When Gerard Manley Hopkins praised God for all the “dappled things” that fill the world with glorious variety, he could have included human personalities in his list. People have extremely diverse gifts, inclinations, interests and approaches to life. Common remarks highlight these distinctive qualities: “She sure is perky!” “I can’t believe how calm he is!” “How do you get so much done so quickly?” Like the colors of the rainbow, species of plants and animals, and diverse national cultures, this variety among characters renders the world more beautiful and complete.

Although each person is unique, one may reasonably seek to summarize human personalities into general “types” in order to understand them better. One method of summary is the four temperaments: choleric, sanguine, melancholic, and phlegmatic. Such a classifying system can be a help to understanding oneself or others. When used without care, however, it can also contribute to the danger of stereotyping or oversimplifying the temperaments. Some of the four words listed above are too often used in a derogatory way, as if they necessarily had negative connotations. I have met people who say that they hate their own temperament or wish that it were different.

If you are one of those people, be reassured: not only is your temperament not a bad thing, but it has potential for great good. Your personality is simply part of the person that God made you, along with, e.g., your blood type, your skin color, and the pitch of your voice. God created your temperament for a specific purpose in His plan for you—and, yes, for all creation. In mankind’s fallen state, each temperament has its particular risks, but when trained and used properly, each can glorify God and serve other people in a way that the others cannot.

The confusion may have arisen in part from the origin of the four words. The “humors,” or bodily fluids, were once thought to determine people’s moods. Thus, a person might be “choleric” at one time and “phlegmatic” at another, depending on whether he had more choler or phlegm in him at the moment. I do not know when the names of these physical states became designations for different temperaments, but since they did, each of these words has at least two meanings. A mood and a personality are not the same, nor is someone of a given temperament always in the corresponding mood. Moods come and go, while a personality, as has been stated, is lasting and essential.

Having said all this, let’s consider each of the four temperaments in turn, iterate and respond to some popular misconceptions about them, and ponder each one’s benefits and pitfalls. Each person is different, of course; but some broad generalizations, regarded as such, can still safely apply. In setting these forth, I do not pretend to be an expert on personalities or human psychology. I am simply speaking from my own experience. I know sweet and lovable people of each of these temperaments, and you probably do as well.

Choleric

Myth: Someone who is choleric is angry, stubborn, domineering; such a person readily loses his temper and seeks to force his own way.

Reality: The above may be a common way of using the word choleric, and people who fit that description undoubtedly exist. As an understanding of the temperament, however, such a summary is a gross distortion. To say that someone has the choleric temperament means that he has a strong inner drive. Such a person applies himself to his undertakings with firm, energetic determination, willing to go to great lengths to achieve what he deems worthwhile. Thus, his strong resolve is neither good nor evil in itself; the good or evil lies in his use of it. E.g., if his chief goal is amassing wealth, he will likely misuse his temperament to gain money even at others’ expense; but if he seeks to assist the suffering, he may be the one founding hospitals or devising improvements for poor neighborhoods. Someone of a different temperament could also do these things, but such a characteristic determination can be a help in these pursuits.

The choleric’s drive tends to be both a gift and a challenge. He often has a strong sense of what ought to be, which can be a great stimulus in his efforts to improve a situation, but can also lead to frustration when he cannot realize his ideal. This does not, however, mean that he will necessarily lose his temper. He will probably be tempted at times to yield to vexation or to cling to his own ideals beyond reasonable limits. The challenge for such a person is to control his drive with reason, to remember that life will always be imperfect and to be at peace with his limitations.

In particular, Christian faith provides a consoling reminder that God never asks His creatures to do more than they can at any given time. Humility becomes very liberating in this context: results are God’s work, not our own. We are only required to do our own small part, small at least in the vast scheme of the universe. The choleric who learns how to use and control his firm, persistent spirit, knowing what he ought to do and how much to expect from himself, can use the natural force within him to achieve great good.

Sanguine

Myth: Sanguines are superficial and frivolous; they take nothing seriously; they are a mere show of shallow positivity with nothing substantial beneath.

Reality: Again, shallow and frivolous people certainly do exist, but the sanguine temperament is something entirely different. All things being equal, sanguines are as capable as anyone else of serious and insightful reflection. Many of them at my alma mater have excelled in philosophy!

