What about temperament?
I’m in another leadership class, and once again we dive into strengths and weaknesses, personality types, and all those familiar assessments. We start with Myers-Briggs, where people figure out if they're an introvert or an extrovert, and then debate the meaning of those four mysterious letters—ENFP, ISTJ, you name it. Then it’s on to StrengthsFinder, which spits out a list of your top five strengths and makes you feel like you’ve finally nailed your superpowers (or at least, your work superpowers).
DISC comes next, with everyone jockeying for position as a Dominant, Influential, Steady, or Conscientious type. There’s always someone who gets way too excited about being a high “D” and starts running the group activities. And then we meet the Big Five—Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism, which sounds scientific but mostly just gives you another set of labels to compare with your classmates.
Everyone gets their charts and colored graphs, and we compare notes on who’s what and why. But somehow, just like always, there’s zero time spent actually talking about temperament. It’s almost like that topic is permanently stuck in the waiting room.
If you’ve ever wondered where temperament fits into all these personality tools, think of it as the underlying “flavor” that shapes how you interact with the world, regardless of your scores or labels. It’s not just about whether you’re an introvert or extrovert (Myers-Briggs), or if your strengths are “Strategic” or “Relator” (StrengthsFinder), or even if you dominate group activities as a high “D” (DISC). Temperament is like the baseline vibe you bring—are you naturally calm, cautious, energetic, or easygoing?
While the Big Five might call it “Neuroticism” or “Agreeableness,” temperament is less about a specific trait and more about your default mode for reacting to life. It’s the steady beat behind all those personality tests, the thing that influences how you handle stress, excitement, and those endless leadership class debates. So even if your charts and graphs are bursting with colors and acronyms, temperament is the quiet force that helps explain why you respond the way you do—sometimes before you even realize it.
Temperament actually breaks down into four main personality types, mapped out on a grid with extrovert/introvert on one axis and stable/unstable on the other. Picture a simple chart: if you’re an extrovert and emotionally stable, you’re a “sanguine”—think outgoing and optimistic. Extrovert but a little less stable? That’s “choleric”—bold, driven, sometimes a bit fiery. On the introvert side, the stable folks are “phlegmatic”—calm, easygoing, steady. And introvert plus unstable? That’s “melancholic”—thoughtful, sensitive, sometimes prone to overthinking.
Honestly, I clearly identify as melancholy. It’s my default mode—quiet, reflective, and always tuned in to the details. That vibe shapes how I show up, even when the colored charts say otherwise.
When I’m stressed, tired, or worried, my melancholy traits amplify the negatives. Overthinking tends to spiral, making it hard to let go of worries or see past worst-case scenarios. I withdraw, become overly critical of myself, and I feel paralyzed by indecision, struggling to move forward even when solutions are available.
I often wonder about the unstable extrovert, if their reaction to stress and worry are conversely opposite - explosive and outward-facing. Instead of withdrawing or overthinking like me, do they channel their energy into actions, sometimes reckless or aggressive. Leading to impulsive decisions, risky behaviors, or even lashing out at others, making them more susceptible to patterns like addiction or cycles of abuse.
For me, recognizing these tendencies helps shine a light on my destructive habits or find myself caught in turbulent relationships. Maybe it’s time to put temperament back in the classroom.