Four Temperaments: Take the Test & Discover your Termperament
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Choleric, Sanguine, Melancholic, Phlegmatic
Some people would rather not be "put in a box." Get over your insecurities and come to terms with the fact that you have a personality, and it is likely not an assortment of every recognizable temperament. None of the several temperaments that exist in the world today were ever meant to confine or restrict us from behaving out of character. They were developed in order to help us understand why we behave, communicate the way we do as individuals interacting with individuals, and how we perceive, and process information in a global world that is rapidly changing.
This is one of many helpful tools that pinpoint four temperaments to help us understand ourselves and each other. The four types are Choleric, Sanguine, Melancholy, and Phlegmatic. I have outlined them below, and encourage you to take the test to determine which one or two best define you.
Take the test and find out your results. Try to be objective as you read about your personality type as I have listed a general overview, as well as the positives and negatives of each type.
http://www.oneishy.com/personality/personality_test.php
If the above link is inactive, you can download the following document, print the test, and score yourself.
Choleric- An Overview
Enthusiastic, having very high aspirations and cravings for success. The choleric must be the best in everything and have the best of everything. Extremely ambitious, having a keen intellect, a strong will, strong passions, an impulse to dominate others becoming their superior and making them subservient.
Choleric- The not so great Characteristics
The choleric is commonly prideful, full of him/her, thinking highly of his/her great qualities and even considers his/her faults worthy of praise. Also, is stubborn and has an opinion on everything. The choleric believes he/she is always right. The choleric is confident, believes others are weak, ignorant, incompetent and slow. Upon humiliation the choleric feels hurt resulting in anger, deceit, and judgments towards others.
Choleric- The wonderful Characteristics
The choleric possesses a sharp, keen intellect and will combine with great enthusiasm. Very successful in his/her profession, working diligently in spite of obstacles. Choleric are brief, precise, and sure in their speech.
Sanguine- Overview
Easily excited by external influences, reacting quickly, although the impression is often short-lived. There is somewhat of a superficiality, or better said, lack of depth (part v. whole relationship), in the sanguine personality. The sanguine commonly follows others and has little stability as a result. Fickle in ideas, opinions, and resolutions. Changes moods often (from laughter to tears in a matter of seconds). The sanguine rarely internalizes his/her focus and instead devotes attention to the external (his/her appearance, and of others, to beautiful faces, fashions and manners). The sanguine is full of optimism.
Sanguine- The not so great Characteristics
Vanity and self=complacency, loving the appearance of his/herself and the praise of others. The sanguine is very inclined to flirt, and has a great degree of jealous tendencies. The sanguine cannot be left alone. There is a cheerfulness and love of pleasure that accompany the desire to always have someone around to enjoy life with. The sanguine decision are likely to be the wrong decisions, their undertaking fail easily since they believe success is inevitable and will therefore take it for granted, they are unstable, and they have little understanding of themselves since they rarely internalize conflict.
Sanguine- The wonderful Characteristics
Everyone loves and knows the sanguine. He/she has the most friends and easily makes new friends. This is the extrovert of the four temperaments. The sanguine is extremely friendly, pleasant, and willing to accommodate. Is often found entertaining others, is compassionate towards others, and is graced with the gift of calling others out on their faults without bringing humiliation or displeasure. Very virtuous. Rarely shows resentment or defiance. Wishes the best for everyone.
Melancholic- Overview
Like the Sanguine, the Melancholic is also easily excited by things. However, unlike the Sanguine, the initial reaction of excitement is weak, but the impression remains long and grows stronger by subsequent impressions of a similar nature. A person of this temperament is inclined to deep, thoughts and reflection, dwelling the past, looking ahead to the future, is very profound, finds meaning in just about everything, and is not satisfied with the superficial. The melancholic is driven by laws and principles. The melancholic is most comfortable alone, and in silence. He/she is very introspective and always sees life from a serious perspective, often feeling burdened and brought down by temporal affairs. Melancholies are commonly passive, reserved, irresolute, despondent, lacking courage, slow in thought and speech. Melancholies despise the lime-light, and would rather withdraw and let others receive recognition, even when they are praise worthy.
