Four temperaments is a proto-psychological theory that suggests that there are four fundamental
personality types, sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic.
Most formulations include the possibility of mixtures of the types.
The Greek physician Hippocrates incorporated the four temperaments into his medical theories
as part of the ancient medical concept of humorism, that four bodily fluids affect human
personality traits and behaviors.
Later discoveries in biochemistry have led modern medicine science to reject the theory
of the four temperaments, although some personality type systems of varying scientific acceptance
continue to use four or more categories of a similar nature.
History and development Temperament theory has its roots in the ancient
four humors theory.
It may have origins in ancient Egypt or Mesopotamia, but it was the Greek physician Hippocrates
who developed it into a medical theory.
He believed certain human moods, emotions and behaviors were caused by an excess or
lack of body fluids: blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm.
Next, Galen developed the first typology of temperament in his dissertation De temperamentis,
and searched for physiological reasons for different behaviors in humans.
He classified them as hot/cold and dry/wet taken from the Four Elements.
There could also be "balance" between the qualities, yielding a total of nine temperaments.
The word "temperament" itself comes from Latin "temperare", "to mix".
In the ideal personality, the complementary characteristics or warm-cool and dry-moist
were exquisitely balanced.
In four less ideal types, one of the four qualities was dominant over all the others.
In the remaining four types, one pair of qualities dominated the complementary pair; for example,
warm and moist dominated cool and dry.
These latter four were the temperamental categories Galen named "sanguine", "choleric", "melancholic"
and "phlegmatic" after the bodily humors, respectively.
Each was the result of an excess of one of the humors that produced, in turn, the imbalance
in paired qualities.
In his Canon of Medicine, Persian polymath Avicenna extended the theory of temperaments
to encompass "emotional aspects, mental capacity, moral attitudes, self-awareness, movements
and dreams."
Nicholas Culpeper, described the humours as acting as governing principles in bodily health,
with astrological correspondences, and explained their influence upon physiognomy and personality.
Culpeper proposed that, while some people had a single temperament, others had an admixture
of two, a primary and secondary temperament.
Immanuel Kant, Rudolf Steiner, Alfred Adler, Erich Adickes, Eduard Spranger, Ernst Kretschmer,
and Erich Fromm all theorized on the four temperaments and greatly shaped our modern
theories of temperament.
Hans Eysenck was one of the first psychologists to analyze personality differences using a
psycho-statistical method, and his research led him to believe that temperament is biologically
based.
The factors he proposed in his book Dimensions of Personality were Neuroticism which was
the tendency to experience negative emotions, and the second was Extraversion which was
the tendency to enjoy positive events, especially social ones.
By pairing the two dimensions, Eysenck noted how the results were similar to the four ancient
temperaments.
Other researchers developed similar systems, many of which did not use the ancient temperament
names, and several paired extroversion with a different factor, which would determine
relationship/task-orientation.
Examples are DiSC assessment, social styles, and a theory that adds a fifth temperament.
One of the most popular today is the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, whose four temperaments
were based largely on the Greek gods Apollo, Dionysus, Epimetheus and Prometheus, and were
mapped to the 16 types of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.
They were renamed as Artisan, Guardian, Idealist, and Rational.
Rather than using extroversion and introversion and task/people focus, like other theories,
KTS mapped the temperaments to "Sensing" and "Intuition" with a new pair category, "cooperative"
and "pragmatic" . When "Role-Informative" and "Role-Directive", and finally E/I are
factored in, you attain the 16 types.
Finally, the Interaction Styles of Linda V. Berens combines Directing and Informing with
E/I to form another group of "styles" which greatly resemble the ancient temperaments,
and these are mapped together with the Keirsey Temperaments onto the 16 types.
Modern medical science has rejected the theories of the four temperaments, though their use
persists as a metaphor within certain psychological fields.
The four temperament types Each of the four types of humors corresponded
in ancient times to a different personality type.
These were associated with a domination of various biological functions.
Lievegoed suggested that the temperaments come to clearest manifestation in childhood,
between approximately 6 and 14 years of age, after which they become subordinate factors
in personality.
Sanguine The sanguine temperament is traditionally
associated with air.
