Read an Excerpt

A Brief Introduction and the Four Temperaments Quiz

(Excerpted from The Four Temperaments: A Rediscovery of the Ancient Way of Understanding Health and Character

 © Randy Rolfe,

to be published by Marlowe & Company, October 2002)

Did you know that there is a simple way to understand yourself and your relationships that is actually more than 2400 years old and yet almost unknown today?

            Did you know that even though most people have never heard of it, it was the basis of Western medical practice and character study, even into the twentieth century?

            Why do some people hate to swim and others love to? Why do some people like broad-shouldered solid physiques and others are drawn to the willowy frames? Why do some people explode with anger when others would pout and withdraw? Why do some people lead and others are content to follow? Why do some people always get colds and others never? Why does one person want an explanation for everything and another follows their gut with no questions asked?

            Is it luck, genetics, environment, the stars and planets, parental conditioning, or could there be more?

            When you read this book, you will discover four powerful forces that work together in important ways to determine who you are and even more important, who you want to be. And you can find out how to use these forces and put them into balance in your life, so that you can feel, think, and act at your best, in harmony with your deepest self and also at peace with those around you. You'll know what their balance of forces is too, once you have absorbed the knowledge in this book.

            These four forces have been known since before the time of Hippocrates, the most famous physician in the ancient Greek world over 2400 years ago. They were named "humors" and gave rise to four corresponding profiles among people, called "temperaments." The humors are a kind of essence, flow, force, of the universe. They were also called ethers, vapors, winds, or airs. Before chemistry and the microscope, vapors were believed to influence the body, much like energies that come and go with variations in the environment and the weather. Hippocrates associated them directly with four major liquid substances in the body.

            Our present word "humor" actually comes from this ancient word. In the early European Renaissance, Europe discovered the ancient Arabian writings which had preserved the ancient Greek writings, most notably here, the Hippocratic writings, which may in turn have built upon even earlier Egyptian wisdom. The study of the influence of the four humors became something of a sensation. No less a figure than William Shakespeare both used and parodied the faddish idea of the humors and their temperaments governing a person's character and tastes-in people, places, and things. Because of the many satires in Renaissance England based on exaggerations of the prototypes of the humors and their temperaments, the term "humorous" for what had before been called "farce" and "comedy" came into vogue and is with us today, though few people know why. I've dubbed the study of the humors, "humorology."

            In his book The Traditional Healer's Handbook: A Classic Guide to the Medicine of Avicenna, G.M. Hakim, N.D., summarizes the impact the humors this way: "The theory of humors-semivaporous substances that maintain the proper temperament of the organs-are the heart of the medicine of Hippocrates, Galen, and Avicenna, of Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, and of virtually all other traditional systems. Yet this tremendous consensus among prominent medical authorities for two millennia is ignored."

            Hearing this brief history may suggest to you how influential the humors have been down through the ages. Today most personality profiling is based on the work of Carl G. Jung, psychologist and student of psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, who transformed the study of emotion and character into a science for the modern age. Jung was, however, also an avid student of the medieval philosopher, itinerant physician, and alchemist Paracelsus, who was a master of the art of discerning the influence of the four humors.

            What does all this matter today?

            The bottom line is that the profound influence of the four humors goes on today in you and me every one of us, whether we know it or not. Not only does the science and art of the humors play a fascinating role in the art and culture of Western civilization, but also, the four humors do in fact play a huge part in our lives. As you read on and take a look at your own life, at the lives of the people you know, and at the way your relationships, preferences, career, and health unfold, you may well come to share this same conviction.

            This book is intended as a handbook to help you delve into the influences of the four humors and their corresponding temperaments and begin to play with them and orchestrate them for your own greater benefit and happiness. This first book on the four temperaments and their humors in postmodern times cannot claim to be a complete working of the subject. My purpose here is to give you a tantalizing taste, to get you going, to make you aware, and to get you thinking about the humors and your own temperament, as well as that of others you know. I also invite you to use your new awareness to your advantage right away. This book will show you how.

