What Is Your Temperament ?

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Harri_Laaksonen said:
My spirituality profile puts me in the Thomistic category and my prayer style is Dominican.

This fits well considering my background and how like St. Domenic I spend a lot of time reconciling scientific data with revelation while “chatting” with God.

Before discovering this wealth of Catholic literature, I often felt out of place and wondered if God could really use me. Now I know He can.

In Christ,
Harri
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When I once took a test on my spiritual style it said it was Augustinian. They described my spiritual style perfectly, but I was thrown by the what that was called, since I’ve had trouble reading St. Augustine’s own writings. However, it started me reading what other people have written about his writings and I’d often think, “well, of course!”
 
You are a “bilious” Choleric, with an abundance of yellow bile (believed to have originated in the kidneys). Cholerics are characterized by (…) early adulthood (…) To ehnance your Choleric tendencies, listen to music in the Phrygian Mode; to diminish those tendencies, listen to music in the Hypophrygian mode.
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Famous Cholerics include St. John the Baptist, St. Paul, and St. Ignatius of Loyola.
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If you were living in the Age of Faith, perfect career choices for you would be Crusader (leader of the Crusades, of course), the knighthood, King, mayor, head of a guild, founder of a new religious order, or housewife or father with a well-organized, well-behaved brood, each of whom you expect to excel.
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What’s the Phrygian Mode? What’s the Hypophrygian Mode? I’m not exactly characterized by young adulthood anymore, anyhow. That was interesting.
 
To ehnance your Melancholic tendencies, listen to music in the Mixolydian Mode; to diminish those tendencies, listen to music in the Hypomixolydian mode.
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:confused:
 
I_Believe said:
The old saying “different strokes for different folks” is a common one. I found this interesting source of info on the topic of the Temperaments.
fisheaters.com/fourtemperaments.html

Down near the bottom of the page, you will find a test to determine your Temperament. Or, If you don’t have a lot of time to read the primer, go on and take the test here…
fisheaters.com/quiz1.html

I’m sceptical of such quizzes and their results, but this one seemed to "figure me out ". 🙂

It determined I’m a nervous melancholic.

So, what is your Temperament ?
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I’m a Nervous Melancholic too!:hmmm:
 
Melancholic, too. Nailed me almost to a tee except that I don’t have any problems with public speaking.

%between%
 
I have strong traits of both the melancholic and the choleric. I’d say that my primary temperament is the melancholic, though, because of my strong introvertive tendencies. The choleric is very close, though.

I learned about the temperaments only this past month, but already it’s been a great aide in my spiritual life. Understanding my natural strengths and weaknesses a little better has given me greater humility, as well as a greater resolve to overcome those weaknesses.

It’s also helped me in the charity department. I have some big melancholics in my family, and often my choleric take-action and be-hopeful self was really irritated with what seemed to me to be irrational and self-serving gloominess. I’ve had my own spells of melancholic moodiness, though, and can understand better how their glum moods, just like mine, are simply a natural reaction to situations.
 
Only a phlegmatic would say this…the test wasn’t written by a phegmatic!

One temperament test that seems to be the on the mark is the Myers Briggs Temperament Profile.
It also helps you understand your communication style and others’ so it’s really helpful when effective listening and communication skills are important.
If you’re interested, go to a used book store and find “Please Understand Me” by David Kiersey and…I can’t remember the other name. Bates, maybe. (Not “Please Understand Me II”; it’s convoluted and really difficult to read.)
 
These personality type tests that some religious orders use - are they administered by the formation leadership…or by a psychologist who reports back to leadership with the result?
I’ve heard that some religious orders and seminaries do use them.
 
Still no other sanguines? Interesting. I wonder if there’s something about Catholicism that attracts more melancholics and phlegmatics?
 
LilyM said:
Still no other sanguines? Interesting. I wonder if there’s something about Catholicism that attracts more melancholics and phlegmatics?
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you’d be surprised actually…

The site I mentioned before has a similar test (www.4marks.com) and there are more sanguines on that site than anything else, if I recall correctly.
 
I_Believe said:
The old saying “different strokes for different folks” is a common one. I found this interesting source of info on the topic of the Temperaments.
fisheaters.com/fourtemperaments.html

Down near the bottom of the page, you will find a test to determine your Temperament. Or, If you don’t have a lot of time to read the primer, go on and take the test here…
fisheaters.com/quiz1.html

I’m sceptical of such quizzes and their results, but this one seemed to "figure me out ". 🙂

It determined I’m a nervous melancholic.

So, what is your Temperament ?
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I don’t understand the magic number.:confused:
 
If you are looking for a more detailed description of the four temperaments, there is a very good book written by Catholic authors entitled, The Temperament That God Gave You by Art & Laraine Bennett.

I am a “melancholic”, but when I took the brief test in the first post, I came out as “choleric”. According to the Bennetts’ book,
melancholics are introverted, while cholerics are extraverted. I am definitely and introvert. Here is some further clarification from the book:

INTROVERTS
-Melancholics
-Phlegmatics
 
If you are interested in more detailed information on the four temperaments, there is a very good book written by the Catholic authors, Art & Laraine Bennett, entitled The Temperament God Gave You. According to the short test posted on this thread, I am choleric. But according to the more detailed test in this book, I am melancholic. There are a couple of major distinctions between the temperaments described in the book. For example:

INTROVERTS–melancholics, phlegmatics
EXTROVERTS–cholerics, sanguines

PEOPLE OVER IDEALS–sanguines, phlegmatics
IDEALS OVER PEOPLE–melancholics, cholerics

Since I am definitely an introvert, and I tend to put ideals over people, that makes me a melancholic.
 
Christine77,
If I rememeber, after you answer the questions on a page, a percentage will be shown at the top of the page. It will be either over or under 50%. This is your “magic number” (I would have chosen a different way to put it, but then I’m a phlegmatic…or an INTJ) Fill in the corresponding percentage at the bottom, whether your “magic number” is over or under 50%. When you’re done with the pages, you’ll be directed to a description of your temperament type.
 
FickleFreckled said:
Christine77,
If I rememeber, after you answer the questions on a page, a percentage will be shown at the top of the page. It will be either over or under 50%. This is your “magic number” (I would have chosen a different way to put it, but then I’m a phlegmatic…or an INTJ) Fill in the corresponding percentage at the bottom, whether your “magic number” is over or under 50%. When you’re done with the pages, you’ll be directed to a description of your temperament type.
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Thanks!
 
brigid12 said:
:confused:
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To ehnance your Melancholic tendencies, listen to music in the Mixolydian Mode; to diminish those tendencies, listen to music in the Hypomixolydian mode.
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Mixolydian mode can be heard in music which can evoke a sad and happy mood in a balanced fashion. “Take Me Home Country Road” by John Denver is an example.

Hypomixolydian evokes a very happy feel. Think “Walkin On Sunshine”.
 
I_Believe said:
Mixolydian mode can be heard in music which can evoke a sad and happy mood in a balanced fashion. “Take Me Home Country Road” by John Denver is an example.

Hypomixolydian evokes a very happy feel. Think “Walkin On Sunshine”.
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Thank you. I have wondered for some time what these various modes are like. Your examples of songs I know (even play on the guitar) are quite clear. Do you have more examples?
 
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