What sets apart the sanguine is a lighthearted outlook, something entirely distinct from frivolity. He is naturally disposed to enjoy life, to find an experience fun and perhaps funny. This approach is good as long as he does not laugh or remain lightly oblivious at times that warrant a more sober response, as when he encounters someone facing deep sorrow or injustice. At these times, however, as well as in his day-to-day life, his temperament can help him not to succumb to sadness, anxiety, boredom, and other trials common to everyone. No one need succumb to these, but the sanguine’s temperament can be a special gift for countering them. Such a person’s buoyancy can also bring joy to those around him, encouraging them to smile and not to take small things too seriously. For example, my film critic father can discuss some declining trend in movies, or even culture generally, but be cheerful again a minute later. This gift encourages more melancholic characters, like myself, to acknowledge such problems without becoming depressed.

Some make a different mistake in considering the sanguine temperament, thinking that they would be far happier if only they could have it instead of their own. While this lighthearted personality is a gift in its way, it no more guarantees happiness than any other. Sanguines can suffer as much as anyone else. Their personality spares them some difficulties, but they face their own; they may struggle with wounds from the past, worries about the future, psychological disorders, or some other problems. Even the rare person who hardly ever seems troubled has close friends who can confirm that even he knows pain and stress, even if he hardly shows that. The sanguine temperament is not an escape from sufferings, but it can be an aid to facing them without becoming discouraged.

Melancholic

Myth: Melancholics are perpetually depressed; their sadness continually brings down their spirits; they are never very happy for long.

Reality: I have known melancholics so perky that they were often mistaken for sanguines! Here, in particular, some confusion may have resulted from the origin of the word melancholic, since, of the four, this word most frequently still refers to a mere mood. “Melancholy” is often used synonymously with gloom. The first definition that appears on the Internet is “a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause.” To say, then, that someone has a melancholic personality seems to imply that he is an unhappy person. No temperament, however, maintains constant discontent any more than it guarantees happiness.

Essentially, the melancholic temperament involves a serious outlook on life. It tends to see deep significance in events, as if they were scenes in a drama. Because the melancholic thus takes life more seriously, he will likely be more vulnerable to sadness than the sanguine; he may feel it more easily or more deeply. Thus, his temperament may be a trial for him at times. However, he can still have his own delight in life, of a different kind from the sanguine’s.

The image of life as a drama helps to illustrate this truth. A serious drama does not provide the same kind of entertainment as a light comedy, but it does offer its own type of joy. The melancholic can thrill at the wonder and beauty of the world, the goodness and love of those close to him, the depths of truth and wisdom, and especially, if he has faith, the consolation of knowing God. Milton indicated this kind of joy in his poem, “Il Penseroso,” in which he envisions Melancholy not as depression, but as a quiet, thoughtful attitude, loving such things as reflection, study, or walking in silence through a forest. Again, generally speaking, a sanguine too can appreciate these pursuits, and a melancholic can enjoy a party. Nonetheless, the inclination of the melancholic temperament, as such, tends to draw a person more to subtle, deep, reflective pleasures than does the sanguine temperament in itself.

This tendency to see meaning everywhere is a great gift for melancholics. It may partially explain why so many artists and poets have been melancholic: awareness of things’ significance helps to stir wonder and enthusiasm, resulting in visual or verbal celebrations that prompt others to see something anew. The inclination to enjoy quiet, deep reflection, such as Milton’s poem suggests, can also contribute to the work of philosophers, theologians, and any who explore the most important questions and seek to apply them. For any melancholic, this desire for meaning can be a goad to seek purpose in everyday life. He senses instinctively that purpose is necessary, and if he determines to persevere in seeking it, his resolve can guard him against despair.

This gift also includes a natural danger: the melancholic may attribute too much importance to something, especially to some problem or sadness, and thereby be excessively grieved. His special challenge is to keep setbacks in perspective, to know how to look beyond present difficulties, and to remember what is most important. A strong faith makes a special difference for such a person, both satiating his desire for meaning and sustaining his hope. The melancholic who thus directs his thoughts and emotions wisely can offer something beautiful to the world and retain peace within himself.

