Hi guys, so I am back again with another dimension to the series that we started early last month (click here to read the first part). Well, first I must blame my laziness and school exams for leaving this series for so long. Yh so the last time (two months ago I guess, no vex abeg, lol!), We talked about how temperaments play a very vital role in the way we feel and the way we act. It’s an interesting topic for me ‘cause I feel most people have no idea what drives their behavior so they just blame the elements or other people whenever they feel like it (lol, I was once on this table). Not to worry, I’ve read all ‘em books that talk about temperaments so just sit back and chew the knowledge in folks.

   So today, we’ll start off by talking about the four basic types of temperaments. The last time, we found that temperaments are transferred traits of our parents combined and how it plays a basic role in our behavioral patterns as individuals. Having superior knowledge of your temperament would help you know how to maximize your strengths and manage your weaknesses. This way you know what kind of job you need and the kinds of decisions that best suit most of the situations that you are faced with. The four temperaments were first conceived by Hippocrates over two hundred and four years ago;

• Sanguine
• Choleric
• Melancholy
• Phlegmatic

  I assure you that after reading this, you’ll be able to put yourself and your friends in the temperaments that they belong to that way you can slightly predict their behavior even before they exhibit them. We’ll start with the Sanguine, what Tim Lahaye calls the Sparky Sanguine;

• Meet Mr. Sparky Sanguine

The Sparky Sanguine never lacks friends, he can genuinely feel the sorrows and the happiness of the person he meets. His ability to make lots of friends makes him feel very important, makes him feel very special as long as he is right there and in tune with you. They barely get attached to one single friend, they give the same intense friendship to the next person that they meet.

Sparky Sanguine is warm, lighthearted, they are those that we always describe as the ‘life of the party. I once had a friend whose facial expression alone would dig you out of your misery and if you refuse to smile, he’ll stick to you like gorilla glue until you smile. They are very receptive in nature as external impressions easily seep through their hearts. Most of their decisions are based on their feelings, they don’t think too hard or analyze the pros and cons before making a decision. Once they feel like it, they just do it.

   He has the unusual capacity of enjoying himself without anybody’s help, (this really reminds me of Mr. Bean and SpongeBob) and they can easily pass on their fun loving spirit because of their super extroverted nature. They are known to enter a room with their mouths first, they are those people who genuflect with passion while telling stories, this way you feel like you’re living in the plot and setting of their stories. The Apostle Peter in the Bible was very much like the Sparky Sanguine, ‘cause my guy was always and always talking wherever he went. The Sanguine’s noisy and friendly nature makes him feel more confident than he really is and people always excuse his excesses with ‘Well, that’s just the way he is’

  So we move on to the most complicated of all temperaments;

• The Martin Melancholy

  The Martin Melancholy is a very faithful friend, but unlike the sanguine they do not make friends too easily, they rather wait for people to extend a hand of friendship than the other way around. He is the most dependable of all temperaments, he has this perfectionist nature to his character that make him feel indebted to his promises especially when people are counting on him. He is analytical, self-sacrificing, gifted, and very emotional.

  He enjoys the arts, music and nature much more than anything else in the world. He is a complicated introvert, his feelings dominate all others so he can switch between introvert, extrovert or just the lukewarm side of both. Sometimes he is full of cheer, full of funny jokes and laughter, other times he will be gloomy, frown and look depressed and in these times he tends to transfer the pointless aggression to other people.

  His withdrawn nature sometimes make people feel that he’s not approachable, it is the other way around as he doesn’t only love to be around people, he also yearns to be loved by them but it’s very difficult for him to express his true feelings. When people betray him, he locks others out of their lives and get very suspicious around people when they come too close. He is always the one to think really deep before making decisions as he is able to analyze the obstacles that come with every project before he goes into them.

   They usually find their greatest purpose in life through personal sacrifice, they are the ones who would thaw the path for the one that they love to succeed without any ulterior motive or benefit attached. This quality might end up getting him depressed especially in a world as selfish as this one that we live in. He tends to achieve greatly when he is in tune with God and knows how to manage his weaknesses accordingly.

The next on my list is;

• The Rocky Choleric

Tim Lahaye describes the cholerics as ‘ hot, quick, active, practical, strong-willed, self-sufficient, and very independent’. He’s very decisive and opinionated, he doesn’t wait for anyone to spoon feed him when it comes to making decisions for himself.

  His emotional nature is the least developed part of his temperament, he doesn’t sympathize easily with others, in fact, when people cry and wail, he feels touched by their pain but has no idea what to do to make them feel better. He barely cares about music or fine arts unless his secondary traits are that of the melancholy. He is the kind of person that doesn’t care about your feelings when you’re in the way of achieving his goal, they do what their goals and ambition requires, completely daring the consequences.

  They thrive on activity, they are not driven by their environment instead they dominate and take control of their environment with their endless goals, plans, ideas and ambitions. They don’t engage in things that don’t add value to their lives neither do they derive pleasure in wasting precious time.

Lastly, we meet the calmest of all temperaments;

• Meet Mr. Phlegmatic

Tim LaHaye calls him the Phillip Phlegmatic. He is the calm, easygoing, never-get-upset type of person. He is the easiest type of person to blend with and is by nature the most likeable of all temperaments.

  He never lack friends because he enjoys being around people and has that dry and sarcastic humor in his tongue. He is the one that always sees the good in people no matter how bad they are, he imitates a lot and has a very sharp retentive memory. Life for him is filled with joy and laughter as he tries his best to avoid the unattractive part that life comes with. He has a very consistent, cool, timid and calm personality.

  He is more emotional than he appears to be, he appreciates arts, music, and nature and tries his best to avoid any scuffle or violence. He is an ardent imitator with a very sharp retentive memory. He has this positive approach to every step that he takes in life (they are the kinds that see the good stuff in the most difficult circumstances in life, it’s like some superpower ‘cause for some that I have met, it makes me wonder how they even do it sef)  

  They are the kinds of people that tend to be spectators in life, they are the ones who love to watch the drama from afar. They mind their business and don’t get too involved in matters that don’t concern them, in fact it takes great motivation to move them out of their daily routine. This does not imply that they do not appreciate the need for action, they just seldom convey their true feelings. When he is well motivated, he can prove to be a very capable leader and a true peace maker.

Now that we have seen all the four basic temperaments, I’m sure that you’ve been able to tell where you and your friends fit in. However, I do not want this to be an excuse for your various weaknesses, your weaknesses are not to be left dormant with the lame excuse of ‘that’s just the way that I am’ you have to take active steps to create strengths out of your weaknesses. There is no better way to do this than asking the One who made you to help you as you take the required steps. Below is a not-so-clear basic chart adapted from Tim LaHaye’s book that includes the ten strengths and weaknesses for each temperament (yh, I wish I could find something clearer but this is all that I’ve got so bear with me) .

   By the next episode we’ll talk about the twelve blends of the predominant and the secondary temperaments and how best to manage your weaknesses to your advantage. I trust that you guys are enjoying this series as much as I am, so let me know what you think about this series so far in the comments section.

I’ll be eagerly waiting for your response and your comments, tell me how much you relate with this in your comments.

Have a nice day and stay blessed.

The Nostalgic Pen.