            As has been heard many times before from students in my seminars on the humors over the last 25 years, after you gain awareness of the humors, you will never look at other people the same way again. Or at yourself or your desires or your relationships either.

            Just a reminder, this is not the idle resurrection of some unique symbolism from some lost civilization, meant to make us laugh and wonder. It is us. The most up-to-date studies of character formation, glandular function, metabolic processes, and developmental and family patterns have not contradicted in any way the conclusions drawn by keen observers of the four temperaments down through the ages. Indeed, as you will hear more about later, much contemporary science affirms the reality of these four humoral forces balancing each other, cooperating together, creating trouble and pain when out of balance, and peace and pleasure when in dynamic harmony.

The temperaments and their corresponding humors are called choleric, melancholic, sanguine, and phlegmatic, after the names used by Hippocrates, in whose medical writings the humors were fully developed as a system for health and balance. Hippocrates and his followers were famous throughout the ancient Mediterranean cultures for their pragmatism and keen observation of what kept people well and what helped them to heal. For example, he is credited with creating the diagnosis "diabetes," to describe sugar spilled in the urine, which he detected, by tasting!

            The humors comprise a kind of ethereal, four-corners force field that affects our physical health, our mental attitude, our romance, our career choices, and our happiness. The humors were linked to the primary elements of the universe and to the primary qualities which govern its movement. In the philosophy of Aristotle, whose conclusions about the universe dominated Western thought until the modern era, these forces were believed to reflect in the body of the person, as divinely created microcosm, the same operational principles that are responsible for the function of the universe outside ourselves, as divinely created macrocosm. The humors represent the powerful resonance that exists between ourselves and our surroundings, and just as our environment influences us profoundly, so do we have tremendous influence on what comes into our lives in our health, romance, and happiness.

            The names of the four humors, choleric, melancholic, sanguine, and phlegmatic, sound alien and esoteric to most of us. You could invent new names for them. But then you would lose 2400 years of accumulated associations with these very names, and these associations can be helpful today. So bear with me, and see if in a little while these names can come to represent a great deal of practical information for you.

What is your humor? What cluster of qualities help make you the unique person you are? You will get a quick handle on which is most likely your dominant humor when you have completed this 18-point questionnaire. Notice what a variety of characteristics are involved. The humors touch every aspect of life.

            And notice the variety of responses possible to each question. Awareness of the humors often helps us appreciate the diversity among people, even those close to us. Even though we all want basically the same things, to be comfortable and free of pain, to love and be loved, to feel alive and unafraid, we each go about achieving these things in our own unique ways.

            Feel free to answer this questionnaire on your own or with a friend or family member or group. It can be a good deal of fun to hear how others may characterize you or how they characterize themselves.

Your Temperament Questionnaire

(C = choleric, P = phlegmatic, M = melancholic, S =  sanguinic)

            (1)       My basic skeletal structure might best be characterized as

                        C         squarish, solid, robust, larger than average for my sex

                        P          rounded, childlike, smaller than average

                        M        willowy, long, delicate, tall

                        S          angular, curvy, compact

                        U         can't decide (ask a friend)

            (2)       My facial features include mostly

M          oval shape, shallow set, open eyes, even front teeth, wide smile, high cheekbones, high forehead

S          heart shape, deep-set eyes, small mouth, crowded teeth, small pointed chin, forehead narrowing towards top, widow's peek at hair line

C         Squarish shape, broadish forehead, big teeth, squared jaw, rounded eyes relatively close together

P          rounded face, small teeth, youthful smile, rounded cheeks, almond eyes

U         can't decide (ask a friend!)

            (3)       When (and if) I put on weight, it goes mostly to my

S          outside of thighs, inside of thighs, pear shape

M        back of upper arms and butt, hourglass shape, belly in men

C         waist, back of shoulders, breasts in women, neck in men, inverted pear

P          all over, knees, face, apple shape

U         can't decide (don't ask a friend! You don't want to know what they have noticed!)