Melancholic- The not so great Characteristics
Easily falls into mental distress and this can be extremely intense. The melancholic, more than any other temperament, has keen awareness of moral right and wrong, and has a deep longing for morality. They are inclined to despair, intense expressions of grief, and occurrences of depression. This can result in self-pity, and he/she may become a burden to friends and family. He/she can also lose confidence in others, specifically superiors; there is a loss of trust and respect when the melancholy becomes aware of a fellow man's weaknesses and faults. The melancholy vehemently desires justice, and forgiveness of offences is hardly an option. He/she is suspicious, lacks trust in people and fears that everyone is out to get him/her. He/she is pessimistic about everything.
Melancholic- The wonderful Characteristics
Loves solitude and is often productive in solitary hobbies encompassing the fine arts, liberal arts, crafts, writing, analytics, drama, contributing deep and profound thoughts and ideas to poetics, philosophy, science, and legislation, etc. There is a joy and a relaxation that results in the melancholic devoting time to these activities. Melancholies are excellent counselors to friends, encouragers, give great affirmation when necessary, they are trustworthy and genuine. They are willing to make extreme sacrifices for the sake of others.
Phlegmatic- Overview
Not moved by impressions at all; the reaction is missing, or empty, and they fade quickly. There is little interest in what is going on around him/her. Loves leisure, and is often unmotivated to work. Everything proceeds at a slow pace.
Phlegmatic- The not so great Characteristics
Inclined to things that require little to no effort, eating, drinking, is lazy, and neglects duties. Often misses opportunities, has no ambition and no aspirations in life.
Phlegmatic- The wonderful Characteristics
Perseverant. Not easily offended, and not moved by failures or sufferings. Always maintains composure, is thoughtful and deliberate. He/she has a sober, objective, rational, and practical judgment. Demands little in life, and has not intense passions.
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That is a fun personality to have! You get things done, can lead people well, and still have a great time with a ton of friends! I am a choleric and melancholy mix- I get things done, have a plan A-C for back up purposes, and then get depressed later! LOL :-)
Ananta65,
Your personality is Sanguine Phlegmatic
Melancholy 18% Strength:3 Weakness:4
Phlegmatic 30% Strength:5 Weakness:7
Sanguine 35% Strength:8 Weakness:6
Choleric 18% Strength:4 Weakness:3
I lack the jealous tendencies of the Sanguine, but recognize quite a few of the other characteristics. As for the Phlegmatic...The description is a not as extensive, but I do see some traits :)
me too,
Sanguine Phlegmatic, with less emphasis on the melancholic, and more on the Choleric.
Hmmm. I read through, but I'm not sure that it's terribly accurate in my case. Some things ring true, but not others. An interesting test though. Thanks for posting the link, and for writing about it.
Self-exploration, the journey of a lifetime :)
Melacholy/phlegmatic for me--mostly melancholy. No surprise there! Thanks, this was fun!
Intriguing test and great hub! Not sure where I stand on all of this, none seem an exact fit. Thanks!
Some people score higher in the strengths of one of the four temperaments and lower in the weakness, whereas those same strengths can balance out in one of the other temperaments. So it is not unusual if you fit some characteristics of one, but not all. Most people will find they have two dominant temperaments though.
Hi Capalynn,
Took the test. Guess I'm Melancholy - but I don't think I'm lazy an unamitious. My strength is 5, but I also have a strength 5 in Sanquine and a Strength 6 in Choleric. My highest weakness is in Melancholy though at 9. Nothing else is close to that.
P.S. I noticed you live in the Silicon Valley. I grew up in Los Gatos and lived my early childhood in the Santa Cruze Mountains. I now live in Central Oregon.
Well, Karen, you seem to be strongest in Melancholic and Choleric then, with Sanguine a close 3rd. Melancholic weaknesses can be rough so watch out for them. I also am a melancholic, choleric.
