choleric gets angry about practical issues.

Most Cholerics see themselves as capable, no-nonsense type of people and that is exactly what they are. They don’t like excessive frippery, they don’t like excessive expressions of emotion and they don’t like people who stand in their way. For the most part these very utilitarian human beings stride out into the world supremely confident in their own abilities with a lack of confidence in the abilities of others. Like Field Marshall Montgomery they want to win the war all by themselves.

Cholerics don’t make good politicians because they do not bend easily. They are stubbornly adamant in all things and as opposed to Melancholics who want to control people, Cholerics want to control situations. They actually make very good managers and supervisors because any appeal for justice in the workplace is usually attended to with fairness in mind. The problem with Cholerics is that they can never wait a second before jumping in at the deep end whenever there is a problem to be solved.

They have tunnel vision. There are often better ways to tackle things but without thinking, a Choleric will barge ahead, pushing other people to the side, silencing protests, disregarding other people’s opinions thereby making enemies in the family and the workplace. Melancholics are extremely critical of all people but Cholerics are very critical of people who don’t work well because they themselves tend to be workaholics. Cholerics want everyone to work as hard as they do and they can hardly put up with those slower moving people who take time to smell the roses.

Cholerics defy authority. They cannot tolerate being told what to do, when to do it or where to do it. This is because Cholerics are filled with pride. They are so proud of themselves that they cannot bring themselves to be subservient to anyone even if it means losing their job, their wife or their children. They can be cruel beyond belief because their aptitude for blunt, unbiased speech makes them a formidable foe in any argument.

Cholerics have an uncanny ability to find a person’s Achilles Heel and they have no compunction when it comes to using that skill to verbally attack an opponent. Their tongues are like two edged swords, cutting, slicing and dicing other people with malice and scorn. They are egocentric, highly excitable, reactive and revolutionary. They fight for freedom, justice and righteousness, but their restless energy is annoying.

It is not unusual for a Choleric to disturb a relaxed work situation with loud, vocal protestations of unfairness and then step in to make things right. Like Emperor Haile Selassie, most Cholerics expect other people to do the right thing and they are often sadly disappointed.

These thick skinned, strong willed people do not tolerate criticism or insults well. It’s not that they carry the insult to their grave it’s that they prepare a psychological grave for the person who has insulted them. They don’t need to plan revenge because in cases of revenge, they are very good at waiting for the opportunity to take revenge on the hapless victim who has totally forgotten about the minor if any skirmish that took place.

The Choleric will exact revenge and then relax and forget about it. They have no idea why the victim doesn’t understand that it was just an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth and now everything is even. But if the battle continues a Choleric will cut that person right out of his or her life as if the person had just died.

Cholerics have staying power. They never give up on a job or a project until it’s finished. They plan projects well, they are solution oriented, but they are so strong willed that others perceive them as brash and domineering. Melancholics are controlling, Cholerics are domineering, Sanguines are bossy and Phlegmatics are pushy. It is all the same need to control other people but each temperament type does it in their own special way.

Cholerics can be extremely kind or extremely brutal. It’s not unusual for the children of choleric parent to feel that they were mentally abused because of the vicious threats or the violent outburst of rage that were directed towards them by this red faced, angry, out-of-control person. But like Queen Elizabeth II, an angry Choleric can quite easily turn off the anger, don a cloak of respectability, stability and dependability and may be viewed in a more favorable light, outside of the family environment.

But the measure of a person’s character is not who you are on the outside, it’s who you are on the inside. The way a person treats the people he or she lives with is a good measure of character. If children are afraid of a choleric parent, no amount of good works or accomplishments will wipe out the bruise that’s left in their hearts. But there are Cholerics who never find any understanding as to why their adult children hate them. After an explosion of rage, a Choleric may feel better because he or she got it all out of their system. They fail to understand that this rage has to land somewhere and when it lands, it causes deep wounds in the people it landed on.

The insensitivity of choleric people makes them seem to be uncultured. Their pragmatic nature causes them to be viewed as dull people who are not fun to spend time with. Their habit of bulldozing over the feelings of others makes them unwelcome guests except when a favor is needed. But Cholerics are good friends to have when a roof needs to be repaired, a dress needs to be hemmed or a room needs to be painted. These passionate, ambitious but utilitarian people are all work and no play.        

Melancholics are the thinkers and reflectors of society, Cholerics are the fixers and the doers. Sanguines are the encouragers who keep everyone upbeat and Phlegmatics are the anchors who try to keep the peace.

Sanguines

These friendly but somewhat annoying people have the ability to cause frenzy wherever they go, because they are driven by their emotions. Sanguines don’t have much common sense when it comes to dealing with other people. They are self seeking, pleasure hunters who don’t care if they trample on others to get their own way. Their constant optimism and foolish decisions land them in trouble but to the amazement of those around them, Sanguines have the ability to just toss off their responsibilities and forge ahead making new friends and new enemies at every turn.

