People have different personalities, and it’s fun to know how they interact with others and a variety of different situations. We find that people are unique in the way they exhibit certain behaviours and patterns. A similar situation will call for different responses from different people. In society, we have formulated 4 roots from which most personalities can be derived. So, what are the 4 personalities? They are Choleric, Melancholic, Sanguine and Phlegmatic.
Cholerics
Centered around candid communication, and thought of as natural leaders, these people often oversee how things are done and want them to be done in the most efficient manner possible. They like to be in charge. It’s not that they want to hurt other people, but the pressure of proving themselves and getting tasks completed may force them to say things that may sound unruly. Like eagles, they are people who have intent and are willing to carry it out.
Melancholics
These people are very intuitive, they pay attention to detail and enjoy being able to read facts and discern information through investigation. Like Cholerics, they love to have tasks done in an orderly and efficient manner, but unlike Cholerics, they are independent and love to work by themselves. To aid them in their fact-finding quests, they like to retreat to the comfort of a quiet room. But this fact can also be their downfall. Trying to find every possible outcome of the situation could lead to analysis paralysis, getting them badly entangled in the “What if” and missing targets because of time spent in thought. Their spirit animal is that of an owl, solitary but often wise.
Sanguines
Adept at reading emotions and scenarios from an emotional point of view, these people are almost the antithesis of Melancholics. They love to thrive in open communication and enjoy being around others. Known to be socially adjustable they have an uncanny ability to charm their way into getting what they want. Sanguines are also known to be absent-minded. They easily get distracted and need people to get them back on track. Like a peacock, they love to show off and enjoy being in the spotlight.
Phlegmatic
The final personality type is Phlegmatic. Phlegmatic people love being in a laid-back environment. They are known to be gentle and love to find the peaceful way out of most situations that they are thrown into. Like Sanguines, they love to interact with people but they listen much more than they speak. They are often the first people who would come to comfort friends and family in times of despair. They are also known to be level-headed and easy-going. Accepting change is a great challenge. They may also seem quite lazy and emotionally closed up and like Melancholics are prone to indecision. Their spirit animal is a dove, normally known as the symbol of peace.
Personality and Work
Each personality also fits the characteristics required for certain professions. People who are Choleric will often want to be in jobs that can lead. They are happy being team managers, principals, CEOs, project heads, etc. People who fall more under the Melancholic personality find themselves enjoying jobs such as strategists, analysts, developers, and maybe even researchers. People who fall under the umbrella of the Sanguine personality, tend to like jobs that allow them to interact with a multitude of different people. Jobs such as sales, PR, front desk work, management, etc will be their choices. Finally, those phlegmatic people out there, who would work at their own pace and rather not be seen, would like to partake in behind-the-scenes jobs like researchers, human resources management, etc.
Although a large part of our personality remains stable, it is prone to change. It ebbs and flows with the passage of time and one shouldn’t take any of these personalities as a goal to become. People often try to figure out which personality they fall under. One leading or dominating personality can be pretty much evident in many people but the truth is that people are usually a happy mix of all 4.
Whatever personality type you would consider yourself to be, just remember, a huge part of your personality is forged through personal experiences. Personality types are not meant to put you in segregated compartments, it’s just a marker that helps one know oneself more clearly in the larger social context.
Writer : Ethan
Grade : 10 (Year 2023)
Place : Sydney, Australia
No Comment