Key-Word Cavalry: Four Temperaments

Two weeks ago, L Diane Wolfe mentioned the four basic character traits: choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic and melancholic. So... since it might draw some search results, I thought I'd write a post exploring them a bit, even though I don't really build my characters like that based on their psychological profiles.

It's still interesting, though. And useful to know, if you're someone who builds their characters to fit the situation.

So.... four basic characteristics, also known as the four temperaments. People have been trying to group themselves into these four different temperaments for millennia and the groupings of the various personalities and tastes have changed based on what was considered socially acceptable in each era.

Right now, though, people with each of the four temperaments have the following traits:

Choleric

• extroverted
• hot tempered
• quick thinking
• strong willed
• self confident
• independent in will and thinking
• makes decisions easily for him/herself and others
• tends not to make space for other people's opinions
• always have ideas and solutions
• practical
• very active: tend not to sleep a lot
• results orientated
• love to fight for a cause
• response to others: direct and firm
• tend to be slow to build relationships due to their ruthlessness in going after results
• not easily empathetic or compassionate
• think big and go for positions of authority

Sanguine

• extroverted
• fun loving and easily amused
• activity seeking
• persuasive
• optimistic
• receptive and open
• easily builds relationships
• people orientated to the point where they're often late or miss appointments (because they forgot)
• easily bored
• always have friends
• attention span = interest in person or activity
• can change focus instantly
• competitive
• disorganized
• often struggle to control their emotions
• like sports
• dress fashionably
• very worried about not making a good impression
• excel at working with people

Phlegmatic

• introverted
• easy-going
• unemotional
• response to others: slow and indirect
• like the quiet life
• don't get too involved with life and other people
• approach to life: what will happen will happen
• prefer to have a few close friends
• once a relationship is established, they're loyal to a fault
• resistant to change
• hold grudges
• avoid conflict and decisions
• practical, traditional thinkers
• mask their true feelings
• can be patient to the point of not doing anything, but once they decide to take action, they are tenacious and consistent in going after what they want.

Melancholic

• introverted
• analytical
• logical
• response to others: slow, cautious, indirect
• reserved and suspicious until sure of someone's intentions
• timid
• may appear unsure or have a serious expression
• self-sacrificing
• gifted, but perfectionistic
• sensitive to what others think of what they do
• organized, even if their workspace looks cluttered
• out to make the best decision
• when making a decision: collect information and need time to think and plan
• fears risks and being seen as incompetent
• tend to be negative towards change until thinking about it
• skeptical
• creative and capable
• get bored with something once they've figured it out

source

Of course, most people have some traits from other temperaments mixed in. Some are combination of two or three temperaments. Then there are rare occasions that people are a mix of all four. So it could be fun to the build characters based on traits from more than one temperament. And then throw them into a situation with people with the opposite traits.

It's nice to know, if we need building blocks for a character.

So have you ever used personality types to build your characters?