But the most annoying thing about a Sanguine is that he or she is absolutely clueless when it comes to stepping on other people’s toes. They have a habit of using friends, relatives and co-workers for their own ends, and they often dilly-dally with the opposite sex, in spite of having a spouse and children patiently waiting for them to come home.

They lie to impress, they are flighty and irresponsible and they are impulsive spenders. Sanguines tend to be very generous people but they do not handle money well. Money drips through their fingers like water, they lean towards garishness and they love to play Mr. or Mrs. big shot and pay the bill at restaurants, bars and nightclubs even if they can’t afford it, just to impress.

Melancholics are haughty, Cholerics are proud, Sanguines are vain and Phlegmatics are snobbish.

Sanguines love to be the center of attention. Their emotions are on display at all times and when they erupt in anger, it is of the hysterical kind. Their arguments are nonsensical, illogical and without reason, but they are warm hearted and somewhat playful whenever they are in a good mood.

The cheerful, charismatic nature of a Sanguine hides deep insecurities that need constant assurance from those around them. They always seem to live in the moment and that quite often contributes to their downfall because Sanguines often toss off the signs and clues of approaching doom. They turn their heads away from dire warnings of impending disasters, they refuse to discuss negative issues that are forcing their way into relationships and their restless spirits tends to make them disorganized and unreliable.

Sanguines change like the weather. One minute they are up, the next minute they are down and even after wrecking someone else’s peace and tranquility, they have a habit of merrily skipping off leaving their victims wondering what just happened here. Quite often nothing seems to make sense when a person is trying to communicate with a Sanguine because verbally they can run circles around the other three types.  

Sanguines make the best salespeople because if a Sanguine really needs to make a sale, he or she can easily put on a happy face and make that person feel that they have found a great new friend. They tend to have lots of best friends, friends that they themselves have forgotten about but the so called friends are left believing that the best friend will call back soon, a call that never comes.

However, jealousy rears its ugly head quite frequently in the life of a Sanguine. Sanguine jealousy is often unreasonable and it can reach dangerous levels. They have a knack for instigating trouble between people who hardly know each other because Sanguines never hesitate to carry tales. They can cause enmity among others with their loose, unguarded tongues and they have no idea how they destroy friendships and create dissent among people. They deliberately damage relationships that otherwise could have been good. Sanguines want all the good stuff for themselves and pity the poor spouse who tries to moderate the unacceptable behavior and the unacceptable temper tantrums that tend to rise unexpectedly out of nowhere.

Melancholics are covetous, Cholerics are envious, Sanguines are jealous and Phlegmatics are avaricious.

Sanguines usually have great memories for details. They remember people’s names, they remember details about incidents that took place years ago and they remember who said what, from conversations they had with people who mattered in their lives. But they are full of vain imaginations. They read too much into situations and they tend to believe that they know what people are thinking. The sanguine person is almost always wrong when they try to imagine what another person is thinking.

Of the four types, the Sanguine has more difficulty curbing his or his desires even if these desires are unacceptable to his or her own code of honor or the spouse’s code of honor. Cholerics are usually punctual but Sanguines are the people who keep you waiting. Sanguines can be unreliable, unfaithful and untrue and it is easy for them to forget their obligations, but they are also sociable, compassionate and cheerful and can lighten up a dull party with their presence alone.

Melancholics seduce those they are attracted to, Cholerics beckon them, Sanguines tease them and Phlegmatics flirt with them.

Phlegmatics

Phlegmatics are easily recognizable because of their quiet introspective natures. They don’t want trouble, and they don’t want to ruffle anyone’s feathers, but in rare cases they will stir the pot in an attempt to retaliate if someone has deliberately insulted them. But Phlegmatics are by nature introverts because life is easier that way.

These people tend to be stubborn, selfish and lazy. They hate to exert themselves too much and if they do exert themselves they want a decent reward for doing so. Some Phlegmatics are laziness personified. They don’t want to be bothered learning new things, they don’t want to be bothered putting any extra effort into a project and they get exasperated by the energy and activity of any Cholerics or Sanguines who happen to be in the vicinity. But the acquisition of money can change a reluctant phlegmatic into a great driving force.

Phlegmatics do make faithful friends, lovers and servants. They will often stay true to a person right to the bitter end, as long as that person takes care of them in the way that they need to be taken care of. Phlegmatic wives and husbands tend to obey their more dominant spouses, but not always. They are usually quite happy to step back and let someone else shoulder all the responsibilities in the marriage and they are content to let someone else make all the decisions for them, as long as these decisions are in their own best interests.

Peace at any cost is the motto of most phlegmatic people. They like to work behind the scenes, but if they become famous and out there in the public view, they are usually viewed as being nice, non aggressive individuals who won’t cause much trouble. They won’t cause trouble unless there is money involved because the Phlegmatics of the world love money. They love feeling secure, they love being looked after, and they love to be extravagant buying all kinds of deliciously expensive goods just for the sake of having them.

