They're Not Difficult, Find Out Why They Behave the Way They Do

November 26, 2020

We see people exhibit various types of behaviours we do not expect of them, they get so unpredictable and surprise us with certain acts. Sometimes, we even try to understand them and get along without progress. There are various factors that determine how a person think and acts. They include background, exposure, environment, emotions, temperaments etc. For today's post, we'll talk about how our temperaments affect and influence our behaviour.

Temperament for me is a very interesting topic, I started reading about it in my late teens when I started seeking to understand myself and others better. This quest led me to studies on zodiac signs and temperaments, I must also confess that Tim Lahaye's 'Why You Act the Way You Do' was very useful alongside other materials. Temperaments are innnate/inbuilt attributes that determine how we act. It affects every area of our life, how we react to every situation in life (worship,shopping, eating habits, driving, reading, hobbies etc) . You might be wondering why some people possess conflicting characters and you might start wondering if they're actually pretending. Well, they aren't, a person can have a combination of two to three temperaments, just that 1 will be obviously predominant than others. I am a good example of that.

Each of these temperaments have their strength and weaknesses. The purpose is not to make you relent but work on your area of weakness, use your strength, understand and flow well with others and seek God's help.

Types of Temperaments

We have four basic types of temperaments: sanguine, choleric, melancholy and phlegmatic (the first two are extroverted and the later introverted).

1. Sanguine:

Strengths

Outgoing

Responsive

Warm and friendly

Talkative

Enthusiastic

Compassionate

Weaknesses

Undisciplined

Emotionally unstable

Unproductive

Egocentric

Exaggerates

2. Choleric:

Strengths

Strong willed

Independent

Visionary

Practical

Productive

Decisive

Leader

Weaknesses

Cold and unemotional

Self-suffient

Impetous

Domineering

Unforgiving

Sarcastic

Angry and cruel

3. Melancholy

Strengths

Gifted

Analytical

Aesthetic

Self-sacrificing

Industrious

Self-disciplined

Weaknesses

Moody

Self-centered

Persecution Prone

Revengeful

Touchy

Unsociable

Theoretical

Critical

Negative

4. Phlegmatic

Strengths

Calm, quiet

Easy going,

Dependable

Objective

Diplomatic

Efficient, organised

Practical, humorous

Weaknesses

Unmotivated

Procrastinator

Selfish

Stingy

Self-protective

Indecisive

Fearful

Worrier

I am a blend of phlegmatic and sanguine (60%-40%), I can be calm and quiet that people would be forced to attempt that but I can also be the only voice in a room of 20 😂. Easy to get along with, objective but diplomatic at that, I am a fearful worrier but thanks to God's promises. I crave motivation from others, and I can almost eat breakfast at lunch because I can't decide what to eat or get the vibe to stand up and cook immediately 🙈. I can be a roller coaster of emotions, but I'm getting stable, I can very well explain story to you aptly with a little tiny extra details, I'm not that outgoing, I only like to once in a while, I can be warm and friendly, it's majorly dependant on what I perceive from you. I'm extra careful not to impose or get embarrassed. I care a lot about other's view but some other times, I don't at all. I'm sure you see the blend between a phlegmatic and a sanguine. The attributes of each temperament will give you a clue to yours.

Knowing your temperament(s) will help you master yourself and others. For more information, you can check out Tim Lahaye's "Why you Act the way you do" and "Spirit Controlled Temperament".