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find studying personalities very fascinating. I get that mysterious chill of awe when I read a description of my apparent personality and it complies so neatly and so succinctly the very quintessence of who I am. Some might feel this sort of character illumination rather demystifies the unfathomability of human depth and strips the soul of its individuality. But as I think that is overcompensating for the inclusiveness of such a brief summary, not to mention giving finite size to the sheer magnitude of the human person, I don't feel intimated to pour over such studies.
I grew up with my mother telling me about the four personalities (Sanguine, Melancholy, Choleric, and Phlegmatic) as illustrated in Florence Littauer’s wonderful book: Personality Plus
See which two personalities apply mostly to you in this short summary:
The “Popular” Sanguine
Strengths:
The lift of joy in times of trouble.
The touch of innocence in a jaded era.
The word of wit when we’re weighted down.
The lift of humor when we’re heavyhearted.
The ray of hope to blow away our black clouds.
The enthusiasm and energy to start over and over again.
The creativity and charm to color a drab day.
The simplicity of a child in complex situations.
Weakness:
No follow through
Talks too much
Childish
Unorganized
Forgetful
Would rather have fun than be responsible
Fickle and changeable
Insensitive
The “Perfect Melancholy”
Strengths:
The depth to see into the heart and soul of life.
The artistic nature to appreciate the beauty of the world.
The talent to create a masterpiece where nothing existed before.
The ability to analyze and arrive at the proper solution.
The eye for detail while others do shoddy work.
The aim to finish what they start.
The pledge, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.”
The desire to “do all things decently and in order.”
Weakness:
Are easily depressed or gloomy
Looks for negatives
Low self-image
Procrastinates to get things “just right”
Puts unrealistic demands and standards on others and themselves
Too critical
Too easily offend
Hard to please
Unforgiving and suspicious
The “Powerful” Choleric
Strengths:
The firm control when others are losing theirs.
The cut of decision for foggy minds.
The grip of leadership to head us to the good.
The willingness to take a chance in a doubtful situation.
The confidence to hold true in the face of ridicule.
The independence to stand alone and be counted.
The road map to life when we’ve gone astray.
The urge to “take arms against the sea of troubles, and, by opposing, end them.”
Weakness:
Arrogant
No fault people
Unable to relax
Workaholic
Argumentative
Must be in control
Insensitive
Manipulative
Doesn’t know how to handle people
Gives advice even when not asked
Can’t apologize
Holds back compliments
“Peaceful” Phelgmatics
Strengths:
The stability to stay straight on course.
The patience to put up with provokers.
The ability to listen, while others have their say.
The gift of mediation, uniting opposite forces.
The purpose of peace at almost any price.
The compassion to comfort those hurting.
The determination to keep your head, while all those around are losing theirs.
The will to live in such a way that even your enemies can’t find bad to say about you.
Weakness:
Unexciting, have a hard time being enthused
Resistant to change
Can seem lazy or shirks responsibility because unwilling to put in effort
Procrastinates
Passive, passive aggressive
Does not communicate feelings, restrains emotions
Wishy-washy, indecisive
Can’t tell people no
Quiet, stubborn will of iron
As you can see by this unfortunately inadequate list, further study and reflection must be utilized to get the broad scope of the whole “Four Temperament” study. But after reading this book, I discovered I was mostly a Melancholy/Choleric and after rereading my section of the book over and over again, I was continually astounded to find such an accurate portrait of who I was. It was like someone had written a book all about me! Of course, it wasn’t TOTALLY accurate. I am not much of a perfectionist when it comes to little details, homework, cleaning, or other things which I find boring. ( I have yet to figure out how to spell the word Melancholy correctly each time! Haha!) Also, I don’t think I am so serious and gloomy as the stereotype suggests. I would much rather have a fun (or make fun of) life than worry about silly little uptight details of Rightness.
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ther Personality Tests.
The Meyers Brigs test, I find, goes a little deeper and beyond the general basics of the Four Temperaments. I think I almost like it better as it extends the borders of definition and smudges the lines of personality, mixing together a new color which is more individualistic and personal than being simply a generic Melancholy/Choleric crayon.
I am an INFJ (which I feel is a pretty close description of me)
INFJs, making up an estimated 1% of all people, are the most rare type (males even more so). They are introspective, caring, sensitive, gentle and complex people that strive for peace and derive satisfaction from helping others. INFJs are highly intuitive, empathetic and dedicated listeners. These traits tend to act as a "tell me what's wrong" sign on their forehead, hence the nicknames Confidant or Counselor. INFJs are intensely private and deeply committed to their beliefs.
“…creative, smart, focus on fantasy more than reality, attracted to sad things, fears doing the wrong thing, anxious, cautious, easily offended, private, easily hurt, socially uncomfortable, emotionally moody, perfectionist, can be wounded at the core, values solitude, guarded, does not like crowds, organized, second guesses self, focuses on peoples hidden motives, prone to crying, prone to feelings of loneliness, prone to sadness, longs for a stabilizing relationship, fears rejection in relationships, frequently worried, can feel victimized, prone to intimidation, lower energy, strict with self. - INFJ Jung Type Descriptions (similarminds.com)
"...desire to contribute to the welfare of others and genuinely enjoy helping their companions. Although Counsleors tend to be private, sensitive people, and are not generally visible leaders, they nevertheless work quite intensely with those close to them, quietly exerting their influence behind the scenes..."
- The Portrait of the Counselor Idealist (Keirsey)
So who are you? What is your personality? I love to know. I love to find out those special qualities which make up the beauty of who a person is. I think each person has a story inside of them; a beautiful story that if shared would make others smile or softly sigh, or shed a tear or two. I think each and every one of us has a deep place inside that most other people never reach, care to reach, or even try to understand. I always try to find that place in a person and save their world, or simply, just let them tell their story. Because in truth no matter how exact some man-made personality analysis is, each and every one of us is rare and beautiful in some way and no test can determine the exact label to place on us. Besides what fun would that be? An almost innumerably set of factors can shade a person’s personality—family, environment, social-economics, health, race, gender, energy levels, heredity, how they were treated in the 10th grade, etc.
I feel, to put it simply, there may be a lot of blue crayons in the box, but if you look closer you will see many different shades of blue! Sapphire, cerulean, periwinkle, blue-violet, violet-blue, indigo, azure, denim, sky blue, ultramarine, turquoise, teal, powder blue, electric blue, navy blue…oh you get the idea.=)