Glad i did the test. Now I know I am a Choleric Sanguine - good combination. Always thought I was plain Sanguine. Took the test twice for confirmation. Now I understand why I do things the way I do. Would make all my friens and family follow suit.
Thanks capalynn.
Am sanguine and choleric. Very active and very much around. Thanks for writing about termperament
Hi Capalynn, I scored as a combination of Melancholy/Sanguine. It explains why I feel like a termite in a yo-yo :)
Thanks for the test!
Whew! 45% Melancholy, 25% Phlegmatic. What a head case I am ;)
Very nice and thorough overview. I myself am a sanguine, though I haven't taken the test in many years. Maybe things have changed :)
i fall in melancholic and sanguine..pls post for a new topic about that..God Bless!
i cant believe i have to pay for my repport.i thought it was free. wasting my time... sigh
hai ebrione how can i can take the test?
I am a Melancholic phlegmatic.....cool....
Sue, yes, that is cool! Being a phlegmatic, you might think any personality you have is cool, and that is what is so wonderful about phlegmatics: laid back, easy going, peacemaker! We need more people like you in our world today.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing.
Sarah
hello Capalynn, the link for the test is no longer functional. Is it closed down or something?
Yemi,
I see that the link is inactive. Thanks for pointing that out. I don't know why but I have found another way for you to take the test. This is an actual document that will download into your computer. You can print it, test yourself, and score yourself.
http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/downloadFile.cgi?fil
Have fun!
Hi Capalynn,
very nice overview, months ago i took the test through oneishy.com. what do the numbers on the Strengths and Weaknesses represent? Like -
Sanguine 53%, strength 11 weakness 10
Hi Amanda,
Those numbers tell you that you are just about even with strengths and weaknesses for Sanguine. Some people will have higher numbers in strenghts for a personality and low weaknesses, or vice versa, which will suggest that that personality dominates in the strengths only while they may have another personality that dominates in weaknesses. I hope that makes sense. By the way, if you enjoyed this, you might also really enjoy my differentiated instruction blog where you will find a link to a some multiple intelligence and learning style tests:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Differentiated-Instruction
Thanks
I GUESS I AM PHLEGMEL IN NATURE.
I think am sanguine,cause i posses most of that temperament.
Just took the test. It says I am sanguine\ Melancholy which is cool.
However I am wondering if it may not be the other way around. (Melancholy Sanguine) because although I am a people person I am also a true loner. ie, if family comes over for christmas I find that after a while I have to retreat to my own room for space.
Great test! Thanks!!!
Hi Pinkdrama74,
Thanks for sharing. I think that retreating to an isolated place when family arrives over the holidays might be typically of all personalities. I don't know though, what do you think?
Anyhow, the best way to judge which personality comes first is to ask yourself where you get most energized. If you feel that being around people energizes you, then you are more Sanguine. If you feel that being around people exhausts all your energy and that being alone for a bit reenergizes you, you are probably more Melancholy.
Either way, the Sanguine/Melancholy mix is a great personality combo and some of the most exciting and funny people I know share that combination too.
Am 99% choleric. My ambitons and anger are burning me. I just started working on myself recently when i discovered we are not all d same. That i need to tolerate others weakness
Aristotle,
Yes, you need to tolerate other people's weaknesses just in the same way others need to tolerate your weaknesses :-) and begin 99% choleric, I am certain you have a good share of choleric weaknesses to sort through. Realizing others are not like you, and they don't need to be like you is a good start.
Thanks for stopping by.
Sarah
This was wonderful. Had to laugh at how accurate my personality test turned out. Thank you for a most unusual hub.
I'm 90% choleric and 10% sanguine, both my choleric side has been destroying my relationship with men. (i'm a woman)
hi can i ask what is the main objectives of choleric personality?
Karen,
I sort of understand that your personality has perhaps limited your possibilities with men. On the flip side though, don't be discouraged because I know plenty of choleric women who did indeed meet amazing men. It doesn't mean your man should have more choleric traits then you. When it comes down to being in love, even the sanguine and the melancholy can step up to the plate and do what is necessary to make you happy. It's really about celebrating your differences and finding ways in which you can both balance each other out.