Phlegmatic

Myth: Umm……

Reality: This temperament is probably the least discussed of the four, because it draws the least attention to itself. The choleric is often obvious for his drive, the sanguine for his liveliness, the melancholic for his pensive thoughtfulness. The phlegmatic temperament, because it has no such conspicuous trait, can be hard not only to identify but even to define. Perhaps this very unobtrusiveness is the best definition of the temperament. The phlegmatic has a natural inclination to “go with the flow”; he generally seeks to avoid “getting feathers ruffled” or “rocking the boat,” to adapt quietly to whatever life may bring.

This disposition can greatly aid one in accepting things that arouse useless vexation in others, such as differences in character, conflicting viewpoints, or inevitable turns of events. The phlegmatic is not immune to frustration, but his temperament, as such, will likely incline him not to overreact. Thus, it may help him to adjust to changes or handle setbacks without undue anxiety. This temperament can also be helpful socially. The phlegmatic is especially disposed to approach a situation peacefully, to shun conflict, to accept others’ wishes and actions. Thus, he will generally refrain from arguing as much as possible, and will probably also seek to maintain peace between others when he is in a position to do so. His temperament aids him in getting along with those around him. While, as always, individuals vary, the phlegmatic temperament might be described as naturally peaceful.

Desire for peace, however, is dangerous if made into an absolute goal. The phlegmatic’s handicaps are the reverse of the choleric’s. While the inherent difficulty for the choleric is to control and direct an abundance of drive, the challenge for the phlegmatic is to stir up motivation and proper firmness when need be. Such a person may have particular difficulty in finding the will to pursue goals or the decisiveness to make major choices. In addition, his aversion to conflict, for all its good potential, also presents a danger: he may be tempted to yield when he should assert himself, when he must stand up for his own good or for principle.

However, just as the choleric never need lose his temper, the phlegmatic whose temperament proves a challenge need not yield to his natural desire to accept or conform. He may find help in seeking advice from people he trusts, who can encourage him to choose goals and pursue them, and whose support can help to strengthen his resolve. Also, if he has faith, he should pray for the grace to decide and act as God would have him do—a prayer that will not be denied.

Training Your Temperament

Hopefully something in the above has encouraged you to see blessings in your temperament. You may, however, be facing some deeply-rooted challenge in your personality: you may be the choleric wrestling with frustration, the sanguine striving to tame quick impulses, the melancholic coping with deep sadness, the phlegmatic struggling with a hard decision. These and other difficulties are all real and can be painful. My own temperament (melancholic-choleric) proves a trial for me sometimes.

These challenges, however, should not cause us to become discouraged. The problems lie not in our personalities themselves, but in corruptions of them. In our fallen condition, we are susceptible to evils of all kinds, in our bodies, minds, and souls. All these parts of the person, however, are good in themselves, requiring not reconstruction but healing. A sick person should not try to replace his body, but to cure the body that is his. In the same way, someone dealing with a flaw in his temperament should not wish for a different temperament, but strive to purify the character that is his.

Thus, in order to train one’s personality toward good, one must first recognize it as a part of who one is, with its own gifts inherent in it. Trying to replace one’s own temperament with another leads only to frustration; one must strive, rather, to develop one’s own character toward its own perfection. A strongly melancholic person cannot have his sanguine friend’s blithe gaiety, but will find fulfillment in pursuing peace within his more sober character. Conversely, the latter must recognize that his effervescent personality is neither superficial nor uncontrollable, but is meant to strengthen himself and others to face life with joy. I cannot live in the easygoing disposition of some phlegmatics I know, nor can they expect to feel the urge to action that so often stirs in me, but we help each other to reach a balance: their calm gives consolation and perspective to me, and I hope my inner fire sometimes strengthens them. When each of the temperaments does what it is made to do, so to speak, the result is a joyous harmony: just as notes in a symphony or colors in a painting produce their effect by coming together in order, while remaining distinct, so the strengths of the differing personalities complement each other, each supplying something valuable that only it can give.

With this in mind, then, each person must strive to realize the ideal of his own temperament, working to correct whatever faults it may have. Though the battle for this improvement may be hard and long, even life-long, it is not only worthwhile but crucial. We are obligated to put forth our best efforts to grow in virtue. This duty is especially clear for us Catholics, who believe that God wants each of us to be a saint. With this in mind, we know that anything that He has made part of us, including our temperaments, must have a part in the ideal to which He calls us. We know, too, that He will not refuse us the help we need to overcome our faults and become the best version of ourselves. If this article, in any small measure, helps anyone to do that, it will have achieved its end.