What's Your Temperament? Unlocking the 4 Personality Types

What's Your Temperament?

Have you ever wondered why people react differently to the exact situation? Like reacting to a cancelled flight or a group project deadline? 

In this blog, you will get to know the 4 Temperaments (Sanguine, Choleric, Melancholic, and Phlegmatic). We will unlock the 4 personality types from the book "Spirit-Controlled Temperament" by the author Tim LaHaye. 

In understanding your temperament, you can have better communication, increased empathy, and deeper self-awareness. 

Unlocking the 4 Personality Types

Book: "Spirit-Controlled Temperament"

By Author: Tim LaHaye

Timothy Francis LaHaye was an American Baptist evangelical Christian minister who wrote over 85 fiction and non-fiction books, including the "Left Behind" series of apocalyptic fiction, which he co-authored with Jenny B. Jenkins.

According to Tim LaHaye, we are born with these three traits: temperament, character, and personality. 

The 3 Traits: 

1. Temperament is a combination of inborn traits or inherited traits, passed on by our genes or based on hereditary factors, that subconsciously affects all our behavior.

2. Character is the hidden person of the heart, the "real" you, or the "soul" of the person, made up of the mind, emotions, and will. It results from a natural and civilized temperament modified by childhood training, education, basic attitudes, beliefs, principles, and motivations.

3. Personality is an outward expression of oneself, which may or may not be the same as a person's character. Often, it is the pleasing facade for an unpleasant or weak character. 

If we read these definitions carefully, a person has a hidden character and an outward personality, aside from the temperament, which is a combination of inborn or inherited traits. 

The 4 Temperaments: 💗🖤💛💚

Let's begin to understand the four types of temperaments:

1.  SANGUINE  (red) The Social Butterfly
2.  MELANCHOLIC (black) The Thoughtful Strategist
3.  CHOLERIC (yellow) The Determined Achiever
4.  PHLEGMATIC (green) The Steady Diplomat

The 4 temperaments have certain personality traits.  (Buckingham, 2002)

1.  A Popular Sanguine is cheerful, social, and optimistic (associated with air)
2.  A Perfect Melancholic is analytical, gloomy, and quiet (associated with earth)
3.  A Powerful Choleric is short-tempered and irritable (associated with fire)
4.  A Peaceful Phlegmatic is emotional, relaxed, and peaceful (associated with water)

Let us now investigate each temperament (Self-assessment is the key)

Popular Sanguine

1.) Popular SANGUINES 💗

• Strengths: optimistic, friendly, and compassionate

• Weaknesses: restless, egotistical, and emotionally unstable

• Emotional Needs: attention, affection, approval, and acceptance

• Likes: people who listen and laugh, praise, and approve

• Dislikes: people who criticize and don't respond to humor

• Work value: colorful, creative, optimistic, entertaining, and cheering up others

• Need to improve: be organized and avoid talking too much

• As leaders, they excite, persuade, and inspire others, but are sometimes forgetful

• Stress reaction: leave the scene, go shopping, create excuses, or blame others

• They can be recognized by their constant talking, loud volume, bright eyes, moving hands, colorful expressions, enthusiasm, and ability to mix easily. 

Perfect Melancholic

2.) Perfect MELANCHOLIC 🖤

• Strengths: sensitive, perfectionist, faithful friend, and self-sacrificing

• Weaknesses: self-centered, pessimistic, moody, and revengeful

• Emotional Needs: a sense of stability, space, silence, sensitivity, and support

• Likes: people who are intellectual, serious, deep, and will carry on a sensible conversation

• Dislikes: people who are forgetful, disorganized, superficial, and unpredictable

• Work value: detail-conscious, analytic, and follows high standards

• Need to improve: not take life too seriously, or not insist on being always perfect

• As leaders, they are sensitive to feelings, well-organized, have deep creativity, and have quality 

• Stress reaction: Back out, read a book, give up, or become depressed

• They can be recognized by being serious, sensitive, well-mannered, meticulous, and well-groomed

Powerful Choleric

3.) Powerful CHOLERIC 💛

• Strengths: strong-willed, practical, a leader, and optimistic

• Weaknesses: hot-tempered, cruel, impetuous, and self-sufficient

• Emotional Needs: a sense of obedience, credit for ability, and appreciation for work

• Likes: people who are supportive and submissive, cooperative, and let them take the credit

• Dislikes: people who are lazy, not interested, and disloyal

• Work value: accomplish more than anyone else in a shorter time, and is usually right

• Need to improve: be more patient and delegate authority

• As leaders, they are always in charge, have a sincere belief in their abilities, and have a quick sense of what will work

• Stress reaction: works harder, exercises more, and gets rid of the offender

• They can be recognized by a fast-moving approach, self-confidence, restlessness, and overpowering

Peaceful Phlegmatic

4.) Peaceful PHLEGMATIC 💚

• Strengths: witty, dependable, and efficient

• Weaknesses: indecisive, slow and lazy, selfish and stubborn

• Emotional Needs: understanding, a sense of respect, that feeling of worth, and emotional support

• Likes: people who will decide for them, recognize their strengths, and respect them

• Dislikes: people who are too loud, too pushy, and expect too much of them

• Work value: cooperative, calming influence, mediate, keep the peace, and objective

• Need to improve: become self-motivated and set goals, willing to do more

• As leaders, they are calm, cool, collected, well-liked, and won't cause trouble

• Stress reaction: hide, watch TV, eat, and tune out

• They can be recognized by a calm approach, relaxed posture, and usually sitting or leaning

Now that we have assessed ourselves by investigating the four Spirit-Controlled Temperaments, which temperament are you? 🤔 

What are the benefits of knowing your temperament?

In relationships, recognizing a partner's or friend's temperament can drastically reduce arguments and improve communication.

In the workplace, you will know how to manage a team, collaborate, and delegate tasks effectively based on individual working styles.

And in personal growth, you will lean into your natural strengths while actively working on the inherent blind spots of your primary temperament. 

Remember, we have a predominant temperament, but most people are a unique blend of all four. 

Note: (This is a revised version of an old blog post.)

I have compiled and researched this blog article and included my opinions or perspectives as a part of my interest in human behavior.