Kenny,
The choleric objectives are to be the best in everything they do, and often being the best is something they will make sure everyone else knows about (in other words, they do not do it quietly). It's important to recognize your choleric strengths and weaknesses, and really seek to capitalize on the strengths.
While cholerics are excellent leaders and visionaries, and while they are great at delegating tasks, strong cholerics can come across as dominating, bossy, and impatient. Be aware of this when communicating with others and challenge yourself to not just tolerate those who don't see things your way, but to connect with them.
Thanks for asking.
Melancholic/Phlegmatic. Really educative.Thanks
The temperament of one truely tells who the individual is, their personalities but if only the temperament test was done with all sincerity.Indeed, it will help you to live a better life.What do you think?
Nwafor,
Do you mean that if only we took it seriously enough to change the weaknesses and better our character? If so, then perhaps. However, it is not in every personality to think that they need to change. Some people get the idea that everyone else needs to make the changes. We all have a bit of narcissism and pride in us.
Sarah
Sarah, it will be much easier if u analyse the temperament in order to handle our human relation - i.e. control staff, handle bosses, etc.
Michael,
Yes, but then I might actually be tempted to publish a book about it. I think one can assume what kind of boss and work ethic comes with each temperament. Nevertheless, I am sure there is stuff already out there that you can find on the subject.
Good luck!
Hi. Great article, but IMHO, your diagram is not right. You put the elements order as earth - air - water - fire. I think it should be earth - water - air - fire. Because the elements in the opposite direction should cancel each other, like summer is cancelled by winter.
...knowing who we trully are, is d key to our success. We have 2 let go of our pride and face facts as they are. I'm a melancholic person and I'm learning 2 deal wit it. We all need 2 work on our weaknesses and live am enjoyable life.
hi there, i am so interested to take this test however when i tried to follow the link, it said...Error gateway..hmmm..is that site still working? just asking..=) anyway thanks for this
Jian,
So sorry about that. The link is down and I am trying to find another link to post. Check back in about a month and hopefully I will have found something new by then. You can also buy the book which may be a better option if you would like to learn more.
Sarah
I so wanted to take the test but the link is unavailable. the web site is blocked or something. i cant seem to open it.
took the self scored one since the link was still broken. ended up being predominatly melancholy, with a prety good dose of choleric in there(64/57). fit's my personality pretty well actually. thanks for writing this up, was enjoyable to take :)
I see myself more as melancholy but in certain circumstances or moods, I can act as a whole other temperament. I don't think anyone is strictly 100% one temperament Everyone fluctuates among the traits. People need to fluctuate in order to be adaptable.
I am glad you wrote a book Sarah as whilst there is a lot already written on the matter, I enjoyed your comments and style, I wanted to take the test and wasn't able to, I'll do the print option if I get to it but I'm fairly sure I would be sanguine with a choleric chaser!
Tops
@ Wolfe 1319, you have a great personality, but I suppose I am partial to the Mel/Chol mix since that is also what I am.
@ Melanie, you are correct in that I don't think I have ever met a person who is 100% one temperament. People usually have two dominant temperaments, and even then, as we grow and move through life, and perhaps even mature, we change. So, often we can mellow out in certain areas, and become stronger in others.
@Lucy, I didn't write a book on this topic. Rather, I am providing a nice summation of the book, Personality Plus, by Florence Littauer. You can get the book used on Amazon for a penny.
Were you ever able to find another test equal to the oneishy one?
Myself and others have used that test before and wanted to pass on to friends but as it is still broken that causes something of a problem...
I will show them the paper test but since it asks for friends to fill it out as well results are not instantaneous like the online test makes them.
Any suggestions you have on where to find tests are welcome :)
Between melancholy and phlegmatic...
Well....Im a melancholic - choleric person...great...