            (4)       My hands are mostly

                        S          small, short, would never make it in a nail polish ad

                        M        one of my best features, long, tapered

                        C         big, squarish, good for handshake

                        P          delicate, small

                        U         can't decide (compare with some friends)

            (5)       When I get angry, I tend to

                        C         take over, win through intimidation

                        S          argue, persuade, convince, jabber on, bluster, bombast

                        M        deny, accuse, blame, withdraw, sulk

                        P          pout, act out, yell, cry, complain

                        U         can't decide (ask a close friend)

            (6)       When I am happy and excited I tend to

P          exclaim, want to play and laugh with good friends

M        want to celebrate, get creative, dance, sing, often by myself

C         feel super-confident, plan big things, enroll others in my vision

S          want to throw a party, get others to feel the same way

U         don't know, maybe never feel that way (with awareness of your humors you soon will!)

            (7)       If someone I just met is nasty to me, I am most likely to

                        S          respond with sarcasm and hope not to meet them again

                        M        go out of my way to avoid them

                        C         tell them off mightily

                        P          give them a second chance

                        U         can't decide

            (8)       My favorite snack foods fall mostly into this category

                        C         hamburgers and salted chips or peanuts

                        M        sweets, chocolate, bread, sugar, cookies

S          buttery pastries, cheesecake, cinnamon buns, gingerbread and cream cheese

                        P          milk, cheese, fruit, sweetened yogurts

                        U         never snack (good, but if you did ...)

            (9)       The kind of exercise I like most is

C         highly competitive

M        fast moving, with lots of variety

S          self-regulated, on my own, rhythmic

P          with a group, non-competitive

U         never exercise (you will when you know more about what you want as a result of knowing your humors)                                          

            (10)     I am attracted to men who appear

                        P          big and strong with wide forehead, big chest, powerful look

S          tall and wiry with tall forehead, intellectual look

C         smaller and youthful looking with rounded features, smiling eyes

M        shorter and athletic-looking with well-formed butt, may have early hairline recession, intellectual look

U         love them all (try to discern a preference!)

            (11)     I am attracted to women who appear

                        S          shapely, tall, and big-breasted with narrow ankles, long fingers

                        M        medium build and hour-glass figured with delicate facial features

                        P          strong and athletic-looking with wide shoulders, small hips

                        C         small and youthful-looking with rounded face and body

                        U         love them all (try to discern a preference!)    

            (12)     My ideal career would be more like

                        C         leading a topnotch corporation or organization

                        S          teaching people how to enjoy all that life has to offer

                        M        creating a masterpiece of art, literature or culture

                        P          helping people overcome challenges in different areas of their lives

                        U         don't have a clue (what do you like most about your current work?)

            (13)     Success for me is closest to

                        P          having a rewarding family life

                        C         being all I can be, a leader's leader

                        S          setting an example to others of extraordinary living

                        M        getting the most out of life

                        U         don't know (you will soon)

            (14)     The pattern of my ideal day is closest to

M        sleep late, lively after breakfast, sleepy after lunch sometimes stay up late

S          sleep consistently, love mornings and evenings

C         sleep less than most people, going all day, relax early evening

P          lots of sleep, early to bed, enjoy daytime best

U         can't decide (ask spouse or relative)

            (15)     My tendency with meals is

C         I like a big protein breakfast and dinner, not big on sweets

S          I love breakfast, could skip dinner, like small protein meals

P          I don't pay much attention to meals, eat fruit, pasta and dairy, not eggs

M        I eat a light breakfast if any, like a large lunch eat muffins, pasta, bagels or vegetables for snacks

U         can't tell

            (16)     My favorite weather and time of year is:

S          warm and wet, spring, flowers and trees blooming all over, time of sowing, rebirth

M        cold and dry, autumn, time of harvest, between the summer heat and the solitude of winter

C         hot and dry, summer, everything in glorious fullness, most active, alive time

P          cold and wet, winter, quiet, cold breezes, cozy family feeling

U         no opinion (knowing your humor will help you come to embrace lots of things more consciously that really make you feel good!)

