The four temperaments model is one of the oldest personality systems, and it still offers a simple but fascinating way to understand why people think, feel, and behave so differently.
This typology is part of Graeco-Arabic medicine, where it was traditionally used to understand health and individual constitution. In fact, it is still used today by practitioners of traditional medicine around the world.
Humorism, an ancient medical concept, is at the heart of this typology. Here, humors refer to bodily fluids. Different people were thought to have different proportions of these fluids, and the predominance of one fluid was believed to define a person’s temperament and psychological type. For example, the predominance of phlegm corresponds to the Phlegmatic personality type.
The four temperaments and their predominant humors are as follows:
- Sanguine: blood
- Phlegmatic: phlegm
- Choleric: yellow bile
- Melancholic: black bile
The Arabic terms are as follows:
- Sanguine: Damawiyy
- Phlegmatic: Balghamiyy
- Choleric: Safrawiyy
- Melancholic: Sauda
The predominance of one humor is said to affect one’s appearance and behavior. However, most people have mixed temperaments, and it may be difficult for untrained enthusiasts like us to judge temperament by appearance alone.
Paul Hysen, Ph.D., provided some useful charts. Here is his chart for pure temperaments, and here is his chart for mixed temperaments.
Modern medicine rejects this typology, but many newer personality theories were developed from this ancient concept, often under different names.
Dr. Helen Fisher’s personality types — The Explorer, The Negotiator, The Director, and The Builder — bear a striking resemblance to the Sanguine, Phlegmatic, Choleric, and Melancholic types, respectively. Having said that, this doesn’t minimize the value of her original research.
The sixteen Myers-Briggs types are based on Jung’s theory. However, four of the sixteen types are almost identical to the four basic personality types from the four temperaments model. The remaining twelve could just as easily describe different variations of mixed temperaments. More details on this are below.
Modern psychology is not much kinder to the four temperaments concept and, in general, dismisses many personality theories altogether. Despite that, the use of its terms — sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric, and melancholic — persists in both academic and everyday language.
Note: While the four temperaments model has roots in Graeco-Arabic medicine, the psychological descriptions on this page and our Four Temperaments Test are modern personality interpretations. They should not be understood as medical teachings from that tradition.
Sanguine Personality Type
The Sanguine type is associated with blood. People with a Sanguine personality type tend to be lively, optimistic, buoyant, and carefree. They love adventure and have a high tolerance for risk.
Sanguine people typically do not tolerate boredom well and will seek variety and entertainment. Naturally, this trait can sometimes negatively affect their romantic relationships and other areas of life.
Because this temperament is prone to pleasure-seeking behavior, many people with Sanguine personalities may struggle with addictions. Their constant cravings can lead to overindulgence.
Sanguine people are very creative and can become great artists. They are fantastic entertainers and can do well if they choose careers in the entertainment industry. Their natural abilities may also serve them well in jobs related to:
- marketing,
- travel,
- fashion,
- cooking,
- sports.
These upbeat people love to learn. They go through life collecting knowledge, skills, and experiences. Books, courses, seminars, and trips are some of their favorite tools, and they find them genuinely exciting.
Pure Sanguines are very extroverted and are drawn to places where things are always moving and changing — big cities, trendy neighborhoods, busy streets, and places where something new is always happening. Interruptions, unexpected developments, and potential surprises that are characteristic of these places do not bother Sanguines. Instead, they often energize them and provide the stimulation they constantly crave.
On the negative side, they may struggle to finish what they start. This is not because they lack the ability to do the work; it is simply that the moment a fresh idea comes along, the old one suddenly feels less interesting. Many Sanguines may have a hard time resisting the pull of something new and exciting.
Their novelty-seeking and independence can be a strength or a weakness, depending on the situation. On the one hand, these traits can lead them down interesting paths in life and expose them to very unique experiences. On the other hand, they may struggle with planning, deadlines, schedules, and long-term commitments, which are also necessary for getting things done successfully. Yet, they generally do better when they have a lifestyle of freedom, variety, and movement, with just enough discipline to turn good ideas into real results.
This is how a typical Sanguine may appear according to Dr. Paul Hysen: ruddy skin, smooth and warm complexion, dark brown or fair hair, and a cheerful, energetic expression. Sanguines are often muscular, lively, and sociable by nature.
Sanguine Personality Profile + all posts on Sanguines
Phlegmatic Personality Type
Someone with a Phlegmatic personality is usually a people person.
They seek interpersonal harmony and close relationships, which makes Phlegmatic people loyal spouses and loving parents. They make it a point to preserve their relationships with old friends, distant family members, and neighbors.
People with Phlegmatic temperaments tend to avoid conflict and always try to mediate between others to restore peace and harmony.
They are very interested in charity and helping others. Career paths that may suit Phlegmatic personality types could include:
- nursing,
- teaching,
- psychology or counseling,
- child development,
- or social services.
One interesting thing about Phlegmatics is that they are very careful observers. They rarely look at information in isolation. Instead, they read between the lines, catch hidden cues, unspoken signals, unexpressed feelings, and links between ideas. This allows them to connect the dots in a unique way and see the bigger picture.
This ability to connect ideas is the secret behind their intuition. Phlegmatics are surprisingly good at understanding complex human situations. They do not typically enjoy memorizing random facts just for the sake of it, but they may become very curious when they see patterns, motives, and the bigger story. They are genuinely interested in other people and want to know why others feel what they feel and why they behave the way they do.
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The shadow side is that their tendency to overthink feelings, possible problems, and the many sides of every situation may slow their decision-making and cause them to miss some practical details. As a result, they may become confused, indecisive, or slow to act.
