Mile Markers

Knowing the self is key to understanding human emotions. Writer Florence Littauer identified the core temperaments in her book Personality Plus, and they are sanguine, melancholic, choleric, and phlegmatic. People who have such temperaments experience the world through different lenses and points of view.

Sadly, society often categorizes people under the emotion that's predominant in their personality. For example, if one doesnt smile all the time, other people would assume that the person is always sad or depressed. As a result, people would tend to avoid the person just because they do not have a flashy smile. These assumptions dont have a purpose at all, especially if they are damaging to a persons reputation and they cannot even defend themselves.

You can also see this phenomenon in schools wherein teachers give more attention and often give higher marks to the talkative children than their quiet counterparts. The truth is that people of all temperaments experience various emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, pain, and fear; they just express themselves differently.

The Four Temperaments ? Sanguine Generally, sanguines love to be the center of attention. Youll immediately spot them because they often talk loudly, especially when theyre in a group. Theyre cheerful, vibrant, and wear colorful clothes. They love showing their talents, be it singing or dancing.

? Melancholic Generally, people often see melancholics as very serious people, but they are more than that. Yes, they would often spend their time alone than with other people, but thats because they find that they can work better that way. They are detail oriented, methodical, and organized. Most famous writers, musical composers, poets, and artists possess this temperament.

? Choleric Choleric people are natural born leaders. They are good decision makers. They see the big picture in every situation almost immediately. When the unexpected happens, choleric people would often know what to do to take care of things. Most people would often see them as bossy, insensitive, rash, and abrasive, but thats just because they are more passionate than others.

? Phlegmatic Phlegmatic people are easy going and laid-back, often to the point of being almost aloof. Phlegmatics prefer to be in the background. However, given the chance to lead, these people are peacemakers and good listeners.

If we can compare these temperaments to the theater, sanguines are the actors, cholerics the directors, melancholics are the scriptwriters, and phlegmatics are the ones who makes the props or costumes for the cast. Understanding how these temperaments affect the different emotions at hand will make one a better person. Having knowledge of types of emotions will help you to understand human emotions.