Humor

If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he ears, however measured or far away

- Henry David Thoreau

We are all different. Different temperaments and variations in behaviors abound from person to person. Time and again philosophers have strived to classify our behaviors into archetypes to better understand our characters.

What are these temperaments? There's the Choleric, the Melancholic, the Sanguine and the Phlegmatic. Each experiences varying degrees of both positive as well as negative emotions.

Also known by the name of humors, the discovery of the temperaments theory was credited first and foremost to Hippocrates(460 - 370BC). Hippocrates believed that certain human behavioral tendencies could be attributed to bodily fluids he knew as humors.

Let us delve into these four temperaments in further detail.

The Sanguine:

The Sanguine represents the extrovert; the talker; and the optimist. Sanguines hold the temperament of "blood", the season of spring and the element of air.

A person prone to Sanguine personalitiy tends to experience an exceedingly high amount of positive emotions and less negative feelings. This group of people are generally optimistic, cheerful and even-tempered. A really fun-loving and popular bunch.

The Choleric:

The Choleric represents the extrovert; the doer; and the optimist. Cholerics hold the temperaments of 'yellow bile', the season of summer and the element of fire.

Choleric personality archetypes tend to be a driven and ambitious lot. They are a bunch prone to exceedingly high amounts of both positive and negative emotions. Though natural leaders, the Choleric is a very short-tempered person easy to anger.

The Melancholic:

Being an introvert; a thinker; and a pessimist, the Melancholic is characterized by 'black bile', the season of autumn and the element of earth.

The Melancholic dwells much on negative emotions, oft drowning out what little positive emotions they experience. They are a very depressing bunch often lost in their own contemplations. Creativity and poetry comes naturally to Melancholics though their perfectionistic nature more often than not leaves them dissatisfied with their creations.

The Phlegmatic:

Representatives of the introvert; the watcher; and the pessimist, the Phlegmatic soul's personality is tied closely to 'phlegm', the season of winter as well as the element of water.

Being calm and detached is part of the charm of the Phlegmatic. He experiences little negative as well as positive emotional input. Generally self-content and shy, the Phlegmatic may appear lazy and resistant to change, preferring a more stable, consistent and relaxed state.

Four temperaments, which are you most like?

A person may be most like one of the four humors or even turn out to be a mix of the different temperaments. But understanding your tendencies will give you a clearer picture of yourself.

What's your humor?

Find your temperament.