The Four Temperaments---Sanguine (Part I)

 

To My Readers: I have received several requests for posts on the subject of The Four Temperaments. This week's post is the fourth installment to this most important and interesting topic. I will follow-up with other posts so that by 2025, I will have done some justice to presenting the Four Temperaments. I originally thought I could finish by December of this year, but that won't happen.  

I want to acknowledge that I take no credit for the posts on this topic. My primary sources will be from theologian Schagemann and his work entitled Manual of Self-Knowledge and Christian Perfection (1913).  Also, the work of theologian Hock The Four Temperaments (1934) will be used throughout this series of posts, with various other sources. I take absolutely no credit whatsoever for the content of this post (or the ones on this topic to follow). All I did was condense the material of these theologians into a terse post that hopefully will be advantageous for  those looking for information, but without time to read an entire book or two from the pre-Vatican II era on the subject.

I was going to treat of the phlegmatic temperament, but I have decided to publish that last due to the information being the least. I will combine it with some concluding considerations.  

God bless you all, my dear readers---Introibo

The Sanguine Temperament---Part I

CHARACTER OF THE SANGUINE TEMPERAMENT 

The sanguine person is quickly aroused and vehemently excited by whatever influences him. The reaction follows immediately, but the impression lasts but a short time. Consequently the remembrance of the impression does not easily cause new excitement. 

FUNDAMENTAL DISPOSITION 

1. Superficiality. The sanguine person does not penetrate the depth, the essence of things; he does not embrace the whole, but is satisfied with the superficial and with a part of the whole. Before he has mastered one subject, his interest relaxes because new impressions have already captured his attention. He loves light work which attracts attention, where there is no need of deep thought, or great effort. To be sure, it is hard to convince a sanguine person that he is superficial; on the contrary, he imagines that he has grasped the subject wholly and perfectly. 

2. Instability. Because the impressions made upon a sanguine person do not last, they are easily followed by others. The consequence is a great instability which must be taken into account by anyone who deals with such persons, if he does not wish to be disappointed. St Peter assured our Lord that he was ready to go with Him, even die for Him, only to deny a few hours later that he did not know "this man." The crowds hailed our Lord with their Hosannas on Palm Sunday but cried: Crucify Him! a few days later. The sanguine is always changing in his moods; he can quickly pass from tears to laughter and vice versa; he is fickle in his views; today he may defend what he vehemently opposed a week ago; he is unstable in his resolutions. 

If a new point of view presents itself he may readily upset the plans which he has made previously. This inconsistency often causes people to think that the sanguine person has no character; that he is not guided by principles. The sanguine naturally denies such charges, because he always finds a reason for his changes. He forgets that it is necessary to consider everything well and to look into and investigate everything carefully beforehand, in order not to be captivated by every new idea or mood. He is also inconsistent at his work or entertainment; he loves variety in everything; he resembles a bee which flies from flower to flower; or the child who soon tires of the new toy.

 3. Tendency to the external. The sanguine does not like to enter into himself, but directs his attention to the external. In this respect he is the very opposite of the melancholic person who is given to introspection, who prefers to be absorbed by deep thoughts and more or less ignores the external. This leaning to the external is shown in the keen interest which the sanguine pays to his own appearance, as well as to that of others; to a beautiful face, to fine and modern clothes, and to good manners. In the sanguine the five senses are especially active, while the choleric uses rather his reason and will and the melancholic his feelings. The sanguine sees everything, hears 16 everything, talks about everything. He is noted for his facility and vivacity of speech, his inexhaustible variety of topics and flow of words which often make him disagreeable to others. The sanguine person in consequence of his vivacity has an eye for details, an advantageous disposition which is more or less lacking in choleric and melancholic persons. 

4. Optimism. The sanguine looks at everything from the bright side. He is optimistic, overlooks difficulties, and is always sure of success. If he fails, he does not worry about it too long but consoles himself easily. His vivacity explains his inclination to poke fun at others, to tease them and to play tricks on them. He takes it for granted. that others are willing to take such things in good humor and he is very much surprised if they are vexed on account of his mockery or improper jokes. 