I first did this test almost exactly a year ago (when the link was working): Mel: 33%, Phlegm: 30%, Sangu: 13%, Chol: 13%. I devoured what I learned, and sought to learn further about this material, looking all over the internet, because psychology and self-knowledge and things like that are an obsession for me. I've just realized that I've focused on just my two dominant traits, but looking at my results again, I see that I have a relatively well-developed Choleric side. This kinda changes things...
Apologies, I meant my Choleric side is at 23%, NOT 13%. Anyway, hopefully this means i can turn myself into a more light-hearted individual.
Bheki,
Although you mel dominates, you still have some phleg in you, which I can guess balances out your mel. I think that is a wonderful combination, and I though you aren't sang I am sure you have a great deal of friends and people in your life who enjoy being around you. The mel is the "deep thought" side of you who can engage in great conversation. The phleg is the peaceful side of you who gets along with anyone. And people love that! As for the choleric, that adds to the dynamic of the first two. So be proud of you temperament! And thanks for sharing.
Good News Everyone!
I know the oneishy website no longer exists, making it impossible to follow the link and take the test online. However, you can take the test by following the link at the bottom of my answer. Once you get to the Ask reference page, the results will be displayed. Skip the sponsored results (highlighted in green), and scroll down until you see the one titled in all caps, GIVE YOURSELF A TEMPERAMENT TEST. It will immediately respond by prompting you to download the original version of the test from the actual book. You can print it out, take the test, score yourself, and have a couple friends take it for you also, just to be sure you have a good sample of what your personality truly is (sometimes it's hard to be objective about ourselves).
Hope this helps, and have fun!
Phlegmatic: 47
Choleric: 41
Melancholy: 35
Sanguine: 26
Thanks for the hub, I've given you a vote-up and useful.
i am surely melancholic
Hi,
Just read the book Personality Plus and discovered that am a phlegmatic-sanguine...appreciate if you could share your experience (if any) with one of my 'kind'? :)
i can perceive myself to be melancholic-phlegmatic,,,my personality and attitude is a mixture of the two temperaments.
@ Levity,
Phlegmatic is a wonderful personality because they generally get along with everyone and have little to no drama in their lives. Sanguine is also great because they have and/or make friends everywhere they go. Just remember that each personality is unique and the dynamic of any friendship you have will be different because your friend will also have a unique personality that will be interacting with your own. But at least this helps you perhaps understand yourself better, as well as your friends and the reason they may see something differently.
I have a friend, a close friend of mine who is phlegmatic and sanguine. She is such a joy to be around because she is so funny and dynamic in personality. She gets along with everyone for the most part, and always has a smile on her face.
I cant go with what is my personality can you help me capalynn?? thank you. .
Thank you for this excellent page (loved the graphic/explains why I love fall and winter as a Melancholy/Phlegmatic!)
How do you respond to people who claim to have primary/secondary temperaments that are polar opposites (i.e. Sanguine/Melancholy, Choleric/Phlegmatic). Personality Plus - and logic - dictates this isn't possible.
Thanks!
I think, I am the worst... Phlegmatic and Melancholic!
I'm sorry to see that this page lacks the Supine category.
I WANT TO KNOW MY TEMPERAMENT.
@Thom,
Hey, I'm a Melancholic Phlegmatic (though I wonder what a new test would reveal). I like what Capalynn said in response to that:
Bheki,
Although you mel dominates, you still have some phleg in you, which I can guess balances out your mel. I think that is a wonderful combination, and I though you aren't sang I am sure you have a great deal of friends and people in your life who enjoy being around you. The mel is the "deep thought" side of you who can engage in great conversation. The phleg is the peaceful side of you who gets along with anyone. And people love that! As for the choleric, that adds to the dynamic of the first two. So be proud of you temperament! And thanks for sharing.
See, it's not all bad.
I am
Sanguine 32
Choleric 43
Phlegmatgic 43
Melancholic 79!
Ok I am clearly melancholic not that that surprises me one bit. I'm an introvert, idealist, can be really shy with strangers and I like to be alone either singing or writing so creative.
