Thursday, March 10, 2011

Multiple Personalities

Sanguine married to a Phlegmatic...



So today I learned I am mostly Sanguine in my personality type. (Shout out to all my MOPS mommies!!)
For those of you unfamiliar with personality types, or dispositions, there are four main types although people often have charecteristics of two or more. The four types are: Sanguine, Phlegmatic, Choleric, and melancholy.
Here are the definitions of each according to the ever wise Wikipedia...



Sanguine:
The Sanguine temperament personality is fairly extroverted. People of a sanguine temperament tend to enjoy social gatherings, making new friends and tend to be quite loud. They are usually quite creative and often daydream. However, some alone time is crucial for those of this temperament. Sanguine can also mean very sensitive, compassionate and thoughtful. Sanguine personalities generally struggle with following tasks all the way through, are chronically late, and tend to be forgetful and sometimes a little sarcastic. Often, when pursuing a new hobby, interest is lost quickly when it ceases to be engaging or fun. They are very much people persons. They are talkative and not shy. For some people, these are the ones you want to be friends with and usually they become life long friends. Sanguine can be sometimes emotional


Phlegmatic:
Phlegmatics tend to be self-content and kind. They can be very accepting and affectionate. They may be very receptive and shy and often prefer stability to uncertainty and change. They are very consistent, relaxed, rational, curious, and observant, making them good administrators. However they can also be very passive-aggressive


Choleric:
A person who is choleric is a do-er. They have a lot of ambition, energy, and passion, and try to instil it in others. They can dominate people of other temperaments, especially phlegmatic types. Many great charismatic military and political figures were cholerics. They like to be leaders and in charge of everything.


Melancholic:
A person who is a thoughtful ponderer has a melancholic disposition. Often very considerate and get rather worried when they could not be on time for events, melancholics can be highly creative in activities such as poetry and art - and can become occupied with the tragedy and cruelty in the world. A melancholic is also often a perfectionist. They are often self-reliant and independent; one negative part of being a melancholic is sometimes they can get so involved in what they are doing they forget to think of others.

WOW I know mine is SO me





...and not just on the nice stuff either. Anyone who knows me knows that I tend to get super excited about new opportunities and hobbies and then a few months later be bored to tears with them...actually thats not true I quit WAY before the tears come. 



Also, my natural tendency is to be late to just about anything!! Although I do admit I have gotten better at this being married to someone who is chronically early. 





I love the way our speaker 
approached the weakness of sanguines whom "generally struggle with following tasks all the way through". She said something like "Sanguines are creative starters of projects but they require help from others to see those projects through" Hmm, that doesn't sound so bad when you put it that way. And that couldn't be more true about me. I have a million and one amazing ideas I would just LOVE to try if I only had a personal assistant to help with the detail of actually following it through.





And forgetfulness...well I told my best friend I was pregnant with our second child (Her God-daughter) when we were on the phone one night planning a trip. I said something like "that sounds perfect we can hang out for that whole week. I'll have Holden but the new baby won't be here yet so that will be easier." "What new baby?" She replied.


Ooopps.





True Story.





But without bragging I am creative, and spontaneous, and when I do make you a friend it is a friend for life. So I guess there are worse things to be than Sanguine.





I realize that generalizing people into four "types" is a bit old fashion and ridiculous. I mean we are all so different based on our life experience and our own decision of who we choose to be. I do however think that people are born with a certain predisposition to dealing with life in a certain way. For me that way happens to be mostly sanguine. For my husband mostly Phlegmatic. For my mother VERY choleric. 





Think you know what type you are? Ask your husband, best friend, or mother and see if they agree. You may be enlightened by their response. 


(I claim no responsibility for any fights, arguments, or silent treatments that may arise from this exercise)






Living A.S.A.P
(As SANGUINE As Possible)
Amanda

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