People with this temperament tend to be playful, lively, sociable, carefree, talkative, and
pleasure-seeking.
They may be warm-hearted and optimistic.
They can make new friends easily, be imaginative and artistic, and often have many ideas.
They can be flighty and changeable; thus sanguine personalities may struggle with following
tasks all the way through and be chronically late or forgetful.
Pedagogically, they can be best reached through awakening their love for a subject and admiration
of people.
Choleric The choleric temperament is traditionally
associated with fire.
People with this temperament tend to be egocentric and extroverted.
They may be excitable, impulsive, and restless, with reserves of aggression, energy, and/or
passion, and try to instill that in others.
They tend to be task-oriented people and are focused on getting a job done efficiently;
their motto is usually "do it now."
They can be ambitious, strong-willed and like to be in charge.
They can show leadership, are good at planning, and are often practical and solution-oriented.
They appreciate receiving respect and esteem for their work.
Pedagogically, they can be best reached through mutual respect and appropriate challenges
that recognize their capacities.
Melancholic
The melancholic temperament is traditionally associated with the element of earth.
People with this temperament may appear serious, introverted, cautious or even suspicious.
They can become preoccupied with the tragedy and cruelty in the world and are susceptible
to depression and moodiness.
They may be focused and conscientious.
They often prefer to do things themselves, both to meet their own standards and because
they are not inherently sociable.
Pedagogically, they can be best met by awakening their sympathy for others and the suffering
of the world.
Phlegmatic
The phlegmatic temperament is traditionally associated with water.
People with this temperament may be inward and private, thoughtful, reasonable, calm,
patient, caring, and tolerant.
They tend to have a rich inner life, seek a quiet, peaceful atmosphere, and be content
with themselves.
They tend to be steadfast, consistent in their habits, and thus steady and faithful friends.
Pedagogically, their interest is often awakened by experiencing others' interest in a subject.
People of this temperament may appear somewhat ponderous or clumsy.
Their speech tends to be slow or appear hesitant.
Decline in popularity When the concept of the temperaments was on
the wane, many critics dropped the phlegmatic, or defined it purely negatively, such as the
German philosopher Immanuel Kant, as the absence of temperament.
In the Five Temperaments theory, the classical Phlegmatic temperament is in fact deemed to
be a neutral temperament, whereas the "relationship-oriented introvert" position traditionally held by
the Phlegmatic is declared to be a new "fifth temperament."
Gary Smalley has renamed these classifications into a more modern and relatable format based
on commonly known animals.
These he lists as the "otters", "lions", "golden retrievers", and "beavers".
Contemporary writings In Waldorf education and anthroposophy, the
temperaments are used to help understand personality.
They are seen as avenues into teaching; as each child is considered to possess a unique
blend of the four, they can be utilized to individualize the methods used with individual
children and establishing a class balance, as well as to help with discipline.
Christian writer Tim LaHaye has attempted to repopularize the ancient temperaments through
his books.
Psychologist and writer Florence Littauer describes the four personality types in her
book Personality Plus.
See also Two-factor models of personality.
Cultural references In 1946 George Balanchine choreographed a
ballet he titled The Four Temperaments, set to music he commissioned from Paul Hindemith.
The music, and thus the ballet, is in five parts: a theme and four variations titled
Melancholic, Sanguine, Phlegmatic, and Choleric.
Émile Zola consciously employed the four temperaments in Therese Raquin.
The Danish composer Carl Nielsen's Symphony #2,(1901-02) Op.16 entitled "The Four Temperaments"
is structured upon the Four Temperaments.
See also Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation
Enneagram of Personality Table of similar systems of comparison of
temperaments Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
Keirsey Temperament Sorter Personality Plus
Five Temperaments References
External links Four Temperaments Test, personality test.
Arikha, Noga.
Passions and Tempers: A History of the Humours Helminen, Päivi.
Discovering Our Potential: An Introduction to Character Types
In Our Time episode on the four humours in MP3 format, 45 minutes
Rudolf Steiner.
The Four Temperaments John T. Cocoris, Psy.D. Description of the
4 Primary Temperaments at fourtemperament.com Descriptions of The Temperament Blends