THE TEMPERAMENT APPROACH

Temperament, in simple terms, is the inborn (not genetic, i.e. brown hair, blue eyes, etc.) part of man that determines how he reacts to people, places and things. In short, it is how people interact with their environments and the world around them. Temperament pinpoints our perception of ourselves and the people who love us. It is also the determining factor in how well we handle the stresses and pressures of life.

Temperament can best be defined as Spiritual genetics or God's imprint upon each one of us. Three are involved in the conception of a child, the mother, the father and the Creator.

Choleric

So you are a Choleric? Then you know who and what you are, you don’t need anyone to tell you because you already know!

You realized when you were young that you were a great leader, and you’ve proven it over and over again.

If you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ then you have the ability to be one of the great Christian leaders of your day.

You see yourself as a “people motivator” that has a profound effect on people.

You are “tough willed” and you will rarely if ever change your mind because you know that you are right.

You have such self confidence that you know that no one can carry out a task as well as you can.

When you are given a task you will push ahead and you won’t let anything stop you.

All in all you can do whatever you set out to do.

If the boss at work will realize this about you, then they will have a great asset indeed!

The Choleric goes through people like water... because they simply don’t see the value in others as “people”, they only see them as a tool to help them achieve their goals.

There are ways for The Choleric to become an ever better leader by realizing what their minor weaknesses are and dealing with them.

Sanguine

So you may be a Sanguine? If you are then you LOVE people, and at times you can’t get enough of them.

Sanguines are the “lovers” of the 5 temperaments and have a genuine “temperament need” to be around a great quantity of people.

 In-fact, if you are not around   people on a daily basis you will become depressed and stressed.

You think best when you are around people who are talking and moving about.

Sanguines describe interaction with people as “the air that I breathe”.

Sanguines have what is called “Sanguine swings” where they can swing down into the dependent mode, or they swing up into the independent mode.

These “swings” are controlled by how much interaction with people they get and how the people that they interact with are meeting their “Temperament Needs“

Knowing how to meet the Temperament Need of the Sanguine will help them to live a full rich life.

Melancholy

So you may be a Melancholy?  If so then you are a great “thinker”… you are “task oriented”, you can “think things through” more efficiently than any other Temperament.

When someone gives you a project to look over, you can see all the little “bumps in the road” better than most.

People come to you to get your opinion about something that they are working on because you are so good at giving great advice on how to do things.

More “million dollar ideas” are in the minds of Melancholies than any other temperament.

People love you because you are so loyal to them. When you give your word, you keep it at all costs.

But people stress you out…sometimes it’s more than you can stand and so you go into “dark” or “black” moods. No one understands these two terms better than you do.

You may stay in these moods for days, weeks, months or even years, and there seems to be no way out of these moods.

Since you have a brain that you can never seem to “shut off”, you can become moody. When you try to sleep at night that’s when the nightmare can begin. When you try to close your eyes, your brain begins to play everything bad that has happened to you that day as well as times past just like a 3D movie.

This can and will control your life if you let it… but you can learn how to control your feelings and emotions.

Phlegmatic

If you are a Phlegmatic in any of the three areas of  your temperament then you are a “well balanced” person.

Since The Phlegmatic is a “blending temperament” you may have a blend of Phlegmatic as well as the 4 other temperaments.

There are quite a few “strengths” in this temperament that makes The Phlegmatic superior in what they do.

They can function well in “hostile environments” as well as friendly environments.

The Phlegmatic has “low emotional energy” so they tend to tire quickly.

They will do only what they have to do to get the job done.

Because of the low emotional energy that The Phlegmatic has, they are superior negotiators.

They can find a way to peace between two parties in  a way that is acceptable to both parties. This is because The Phlegmatic hasn’t the energy to “fight it out” so they always fine the path to peace.

Learning how to meet The Phlegmatics Temperament Needs can bring them back to life and the ability to participate with family and friends once more.

Supine

The Supine Temperament is a wonderful temperament with superior strengths and a few weaknesses as well.

A Supine can interact with people that no other temperament could connect with.

They have a non-invasive way to reach out to people that causes others no pain from them. It is truly amazing to watch a Supine connect with people.

“A Supine is a Supine is a Supine.” In other words, a Supine needs people.

It does not matter whether they are a Supine in Inclusion, Control or Affection, the bottom line is: THEY NEED PEOPLE!

The one emotion that causes The Supine more pain than any other emotion is rejection. The Supine simply does not know how to process the emotion of rejection and so this emotion can cripple them on a minute by minute basis.

Supines live with fears that can haunt them, and the second fear that stops the Supine cold is the fear of making decisions and the fear of being asked to lead.

The Supine will seek leaders to interact with to lead them, but the thought of leadership brings terror into the heart of the Supine.

Supines have very specific Temperament Needs that must be met in a precise way.