The Four Temperaments
16 October 2017
The combination of the elements of earth, water, air and fire affect the temperament of each human being in a unique way, one tends to dominate while another has hardly any influence at all. These descriptions indicate the dominance of each of the elements.
Choleric (Fire)
Cholerics are usually physically strong, with short and thick legs, arms, and necks. Their fingers too will be short and thick. They will say the consonants strongly and will say abarakadabara rather as aBaraKaDaBara with emphasis on the consonants carried right through to the end like a kind of second wind. They walk in straight lines with quick short steps that attack the ground with heels first.
Socially they are loud and fearless. They take others head on with their opinions and are concerned about winning arguments. They tend to explode when others do not stand back for them and are only satisfied when they have been heard and when their word is the last. They are pioneers too. They take on impossible tasks, also without planning and forethought of possible consequences. They do not change their mind or direction easily. They do achieve things though as a result. Real solid challenge to them is required if they are going to listen to another. A thwack on the side of the head with solid frying pan might suffice.
Sanguine (Air)
Sanguines are smaller people with thin skin that reveals defined muscle fibres beneath it. They are well proportioned and very agile, and often have real stamina. They carry little fat. They look around them in all directions to make sure that they are not missing anything. They would almost sing abarakadabara to a lilty sort of tune with different lengths of notes. Nothing can be consistent for a Sanguine. They walk with varied pace and on their toes and balls of their feet; they sort of skip if they can and will not walk in straight lines.
They are the strategists with many different suggested solutions to any one problem. They are not too concerned about which suggestion of theirs you take up, or really if it works. What is important is that they get the chance to allow their minds to flit over things. They are not the people to ask to hold systems or rhythms together as they will get distracted.
Sanguines eat lots of small portions of many different food types like the French do. They also partake socially in as many different groups and discussions as possible and ably so, but with little concern for the coherence of it all.
Melancholic (earth)
Melancholics are long and thin. Their heads look to the side or down as they gently negotiate a rough World full of risks. They have long bones with no fat and a skin that conceals what appears to be the minimum of muscle. They cannot really point accurately to anything as they are afraid of failing another. Being decisive is problematic for them. They walk with their feet first just in case there is an obstruction that might catch them unaware. They cannot really complete the word abarakadabara as they start it tentatively and lose steam towards the end. The letters are drawn out and well considered as they come out.
Melancholics are real thinkers and really need to understand the world in order that they can find certainty for themselves in the high risk game of life. They are really concerned about the wellbeing of others as they see when others get hurt and know better than anyone else how insensitive and harsh the world is and how we all need someone that sympathises.
Socially, melancholics will be found listening to the woes and pains of others and endorsing the trials of life.
Phlegmatic (water)
Phlegmatics are round and comfortable with little muscle definition. They have fat hands and shoulders round with the curves of comfort. They love rhythm and certainty both of which are characteristic of the measured way they walk. They would say abarakadabara in equal length tones without too much variation in tone or pitch. If they were to point, they would slowly find the direction in a considered sort of way and they gently settle their arm in this direction without emphasis.
Phlegmatics finish a task allocated to them. They will simply plod on because they were asked to do it, without ever considering retreating. They choose one very large plate of mash and gravy over the chance of variety. They plod expressionlessly through this too. They are quiet and sensitive but do not show this often. They tend to be real listeners but are slow to respond or fail to respond to another’s frustration. They tend to influence situations by their quiet presence rather than their outspokenness.