Friday, November 12, 2010

Who does this sound like?

The Melancholic / Choleric

The melancholic-choleric is also a leader with the potential to accomplish great works. However, where the choleric-melancholic is driven by the challenge and the opportunity, the melancholic-choleric is inspired more by the nobility of the task. The introverted nature of the melancholic, combined with the focused and unempathic nature of the choleric, can result in an individual who is highly motivated by noble ideals (even humanitarian ones), but who prefers to work alone, rather than with people. The melancholic side of both temperament mixtures results in the project being organized, ethical, and high-minded, while the choleric aspect is the driving and demanding force.

If you are melancholic-choleric, you are somewhat less pragmatic (or utilitarian) than a pure choleric, just as persevering and determined, and with a greater emphasis on the ideal. Likely to be motivated by the most noble and demanding of causes, you are capable of founding a humanitarian society, composing a symphony, founding a school, or discovering a cure. You are organized, perfectionist, introspective, driven, and moody (though less so than a pure melancholic). You will be less active than a choleric-melancholic and less extroverted, more internally focused.

But your weaknesses include a tendency to excessive self-criticism and criticism of others, being dismissive or overly judgmental, exhibiting a tendency to self-absorption, and possessing an untrusting and controlling nature. You tend to be inflexible, can bear grudges for a long time and may be prone to discouragement. A melancholic-choleric who is not attentive to his spiritual life, and does not keep his eye assiduously on the truly important things of life can become a cross to those around him, through his nit-picking, perfectionism, disdain, bitterness, resentfulness, spitefulness when crossed, and even haughtiness.

If your temperament is melancholic-choleric, for a better understanding of your temperament it is recommended that you read the full descriptions of the melancholic and choleric.


Yep. And I get the same result every time I take one of these Four Temperaments things.

Those medieval guys must have known a thing or two.

But it makes me sound like such a prat!



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6 comments:

Fr. John Mary, ISJ said...

Being a sanguine-choleric and living with melancholics (oh, yeah!), my life is, well, VERRRRY interesting.
Thank God for the insight of the Four Temperaments...or there might have been a murder at the monastery...and I'm not kidding!!:<)!

Mark S. Abeln said...

"excessive self-criticism and criticism of others, being dismissive or overly judgmental" Say it ain't so!

I am a pure Melancholic: "He sees everything from the dark side. He is peevish, always draws attention to the serious side of affairs, complains regularly about the perversion of people, bad times, downfall of morals, etc. His motto is: things grow worse all along."

hehehe at least I can laugh about it too.

Anonymous said...

I am sanguine, myself. I was talking with a friend some years ago and she reckoned there was probably something in it - this "excess of humours." So, I'm sanguine and although I'm a woman (women tend towards anaemia) I am rarely anaemic. If I am, it's usually after an operation where there has been significant blood loss, but my red blood cells come back quickly.

Not sure what the "black bile" of the choleric corresponds to anatomically.

I wish someone would do a serious study of this to see whether these personality types really do correspond with the physiology.

Thanks for the reminder. You sound like my husband!

R J said...

I vaguely recall reading some years ago, online, such discussions in a book (from the 1920s?) by one Conrad Hock. Is this book the source of the above text, I wonder?

(For what it's worth I would describe myself as pure melancholic, not melancholic-choleric.)

Anonymous said...

I'm sanguine-choleric! It rules! I rule! I feel great about ruling! Sorry for the rest of you. - Karen

Unknown said...

I am sanguine. Oh Hilary, will you still love me?


Deborah