5. Absence of deep passions. The passions of the sanguine are quickly excited, but they do not make a deep and lasting impression; they may be compared to a straw fire which flares up suddenly, but just as quickly dies down, while the passions of a choleric are to be compared to a raging, all-devouring conflagration. This lack of deep passions is of great advantage to the sanguine in spiritual life, insofar as he is usually spared great interior trials and can serve God as a rule with comparative joy and ease. He seems to remain free of the violent passions of the choleric and the pusillanimity and anxiety of the melancholic. 

BRIGHT SIDES OF THE SANGUINE TEMPERAMENT 

1. The sanguine person has many qualities on account of which he fares well with his fellow men and endears himself to them.

 a) The sanguine is an extrovert; he readily makes acquaintance with other people, is very communicative, loquacious, and associates easily with strangers. 

b) He is friendly in speech and behavior and can pleasantly entertain his fellow men by his interesting narratives and witticisms. 

c) He is very pleasant and willing to oblige. He dispenses his acts of kindness not so coldly as a choleric, not so warmly and touchingly as the melancholic, but at least in such a jovial and pleasant way that they are graciously received. 

d) He is compassionate whenever a mishap befalls his neighbor and is always ready to cheer him by a friendly remark. 

e) He has a remarkable faculty of drawing the attention of his fellow men to their faults without causing immediate and great displeasure. He does not find it hard to correct others. If it is necessary to inform someone of bad news, it is well to assign a person of sanguine temperament for this task. 

f) A sanguine is quickly excited by an offence and may show his anger violently and at times imprudently, but as soon as he has given vent to his wrath, he is again pleasant and bears no grudge. 

2. The sanguine person has many qualities by which he wins the affection of his superiors. 

a) He is pliable and docile. The virtue of obedience, which is generally considered as difficult, is easy for him.

 b) He is candid and can easily make known to his superiors his difficulties, the state of his spiritual life, and even disgraceful sins.

 c) When punished he hardly ever shows resentment; he is not defiant and obstinate. It is easy for a superior to deal with sanguine subjects, but let him be on his guard! Sanguine subjects are prone to flatter the superior and show a servile attitude; thus quite unintentionally endangering the peace of a community. Choleric and especially melancholic persons do not reveal themselves so easily, because of their greater reserve, and should not be scolded or slighted or neglected by the superiors. 

3. The sanguine is not obdurate in evil. He is not stable in doing good things, neither is he consistent in doing evil. Nobody is so easily seduced, but on the other hand, nobody is so easily converted as the sanguine. 

4. The sanguine does not long over unpleasant happenings. Many things which cause a melancholic person a great, deal of anxiety and trouble do not affect the sanguine in the least, because he is an optimist and as such overlooks difficulties and prefers to look at affairs from the sunny side. Even if the sanguine is occasionally exasperated and sad, he soon finds his balance again. His sadness does not last long, but gives way quickly to happiness. This sunny quality of the well trained sanguine person helps him to find community life, for instance, in institutions, seminaries, convents much easier, and to overcome the difficulties of such life more readily than do choleric or melancholic persons. Sanguine persons can get along well even with persons generally difficult to work with. 

No temperament is so well suited as this to make a man a useful member of a community. By nature he is inclined to serve others. It is a pleasure to ask favors of him. He is always ready to give his services. He is forgiving. Though he has been wronged, he is not inclined to harbor an ill will towards the of fender. He will quickly forget the wrong done to him. At the same time he is indulgent to the faults of others. He will not judge harshly nor treat his companions with severity. One trait that especially endears him to his associates is his frankness. All that have intercourse with him are charmed by his cheerful disposition.

Then, too, he is apt to captivate others, because he is a ready speaker. One of the greatest advantages of this temperament is, that, without much difficulty it can accommodate itself to a life of obedience and spirituality.

Conclusion

This concludes the first part of understanding the sanguine temperament. The next installment will discuss the "dark side" of the sanguine, and how those with such temperament should self-train for spiritual advancement. That post will conclude the second temperament under consideration.