Mrs. Temitope’s Diary

KNOW YOURSELF BETTER (Part one)

Why do I act the way I do?

Why do I feel the way I feel?

Is there anything wrong with me?

How can I understand myself better?

Is there any way I can become a better version of myself?

All these questions and more will be answered in this writeup and I will advise you to read this article with an open mind so as to be able to learn one or two things.

This article is about temperament and the four types of temperaments we have.

Temperament is simply how a person behaves. It is why we act the way we do. However, it can be influenced by how we are raised, and our environment as children. Temperament is formed as an infant and never changes. It simply develops over time. Studies have shown that temperament remains constant and serves as a means to help us determine how we will react to situation. It is a way to recognize consistent personality traits.

The four temperaments we have are

1. Sanguine
2. Phlegmatic
3. Melancholy and
4. Choleric

SANGUINE: people are considered sanguine because they are so overly talkative and highly physically active that it can be overwhelming to be around them. They are extremely people-oriented. They are outgoing and extroverted. They talk a lot and are social. They encourage people to work together and do good things for one another. They are emotional.

When you first meet a sanguine, you are likely to feel you have known him for a long time. They are comfortable to talk to and get to know you. They are extremely friendly and will frequently get caught up in conversations and loose track of time.

Sanguine temperament is also highly emotive. If they think it or feel it, they will say it, they have no filter. Their hyperactivity often leads to forgetfulness and being disorganized.  They are extremely competitive.

PHLEGMATIC: They are mostly opposite of sanguine in nature. They are service oriented. They ere introverted, but will frequently work together with others to achieve a common goal. They are passive, which leads to a lack of ambition or sense of urgency even when working with others. They are easy going, calm and unemotional.

 They tend to live quiet lives centered around home and family. They do not get involved with the world around them or with other people. They allow other people to make decisions for them, they are agreeable and patient. However, they stick closely to their routines and resist change.

MELANCHOLY: They are detail and quality oriented. They are obsessed with finding what is right rather than being right all the time. They are also conscientious and work to make sure all details are as perfect as possible. They can be perfectionist in general. They are goal getters and usually great leaders. They can be aggressive when faced with an unfavorable situation. They are private and introverted. They are generally well organized. They are usually on time for appointments and expect others to be as well.

The melancholy is usually anxious. They worry about the future and what others think. They also tend to be high- guilt individuals, worrying about how things might have been done differently in the past. They rarely live in the present. 

CHOLERIC: They are result oriented. They make goals and stick to them. They are driven to succeed and tend to stay positive with constant forward movement. They face opposition head-on with the mindset of getting result. They are extroverted and exude self-confidence, they are independent and strong willed. They are creative and are generally active and practical in their activities.

While they can be compassionate and rally for social causes, in their personal life, they are slow to build relationships. They likely only have a few close friends, even though they are not afraid to meet and talk to new people. They enjoy taking risk and gets bored easily. They can be domineering and opinionated. They find it easy to make decisions not only for themselves but for others as well. They never seem to run out of ideas or plans, all of which tend to be practical. Choleric types also tend to require less sleep than other temperament types.

Research has shown that every individual has a combination of either of the four temperament, so it is recommended that you study all the temperaments to be able to determine yours for better understanding of yourself and people around you.

In the other part of this article, we will be talking more on the characteristics of the four temperament and how we can consciously bring out our strength and control our weaknesses in other to become better people.

Thanks for reading

Mrs. Adedolapo-Abiola Temitope