The Four TemperamentsRead Time 9 min

I like to learn about myself. I suspect we all do. I also like learning about others. It helps me order my world when I can explain why a person did or said something. Turns out I’m not alone.

A long time ago, Hippocrates posited that good health relies on a balance of the four humors. About a thousand years later, St. John Damascene wrote about the effect the seasons have on these humors in people. (Fisheaters.com)

This theory of humors describes four temperaments that people are born with. These temperaments are part of our nature, and influence how we respond emotionally to others and to events in our life. These are natural tendencies and preferences and not a function of life experiences. For example, a tragic childhood will not turn someone into a melancholic. Understanding these temperaments can give us greater understanding of ourselves and others.

Here are brief descriptions of Four Temperaments (from Catholic Answers) and some saints with the same temperament.

Sanguine: Disposed toward joy and desire; derive energy from social settings; their friendships often lack depth, and they easily move on from one group of friends to another; can go from being very joyful to very sad in a short time, and vice-versa; when faced with obstacles to desires, the sanguine’s instinctive emotional response is to redirect his desires to something else easy and pleasant. St. Teresa of Avila, St. Francis Xavier

Choleric: Get energy from being around groups of people, and their overall emotional tendency is toward excess; can easily fly off the handle, but they can also calm down relatively quickly; driven to achieve goals; make good leaders, but they also tend to be thoughtless about the effects of their actions upon others; when faced with obstacles to desires, the choleric’s instinctive emotional response is to fight and overcome those obstacles. St. Paul, St. Jerome, St. Francis de Sales

Phlegmatic: Prefer to be in the background in social settings, and let others take the lead; tend to be easygoing, and good listeners; weakness is a lack of drive: they too easily settle for lesser goods and accomplishments; take the path of least resistance; when faced with obstacles to desires, the phlegmatic’s instinctive emotional response is to give up and stop caring. St. Thomas Aquinas, Pope St. John XXIII

Melancholic: Feel drained in social settings; easily disposed toward sadness; tend to be compassionate and thoughtful, make very faithful friends; thoughtful of others; when faced with significant obstacles to desires, the melancholic’s instinctive emotional response is to withdraw. St. Therese of Lisieux, St. John the Apostle, St. Bernard of Clairvaux.

Identifying my own temperament was helpful to me. It offered some explanation, and frankly, it’s comforting to know that others struggle with the same things. This self-knowledge also helps us in our spiritual life.

As a phlegmatic, I struggle with laziness and confrontation. I consider myself a morning person, but the act of getting out of bed each day is the hardest thing I do. Getting myself to exercise each evening requires Herculean effort. My neighbor’s dog has been barking excessively for seven years and asking them to quiet her down has been nearly impossible. I can pray for the virtues of fortitude to stick with things when they get hard. I can pray for holy ambition to work toward the good and for strength of will to confront a wrong. Recognizing that these weaknesses are part of my nature could lead to discouragement, but the Catholic Church teaches that we are to rely on God. I may desire to give up when that thing becomes hard, but it’s a better idea to ask God for help.

Knowing the temperaments of those around us brings greater understanding and compassion. It helps me to know that a friend is sanguine, and therefore extroverted and desirous of being around a lot of people most of the time. Likewise, that melancholic friend may be prone to perfectionism but is also a sensitive soul, so I should be careful with my words. My choleric co-worker may get upset easily but will calm down quickly.

It’s also helpful to know that while a person may struggle with something as a result of her temperament, she may also have a strength that is a blessing. I can love those around me better when I have an understanding of how they encounter the world.

Some “personality” tests (Four Temperaments, Working Genius, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) yield helpful information that gives us insight into the humans we are. Some are silly (pretty much any magazine quiz), and some are to be avoided. In 2003, the Vatican published “Christian Reflections on the New Age” and used the enneagram as an example of gnosticism to avoid. According to Catholic Answers, the enneagram, created from non-Christian belief systems, “goes beyond personality study into spirituality and is presented as a path toward enlightenment and ‘higher states of being.’”

It’s important to remember that while we have these natural tendencies, they don’t define us. We can’t put ourselves or other people in boxes. We’re not that simple. We are all a mix of the four different temperaments and are even influenced to varying degrees by secondary temperaments. For example, I am phlegmatic-melancholic. When I look at myself under those lenses, sometimes the melancholic has more of an influence on my responses than the phlegmatic. And sometimes I feel energized by those around me (although I usually go home tired!), and sometimes I get angry easily. There’s wisdom in knowing our primary go-to responses, but we are all complicated people with many strengths and weaknesses, and that’s what makes the world an even more beautiful place. Our complex natures are a testimony to God’s great creativity and generosity.

If you want to learn more about your temperament and those around you, go to Fisheaters.com for a free test and much more information.