Temperament and character are two concepts that are often confused due to their strictly close relationship, however, they are different terms. If you want to know in depth the different types of temperament and their difference in relation to character, do not hesitate to continue reading this Psychology-Online article: types of temperament and their characteristics. In this article you will discover what temperament is, the definition of temperament according to psychology, the types of temperament there are and what each type of temperament is like.
Temperament and character: difference
What is temperament?
According to the psychological definition of temperament, the term temperament refers to the combination of biological aspects that characterize us from the moment we are born and have a stable duration throughout life. Furthermore, temperament is responsible for regulating our behavior and conduct in different situations. There are different types of temperament that we will see below.
What is character?
The definition of character refers to the way in which people express our temperament internal and innate, but, in this case, there is not such remarkable stability as in the case of temperament, since changes can occur in character as time passes. Thus, these modifications are possible because people learn with time and experience and, depending on what is learned, a series of changes will be made in the character or not, depending on the benefits it entails.
Difference between temperament and character
Both character and temperament are sets of characteristics of people that define personality. The main difference between temperament and character is The originWhile temperament is biological and innate, character is learned. In this sense, when we try to exhaustively describe a person, we normally go into detailing the aspects that define that person’s character, since character is what people show on a social level. The second difference between temperament and character derives from the first and is its possibility of modification. Temperament, being biological, is more stable and remains the same, while character, being learned, can be modified through learning.
In short, as we have been able to show, temperament and character are two concepts that are easily confused due to the relationship that exists between them, since both are part of the .
4 types of temperament
Hippocrates’ classification offers 4 types of temperament. That is, he classifies temperament into four different types according to their characteristics. The 4 types of temperament are: temperament bloodtemper cholerictemper melancholic and temperament phlegmatic. Below we will present each of the types of temperaments.
1. Sanguine temperament
He is considered to have a hot and humid temperament due to excess blood. This type of temperament is based on a fast and balanced nervous system, which encourages people to have a level high sensitivity, a low degree of activitylittle concentration, high flexibility in the face of changes, etc.
This type of temperament, that is, the sanguine temperament, is typical of the warm, happy, optimistic, extroverted, communicative people, talkative, enthusiastic, sociable and highly sensitive. People with sanguine temperament are people emotionally unstable, selfish, self-centered, undisciplined, with little, they want to be the center of attention and do everything possible for it, they are restless, carefree, disorganized and, despite being extroverted, they prove to be insecure people. They tend to be people who put feelings before thoughts when making decisions, they present an easy excitability of feelings, and these feelings are not deep or stable over time, they emotionally need a lot of affection and tend to have a very variable mood.
2. Choleric temperament
The choleric temperament is defined by a rapid and unbalanced nervous system, which is characterized by causing people to have a high level of elevated sensitivity, activityattention and concentration, and they are people who are flexible to changes.
This type of temperament, that is, the choleric temperament, refers to those people who demonstrate to be fast, very active, bold, excitable, irascible, practical in making their decisions, self-sufficient, independent, extroverted (but not as much as sanguine people), they set goals and objectives, they are ambitious, intuitive, warm, willful, determined people, with firm opinions, imposing, dominant, manipulative, creative (they have many ideas, plans, goals, objectives…), they consider themselves very capable of achieving what they set out to do, among others. Furthermore, it should be noted that these are people with great ease in turning on and downloading.
3. Melancholic temperament
The melancholic temperament is characterized by a weak nervous system, a fact that causes people with a high predominance in this type of temperament to have a high sensitivity, high level of activityconcentration and attention, and a low degree of flexibility between changes.
Furthermore, people with a melancholic temperament are characterized by being introverted, not very expressive, perfectionist, pessimistic, jealous, Anxious, unsociable, distrustful, prone to suffering, their mood is normally a deep and stable sadness over time, they tend to give a lot of importance to everything, creating unnecessary worries and difficulties, etc.
4. Phlegmatic temperament
A phlegmatic temperament is understood to be that which is based on a slow and balanced nervous system, which characterizes people by the fact that they have a low level of sensitivity, high activityconcentration and attention, with low flexibility in the face of changes.
People with this type of temperament are characterized by being introverted, calm, emotionally balanced, apathetic, calm, serious, impassive, rational, calculating, analytical, capable, cold, firm, they are people who almost never lose their composure or get angry frequently, they take their time to say and can end up having, among others. People with this type of temperament tend to be easy-going people compared to the other temperaments, therefore, it also happens to be the most pleasant temperament.
Finally, it should be noted that the phlegmatic temperament is distinguished from the other three due, especially, to its tendency to focus on its inner life and try not to enter or get involved in the activities and personal lives of others, demonstrating a little expressive affectivity.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Delgado, H. (1943). Types of character.
- McBride, R. (2013). Temperament characteristics – Sanguine, Choleric, Phlegmatic and Melancholic.