I love the Four Temperaments so much- I think they explain alot for me. I'm ordering that book by Florence Littauer for Christmas! I think I'll pick up a minor in Psychology too haha. Thanks for this!
what is a temperament , and what is it like
I am a mel-chol... is that a good thing? Should i marry a phelgmatic?
I am a Sanquine with Choleric elements. I am aged 27, whom should I marry?
My temperament is sanguine-melancholic .
I apologize for the delay in my response to all these wonderful conversations. I have been a hermit for the last five months due to school work, my PACT, and student teaching requirements (lesson planning, grading, teaching, parents, etc.).
@Justice- Not sure how I can help, and not even sure I understand your question.
@Mike- Polar opposite personalities is certainly an interesting paradox. I know a couple people who are Sang/Mel, or Mel/Sang. I do not know anyone who is Phleg/Chol or Chol/Phleg, however. Keep in mind that each of these temperaments have strengths AND weaknesses. So, while one may be strong in being an analytical thinker, (Melancholic), one may also be strong in the social aspects apparent among Sanguines. So, it is possible to have strengths in both that dominate. Likewise, it is also possible to have a weakness in one trait apparent among Melancholics while having a strength apparent among Sanguines which balances out that melancholic weakness.
@Mal- What is a Supine?
@Anna- Are those percentages? If so, I am confused because they don't add to 100???If they are points, than it makes some sense, so here is my response: It looks like you are clearly melancholic, but are tied between Choleric/Phlegmatic. It would be interesting to see what your strengths are in Choleric and Phlegmatic.
@Judelia and Kalusha- I am not a marriage counselor, or a match-maker. My preference for a spouse is someone who shares one of your two dominating temperaments. However, sharing both may be too much and cause a great deal of tension. Likewise, you may be inclined to enjoy people who have opposite temperaments because they can balance your strengths and weakness out. For example, I am melancholic, with choleric as my second. I have always been annoyed by other choleric people, I suppose because I always want to do things my own way, (which always makes perfect sense to me). And if anyone is going to do some bossing, I prefer to boss than to be bossed. Therefore, a melancholic spouse will be suitable for me. If he is Mel/Sang (or vice versa), than we will have some deep and rich conversations, and he will also motivate me to get out of the house and be social, (a great fit for me). If he is Mel/Phleg, (or vice versa), than the deep and rich conversations will still be had, but his phleg can really balance out my choleric. So, both will be great. Lucky for me, I believe my boyfriend is Melancholy/Phlegmatic, so we work very well together!
hi capalynn, an hour before this we had a personality test on our class, our teacher gave us 2 copies on which they are two indication which is the strength and weaknesses... after we total our score i got 10 to all-each of the 4 temperaments. even though our teacher began explaining the personalities, i care no more for a reason that i got them all equal. what do you think? thanks @_@
I'm melancholic, and I'm soo proud of it. I don't wish to be anyone else, I just love being me
im melancholic and phlegmantic...seemz cool
i think am choleric
i am a Choleric ... No need more others opinion, thank you LOL :) awesome link btw !
This is according to the Indian Vedic philosophy Vaat pitta kapha types relates more to constitution of the body.. air, water and fire r the basic elements tht constitute the body , the mind and hence the temperament.
How do i identify my temperament,but love the submission.thanks for your post
pls i want to know my pemperament
All leaders must be 50%choleric and 50%melancholy
Fannie,
I wouldn't limit a leader to any particular temperament. While a choleric can certainly delegate tasks, sanguines are great at casting vision and getting people on board. Melancholies can rise to any occasion and do the job well. And Phlegmatics are great at ensuring everyone is working together well. Therefore, any combination of these four temperaments will give you a great leader. The catch is that we all must strive to utilize our individual skills so as to lead others.
I'm certainly a Melancholy, haha.
i am introvert but more melancholic. I am unable have the test but i still desire it
summer10 3 years ago
Hiya Capalynn, it seems I fall in between a choleric and a sanguine... :) I love that you chose a unique topic to explore, well-written and very interesting.. I look forward to reading more.