What is temperament
The temperament It is the character, the way of being, reacting or behaving of a person. It is also the vocation or aptitude that someone manifests for an art or craft or the ability to overcome difficulties.
Temperament represents the instinctive-affective layer of the personality, and on this, and with the intervention of intelligence and will, the character of the person will be modeled. In turn, character and temperament will be what define our personality.
Each person has a temperament that distinguishes them, since temperament has to do with the way in which people naturally relate to their environment.
Temperament is what determines our ability to adapt to changes and new things, our moods, our tendency to be active or passive, as well as our accessibility.
Temperament is determined based on the characteristics of a person’s nervous system and is related to the endocrine influence.
It should be noted that in psychology before the 20th century, the study of temperaments was considered to have a central role in understanding the way people are and behave.
See also: personality and character.
Types of temperament
In ancient times, doctors considered that there were four fundamental temperaments according to the preeminence of one humor or another in the body: sanguine, melancholic, choleric and phlegmatic.
sanguine temperament
The sanguine temperament characterizes extroverted and lively people, receptive and flexible to changes, who are active and enjoy life. It is a temperament typical of people with a variable mood and a fast and balanced nervous system.
Choleric temperament
People with a choleric temperament are characterized by being quick, active, extroverted, determined and dominant. They want their will to be done, and that is why they have strong ideas and opinions. Despite everything, they are usually flexible to changes. They are ambitious, and that is why they set high goals, hence they are willful, self-sufficient and independent. Your nervous system is strong, fast and unbalanced.
Phlegmatic temperament
People with a phlegmatic character are calm, slow, introverted, serious and analytical. They hardly lose their composure. However, they are not very prone to change. They prefer reflection than emotion. Hence they are pleasant to deal with. They are characterized by having a slow and balanced nervous system.
melancholic temperament
The melancholic temperament characterizes sad, dreamy, analytical and introverted people, with great sensitivity and an enormous desire for perfection. They are not very flexible to changes, but very reliable, since they never abandon what they have started. It is the artistic temperament par excellence, but also very prone to depression and pessimism. They have a weak nervous system.