Like Melancholics, Phlegmatics want to own quality goods because quality goods spell status. They are not satisfied with things that are less expensive and only functional. They usually go for the big extravagant item, even if it’s out of their price range. However, if the family is without financial resources a Phlegmatic so easily reverts into being unkempt, dirty and slovenly. This is the temperament type that tends to become a doormat for the other three types to wipe their feet on.

Phlegmatics are quiet, private and thoughtful people. Most of the time they are entirely reasonable persons who can remain calm when every other person in the vicinity is either being hysterical, exploding in anger, or flapping their wings in flight. Phlegmatic people have a natural ability to remain patient and to tolerate the bad behavior of others around them, but like the Sanguines, jealousy envy and malice can creep into this normally placid temperament type and like the Sanguines, fear makes them act irrationally.

A fear filled Phlegmatic only acts against another person when he or she has others around them for back up. They are quite useless in a one-on-one situation and will withdraw from any sign of imminent conflict, except in cases where the accumulation of wealth has empowered this normally non-aggressive person to take a stand.

Phlegmatics like to keep to a routine and they stubbornly resist any kind of change to their routines, their habits or their lives. When they dig their heels in the phrase ‘Stubborn as a Mule’ can easily be applied to this temperament type, and no amount of pleading will induce them to move from their thick–as-mud stance. They can be meek and submissive but Phlegmatics have a terrible habit of trying to crush the plans and aspirations of those around them in case perchance it might involve some effort on their part.

Phlegmatics are basically unassuming, fairly trustworthy and truly peaceful people, but underneath their bland, inexpressive faces there are always deep feelings waiting to be expressed. Like the Melancholics, thwarted Phlegmatics easily turn to passive-aggression, but unlike the Melancholics the phlegmatic, passive-aggressive antics are usually viewed by others as plain stupidity or childish and irritating annoyances.

Some Phlegmatics secretly resent their more aggressive partners and try to damage their partner’s successes in life. They tend to be quick witted liars and they lie in order to look better than they really are, or they tell lies in order to avoid arguments. Phlegmatic liars are less dangerous than melancholic, choleric or sanguine liars but this together with their basic lack of a strong character makes tends to make people view them as fairly useless individuals.

People with phlegmatic temperaments can be sneaky, greedy and extremely selfish. They don’t like to share with others, but they tend to keep their hand held out in order to receive what other people will give them. However Phlegmatics are naturally witty and they have a wonderful ability to make people laugh. Like the Sanguines they can lift the spirits of otherwise dull company and like Princess Diana they are naturally compassionate to people who are suffering. They are usually kind to children and animals and they know how to stay calm in the direst of situations.

Reticent by nature but wanting to be in control of their lives, Phlegmatics have a difficult time exerting themselves in full. They might show some bravado but then they will back off when things start to go wrong. They try to push and prod people into doing what they want done, they tell lies to justify their own actions and they tend to hang onto others who are stronger and more vigorous than they are.

But Phlegmatics can be guilty of taking what doesn’t belong to them especially if they have the power and the money to back them up. With this temperament type money is everything. Money is the power, money is the glory and money is their God. A phlegmatic person stands on a billion dollar fortune can quite easily turn into a pig of a person, a control freak and a bossy braggart.

Not knowing your own temperament type is like being an orphan and not knowing who your parents are. Temperament type is the key to all understanding; it the key that unlocks the door into that closed part of the brain, the deep inner psyche, the hub and place where everything meaningful is happening. Researchers have always known that people only use part of their brains but they don’t know why such a large area of the brain remains in the dark. Learning about your own temperament is like shining a bright light inside a dark place in the brain.

The brain is such a complex structure that we can liken it to a computer. It is a computer that records every minute of our lives; it is a computer that works on auto-pilot without our knowledge or consent. This is the reason we do what we don’t want to do, and this is the reason why we are what we don’t want to be.

Our self esteem is trapped inside our faulty brains. Our happiness and our misery are affected by what our brain is recording, and we are what we are because of all the information that has become implanted in our brains over the years of our lives. But this information has travelled through a filter and not everyone’s filter is the same. These different filters are our own particular temperament type.

People who have low self esteem can find clues to help with self development, people with mental issues can find the reasons why they suffer, and people who are dissatisfied with their own lives can find ways to forge ahead and make life better for themselves. But this is a lifelong voyage of discovery and it is like turning the self inside out so that the accumulated debris can be scraped off.

The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is satisfaction from a job well done. It is the gift of freedom from ignorance and it is the making of a person who is fit to be saved, a person who is fit to merge into a life beyond what is offered on this planet, and the secret is that the strange scientific workings of the Universe are standing by to help you on your way.