Nobody really knows just how old the theory of the 4 temperaments is. The ancient Greek doctor, Hippocrates (c. 460-370 BCE) popularized it in his concept of humorism, however it is believed to have originated in ancient Egypt or Mesopotamia. Each person in the world is said to possess one of the four major temperament types: sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic, or melancholic. Which one do you think you have? Have a go at interpreting these inkblots and get ready to find out.
What's the first thing that you see in this picture?
What's the first thing that you see in this picture?
What's the first thing that you see in this picture?
What's the first thing that you see in this picture?
What's the first thing that you see in this picture?
What's the first thing that you see in this picture?
What's the first thing that you see in this picture?
Faces staring at each other
What's the first thing that you see in this picture?
What's the first thing that you see in this picture?
What's the first thing that you see in this picture?
What's the first thing that you see in this picture?
What's the first thing that you see in this picture?
Melancholic
As a person with a melancholic temperament, you are typically a quiet, analytical and wise person. You have a deep respect for traditions, and like to keep your family and friends close to you. You are highly orderly and accurate and tend to avoid seeking out novelty and adventure. You're also quite a social person, and feel that it's your duty to give something back to the community. Many melancholic people often end up working as accountants, managers, or social workers.
Phlegmatic
As a person with a phlegmatic temperament, you are typically a calm and peaceful person, and enjoy spending time with different people, seeking out close relationships and interpersonal harmony. You have a tendency to avoid conflict, and often end up mediating others' disputes. As a phlegmatic person, you're also very into giving to charity, and you do your utmost to keep up appearances with neighbors, friends, and family. You'd make an incredible teacher or nurse, thanks to your down-to-Earth people skills, and caring attitude.
Sanguine
As a person with a sanguine temperament, you are typically an active, enthusiastic and social person. You don't really worry about taking risks, and have a healthy sense of adventure. Your temperament is prone to pleasure-seeking behavior, and as a result you probably have quite a low threshold for boredom, and will often find yourself seeking out new varieties of entertainment. You are also highly creative and a brilliant entertainer, so you'd fit in just fine within the entertainment industry.
Choleric
As a person with a choleric temperament, you are typically a goal-oriented and savvy person. Highly practical and blunt, you're not always the most social individual, and you tend to prefer deep and meaningful conversations, as opposed to shallow small talk. You generally enjoy spending time with people who have similar interests, and would often prefer to spend time alone than with somebody superficial. As a result of these traits, many choleric people often end up working in management, engineering or business.