- Joined
- May 14, 2019
(inspired by that Meyers-Briggs thread)
Most people are only familiar with Meyers-Briggs, but I've found a personality typing system that strikes me as being simple but much easier to apply and more accurate for describing people: the Four Temperaments.
The system goes back to Medieval humoural theory, where it was thought that the elements and your bodily fluids influenced personality, but the notes on personality archetypes seem to work well outside of the scientific context. Now, this is just my take on it, but the way I would explain it is that a personality lays on two axis: one of "heat," and one of "humidity."
Your heat axis is basically how you interact socially/with your environment. Hot personalities are energetic, extroverted, active. Cold personalities are deliberate, introverted, slower.
Then, the humidity axis is what I think of as boiling down to a more work-focused nature or a more pleasure-focused nature. A "wet" personality is generally less serious, enjoys leisure, doesn't strive for much. A "dry" personality is hard-working, ambitious, etc.
When you combine these you get:
Sanguine - Hot and Wet - Air
Sanguine people are basically your social butterflies. Talkative, energetic, party animals. They tend to make for good entertainment. Sanguines would get their kicks goofing off with friends.
Choleric - Hot and Dry - Fire
Choleric people are Chads. They're ambitious, charismatic (or at least commanding), and have the self-confidence to back it up. They make natural leaders. Cholerics get their kicks competing (and winning).
Phlegmatic - Cold and Wet - Water
Phlegmatic people are sort of the calm, boring Average Joes of the world. They tend to be content with themselves and keep to themselves, but they're often more observant than other people and relate well to others. Phlegmatics enjoy relaxing and spending time with others in a more calm environment (as opposed to the competitive Choleric/hyperactive Sanguine) and make good advice-givers/listeners.
Melancholic - Cold and Dry - Earth
Melancholic people have the ambitious streak of Choleric people but often lack the self-confidence. They tend to be perfectionists and are concerned deeply with improving things. They're introverted, but are somewhat lacking in the people skills of Phlegmatics. They usually make for good thinkers but suffer somewhat in a way the other temperaments don't.
Of course, most people are not dominated by a single temperament, but are a product of different temperaments in different amounts. I think of it as generally being that you have a dominant and a secondary temperament, which may be the same one. I'd call myself, for example, Melancholic dominant with Choleric secondary.
en.wikipedia.org
Most people are only familiar with Meyers-Briggs, but I've found a personality typing system that strikes me as being simple but much easier to apply and more accurate for describing people: the Four Temperaments.
The system goes back to Medieval humoural theory, where it was thought that the elements and your bodily fluids influenced personality, but the notes on personality archetypes seem to work well outside of the scientific context. Now, this is just my take on it, but the way I would explain it is that a personality lays on two axis: one of "heat," and one of "humidity."
Your heat axis is basically how you interact socially/with your environment. Hot personalities are energetic, extroverted, active. Cold personalities are deliberate, introverted, slower.
Then, the humidity axis is what I think of as boiling down to a more work-focused nature or a more pleasure-focused nature. A "wet" personality is generally less serious, enjoys leisure, doesn't strive for much. A "dry" personality is hard-working, ambitious, etc.
When you combine these you get:
Sanguine - Hot and Wet - Air
Sanguine people are basically your social butterflies. Talkative, energetic, party animals. They tend to make for good entertainment. Sanguines would get their kicks goofing off with friends.
Choleric - Hot and Dry - Fire
Choleric people are Chads. They're ambitious, charismatic (or at least commanding), and have the self-confidence to back it up. They make natural leaders. Cholerics get their kicks competing (and winning).
Phlegmatic - Cold and Wet - Water
Phlegmatic people are sort of the calm, boring Average Joes of the world. They tend to be content with themselves and keep to themselves, but they're often more observant than other people and relate well to others. Phlegmatics enjoy relaxing and spending time with others in a more calm environment (as opposed to the competitive Choleric/hyperactive Sanguine) and make good advice-givers/listeners.
Melancholic - Cold and Dry - Earth
Melancholic people have the ambitious streak of Choleric people but often lack the self-confidence. They tend to be perfectionists and are concerned deeply with improving things. They're introverted, but are somewhat lacking in the people skills of Phlegmatics. They usually make for good thinkers but suffer somewhat in a way the other temperaments don't.
Of course, most people are not dominated by a single temperament, but are a product of different temperaments in different amounts. I think of it as generally being that you have a dominant and a secondary temperament, which may be the same one. I'd call myself, for example, Melancholic dominant with Choleric secondary.
Four temperaments - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
OSPP Four Temperaments Test
Personality test of the four temperaments: sanguine, choleric, melancholic and phlegmatic
openpsychometrics.org