Another issue is that because they care so much about harmony in relationships, criticism can feel very personal, even if it was not meant that way. Some Phlegmatics require a lot of reassurance, may overshare, and may become very disappointed when others aren’t as emotionally tuned in as they are.
A typical Phlegmatic, as described by Dr. Paul Hysen, may have pale skin with a soft, cool, and moist texture. They have a gentle and calm presence and tend to move at a slower, more relaxed pace.
Phlegmatic Personality Profile + all posts on Phlegmatics
Choleric Personality Type
Someone with a pure Choleric temperament is usually a goal-oriented person. Choleric people are very savvy, analytical, and logical. Extremely practical and straightforward, they may not always be easy companions or particularly friendly. They dislike small talk and enjoy deep, meaningful conversations. They would rather be alone than in the company of shallow, superficial people. Ideally, they want to spend time with people who have similar professional interests.
Career paths that may suit Choleric personality types could include:
- management,
- technology,
- statistics,
- engineering,
- programming,
- business.
Cholerics are natural strategists who push through until they reach the desired result. Waiting for motivation? For the right feeling? For all the traffic lights of life to turn green at the same time? That may be for other people, but not for Cholerics. They don’t need any of that. And they don’t need someone’s encouraging pat on the back either. They take action on their own terms. Once they decide that something is worth doing, they will not be stopped by long hours, discomfort, setbacks, or distractions. In fact, they thrive under pressure, feel energized by competition, and enjoy making decisions, even when those decisions are difficult.
Cholerics are very independent thinkers who question and investigate rather than simply take someone’s word for it. That said, they can respect other people’s competence and credentials, but they want to understand the logic behind their claims and rarely miss the opportunity to learn from others. They are strong researchers, problem-solvers, and decision-makers.
The downside is that because they focus so much on efficiency and control, Choleric people may sometimes underestimate the emotional side of communication. They may expect everyone to be as focused and thick-skinned as they are, which can make them come across as cold and demanding.
Sometimes they fail to understand that not everything needs to be treated as a problem to solve. Sometimes people share and vent and don’t expect a solution. They only need someone to listen and understand how they feel. But to a Choleric, this may feel like a waste of time.
According to Dr. Paul Hysen, a classic Choleric might be recognized by yellowish skin, a rough or dry texture, and a sharp, intense expression. Often red-haired or dark brown-haired with a lean, strong build, Cholerics are ambitious, bold, and full of drive.
Choleric Personality Profile + all posts on Cholerics
Melancholic Personality Type
People with Melancholic personalities love traditions. They love their families and friends and, unlike Sanguine people, they do not look for novelty and adventure. In fact, they avoid it as much as they can. Someone with a Melancholic temperament is unlikely to marry a foreigner or leave their homeland for another country.
Melancholic people are very social and seek to contribute to the community. Being extremely thorough and accurate, they can be fantastic managers. Career paths that may suit Melancholic personality types could include:
- management,
- accounting,
- social work,
- or administration.
Melancholic people want a predictable and stable life. Clearly defined rules and tasks give them a sense of security and structure – they know what to anticipate and what is expected of them.
They are not the type to jump into things without carefully thinking things through first. Before doing anything, they like to take their time to organize their thoughts, gather all the necessary information, and build a good step-by-step plan. Predictability isn’t boring to them – it is comforting and calming.
One big advantage Melancholics have is that they don’t need constant stimulation to remain interested. A lot of people struggle with repetitive, detailed, and unglamorous work, but not Melancholics! They can stick with their tasks without losing commitment or focus, especially when they find their work meaningful.
Melancholics are great at keeping promises and remembering small personal details, dates, and anniversaries. This makes them very reliable and dependable in relationships. Professionally, they are well suited for jobs that require precision, punctuality, record-keeping, planning, and careful follow-through.
Even when they speak, they speak in a careful and precise manner. They want to reveal all the right details in the right order and dislike being interrupted or rushed – which makes them great at serious conversations or writing manuals!
The shadow side is that some Melancholics may become a little too rigid and judgmental of others. They may decide that there is only one correct way of doing things and become annoyed when others don’t do things the way they do. They may sometimes get stuck in the past, holding on to old habits, memories, and objects that are no longer useful. They may excessively worry that things are changing for the worse and become resistant to change and progress.
As described by Dr. Paul Hysen, the Melancholic type typically has brownish skin with a dry, rough texture and dark brown or black hair. With a slim frame and thoughtful expression, they are often introspective, analytical, and emotionally sensitive.
Melancholic Personality Profile + all posts on Melancholics
From the works of Hippocrates, Galen, and Avicenna (Ibn Sina) to modern personality theories, the Four Temperaments model has influenced how people think about behavior, motivation, and emotional tendencies, while continuing to attract interest across cultures.
Jung’s Equivalents for Each Personality Type
Pure Temperaments:
Mixed Temperaments (Predominant-Secondary):
- Sanguine-Phlegmatic → ENFP
- Sanguine-Choleric → ENTP
- Sanguine-Melancholic → ESFJ
- Phlegmatic-Sanguine → ISFP
- Phlegmatic-Choleric → INTP
- Phlegmatic-Melancholic → ISFJ
- Choleric-Sanguine → ESTP
- Choleric-Phlegmatic → ENFJ
- Choleric-Melancholic → ESTJ
- Melancholic-Sanguine → ISTP
- Melancholic-Phlegmatic → INFJ
- Melancholic-Choleric → INTJ
Don’t know your four-letter type? Take our CogniType 16 Test here.
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