            (17)     I pay best attention when things come to me by way of:

P        touch - "Show me, can I touch it, hold it?" "That really touches me!"

M        sound - "Let me hear your opinion and then I'll tell you." "I hear you, that sounds right to me."

S          smell/taste-"Let me just see how it feels." "It feels right to me!"

C         sight-"I'll believe it when I see it." "Let's just see." "I can see it now! I see, I see."

U         don't know (If someone shows you a flower by the road, what do you do?)

            (18)     When I make a decision:

M        I think long and hard to decide what is the best course and often reexamine my choice if there are any glitches but defend my choice actively against others' opinions.        

P          I take my time, gather opinions, and then make my choice and may reconsider if trusted friends advise caution

S        I make a quick assessment, wait for a sense of intuition, decide, and then stick with it, but remain flexible about little things

C         I make quick decisions, go with my gut, and rarely look back

U         undecided (maybe P?)

After you have completed the questions, you may have noticed what a wide variety of characteristics were included, and also what a range of responses are possible. The humoral tendencies represent clusters of traits. You will see as you read more that every willowy creature isn't a born artist or every large squarish figure a born leader. But according to the humors, there's a very good probability that she or he is exactly that, or will turn out to be as their true calling emerges and greater happiness enters in their lives. 

            Let's go on to scoring, so you will have an idea of your dominant humor, your temperament, and the balance to which you constitutionally tend. Then we'll see why each question means what it does.

            Simply count up the number of answers you marked C (choleric), S (sanguine), P (phlegmatic), or M (melancholic). The one for which you marked the most answers is your dominant humor, by your natural inclination. The second highest number is your subdominant humor, which can take over if your dominant one is depleted or overstressed to exhaustion. The lowest score is your weakest humor. Surprising breakthroughs can happen when you give a little extra attention to that humor. For example, people who befuddle you may all of a sudden make a bit more sense. And the next lowest score may be kind of an anchor humor that you take for granted, but still it could use occasional focused attention for optimal balance in your life.

            Chances are that your least dominant humor is P if you are C, and C if you are P. Likewise, if you are M or S, your least dominant humor is probably S or M. You will be finding out in a later chapter why this is so.

            In most cases, after you have your totals, you will find that you have at least eight or nine answers in one category. No matter how balanced anyone is, there is one humor which dominates as a physiological fact, as you will hear more about later. If you seem to be perfectly balanced, two things may be at work. On the positive side, you may be in very healthy balance, able to appreciate and maximize the gifts of your dominant humor while keeping the others well empowered in order to respond flexibly to various different situations. On the negative side, you may be trying too hard to be balanced, perhaps to the point of denying some intrinsic gifts and preferences which if allowed to be maximized would bring you greater satisfaction, happiness, and effectiveness in your life.

            If it appears that two humors are vying for dominance of your temperament, the subordinate humor may be a close second and take over at times, such as when the dominant gland is exhausted. But in my experience and the interpretations of many others, there is just one that is the preferred source of vitality under stress. It is most obvious in our childhood preferences, before we have learned what we "should" like, and in our physiology, where the humors manifest most visibly because of their influences during our development.

            When it appears that two are equal, it pays to explore further and check other characteristics of the person. Sometimes the most telling items are the most intimate, like your frequency of sexual desire in young adulthood, or your most secret dreams of your perfect career. For example, would you most like to be a triumphant general, a great novelist, a famous orator, or a frontier doctor? Another telling question is, what is your grandest fantasy of contribution to the future of the world? For example, would you most like to imagine yourself as the power behind a president, the composer of music that moves nations to freedom, the negotiator of a workable system to end all war, or the discoverer of a cure for a major debilitating disease? Use these more subtle and less quantifiable but more intuitive discernments to break a tie. By the way, both questions are in the C, M, S, and P order.