The character of an individual is called temperament.
Temperament is the character of people. The term comes from the Latin temperamentum and is linked to the way of being and the way of reacting of human beings; Therefore, temperament is directly related to interaction with the environment .
An individual is said to have a high temperament when his reactions are vehement and intense. For example: "The midfielder showed his temperament when, after a terrible kick, he asked for the ball to take the free kick despite being injured" , "Jonás needs more temperament to succeed in the business world" , "Tomás was betrayed" "He lost his temper and threw the computer on the floor."
Temperament and adaptation
A human being 's ability to adapt to his environment depends largely on his temperament. It is common for a person to face various difficulties and adversities in their daily lives: a certain temperament is needed, depending on each context, to overcome them. The management of emotions and moods is also linked to temperament.
The nervous system and genes determine the type of temperament, and that is why it is said that it is something natural, beyond the influences that education and the social environment may have on it. A person with a strong temperament must fight throughout his life to control it in a stressful situation since, otherwise, it can cause serious problems.
Hippocrates differentiated between four kinds of temperament.
Classification according to type
Ancient doctors such as Hippocrates ( 460 BC – 370 BC ) and Galen ( 129 – 200 ) already distinguished between four types of temperament: phlegmatic (apathetic or rational people), choleric (with a predominance of impulses), melancholic (close to distress and despondency) and blood (subjects of variable mood).
Below are the characteristics of each temperament, from the point of view of its representatives:
Sanguine
* They are warm and lively individuals, who try to enjoy every moment;
* They are open to the stimuli in their environment and are very susceptible to them, which they actively demonstrate;
* They tend to be more intuitive and sentimental than reflective when making decisions ;
* Given their high level of communicativeness, they are considered extroverted people;
* Their joy and search for fun are often contagious;
* Impulsiveness leads them to not think much before speaking.
Phlegmatic
* They are calm people, and they enjoy such a degree of emotional balance that they rarely get angry;
* They usually calculate and analyze everything;
* seriousness, impassivity and the dominance of reasoning over emotions;
* These are individuals of considerable intellectual capacity;
* Regarding the perception that others have of them, they are very pleasant and not very conflictive;
* They tend to be cold and take a long time to make a decision;
* They try to avoid problems, which leads them to get very little involved with the events that surround them, with the aim of ensuring happiness and peace.
Melancholic
* They are considered the richest and most complex beings;
* They tend to be very analytical, capable, perfectionist and determined people;
* Given their deep sensitivity and close connection with emotions, it is common for them to be predisposed to presenting symptoms of depression;
* understand and appreciate artistic creations more than others;
* They may be introverted people, although their sensitivity opens doors to vocational development;
* They are generally pessimistic beings;
* They do not enjoy great emotional stability, which is reflected in drastic mood swings and easy irritability;
* They get very upset when others interrupt their moments of concentration on a topic of interest to them;
* They are very in touch with their romantic side and invest intensely in relationships.
Choleric
* They are practical, hard-working and independent when it comes to solving problems;
* They show great firmness and determination in their opinions , which they try to impose on their environment;
* They are extroverted, although not as much as sanguine ones;
* instead of being stimulated by the environment, they infect it with their enthusiasm;
* They can come to be perceived as dominant and manipulative beings;
* show a lot of tolerance;
* They are motivated by their interests, without caring about other people's trends.