February 04, 2008

Horse 852 - Sanguine? Really? Moi?



Last night, he the B came up to me after the church service and amongst other things called me rather sanguine. I thought about this later and came to the conclusion that this isn't all that accurate... maybe. I just don't think I'm that perky a person.

The ancient Greeks thought that personality types were ruled by the four humours present in the body. Admittedly this is a patently daft idea, but the four personality types are at least semi useful markers.
They are as follows:

Sanguine: Cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident.
A sanguine person is one who is generally cocky, arrogant, supremely confident, occasionally prone to daydreaming and perhaps impulsive.

Choleric: Extremely irritable or easily angered; irascible.
Cholerics are the leaders and doers of the world. They are the source of much of the drive and ambition to do better things. Passion and drive are good things if directed in the right direction, but like fire can burn things they're not supposed to if left unchecked.

Melancholic: Disposed to or affected with melancholy; gloomy.
Could these people be classed as the "realists" of the world? The flip side of being pre-disposed to looking at the cruelty and unfairness of the world is that Melancholics are the ponderers and thinkers. Some of the greatest works of art and culture were produced by people who took the time to stop and plan.

Phlegmatic: Unexcitable; having a stolid or sluggish nature.
In theory a phlegmatic person if self-contained, self-confident, relaxed and kind. These people are the rational, sometime curious organisers in society. Because of this they are dependable and solid but stubborn to change.

I think that perhaps B came to a fair assessment when he described himself as being Melancholy, though personally I don't see myself as being overly sanguine at all. Self-assured and confident? Most certainly. Cocky? Of course. Optimistic? Heck no. Then again, I'm not sure where I'd fit now.

Tony Blair's Imaginary Lunch

"Lollies"

Come now Tony, you'll make yourself "imaginary" sick.

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