Four-Temperament Ensemble

[Melki]

(quoted from tvtropes.org)




There are many ways to make a group of people diverse without giving them overly specialized roles within an ensemble. One way is through matching personality types according to a wacky ancient pseudoscience. The Four Temperaments (also called the "four humors") was a theory that behavior was caused by concentrations of body fluids — the "humors" of classical medicine: blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm.
A temporary imbalance would create an illness: too much blood caused a fever, too much yellow bile caused a cough, too much black bile caused depression, and too much phlegm caused a cold. A permanent imbalance led to a person having a certain type of intentions, behavior, and personality. Though this has been a theory long-since discredited from a scientific standpoint, the general idea still remains and the theory is still used for personality profiling. An ensemble based on these four humors can make the cast diverse without actually changing the roles of the characters in the story.
Along with a list of characteristics, the four temperaments are:

Sanguine (blood): Extroverted, emotional, and people-oriented.
Key Strengths: Charming, cheerful, loves people, energetic, talkative, passionate and compassionate, positive, sometimes unpredictable, expressive influencer, an excellent comedian, salesman or clown, quirky or eccentric and just plain fun.
In common with phlegmatic: Friendly, forgiving, optimistic endurer, emotionally available, won't get negative, good with relationships.
In common with choleric: Adventurous, confident, hard to embarrass.
Key Weaknesses: Undisciplined, too talkative, emotionally unstable, hyperactive, scatterbrained, gullible, disorganized, late for work, and sometimes frivolous.
In common with phlegmatic: Weak-willed, likes to appease other people, gullible, overly idealistic to the point of inability to grasp what's gone wrong
In common with choleric: Impulsive, egotistical, shallow and self-absorbed at times
Expressive high, responsive high; response's delay short, duration short.
The Inspired Influencer of DISC and Myers–Briggs types generally E_F_.
Will often correspond with the Optimist and, at times, the Apathetic when in a Four-Philosophy Ensemble.
Amongst the "Dere Types" can qualify as a pure Yandere (Playful and Obsessive).
Oni type and Good Cop/Bad Cop: Brash Red Oni with snark, but an overall diplomatic "Good Cop"
Corresponding element, season, and division of a day: (hot and moist) air, spring, and morning.
In a person's life, it corresponds to young childhood (roughly ages 0-13).
Organ: Liver.
Archetypal color: Gold, brighter shades of yellow, all shades of pink or aqua (the colors of the Sky).
The Yin-Yang Duo: Yang (white).
Planet or Satellite: Jupiter.
Western Zodiac Constellations: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius.
Personality Blood Type: B
Apocalypse Horseman: Conquest/Pestilence.

Choleric (yellow bile): Extroverted, unemotional, and task-oriented.
Key Strengths: Takes the lead, hard worker, strong-willed, practical, passionate, a good repossession worker, an excellent strongman/woman of the team (drill sergeant at the most extreme), determined, goal-oriented and thrives under criticism.
In common with sanguine: Confident, loves a challenge, hard to embarrass
In common with melancholic: Good planner, independent, honest without any compromisation, Excellent agent of change, pure hard worker
Key Weaknesses: Hot-tempered, rude, rebellious, can be cruel, stubborn, harsh, bossy, expects complete devotion, insensitive, often condescending, can become psychotic in overbearing situations, workaholic, without compassion or conscience, can be a warmonger, vindictive, a shallow cynic of people's character, most likely a bad winner/loser, and may nastily misinterpret jokes.
In common with sanguine: Arrogant, boisterous, often dramatic, unhinged, unfiltered in speech, often likes to make "in your face" insults
In common with melancholic: Inflexible, emotionally distant, strict, demanding and fastidious, not very cooperative, vengeful, self-righteous and dogmatic, harshly sarcastic, sees the worst in people
Expressive high, responsive low; response's delay short, duration long.
The Dominant Driver of DISC and Myers–Briggs types generally E_T_.
Will often correspond with The Cynic when in a Four-Philosophy Ensemble.
Amongst the four main "Dere Types" can qualify as a pure Tsundere (Harsh and Maturing).
Oni type and Good Cop/Bad Cop: Red Oni and harsh, pure "Bad Cop"
Corresponding element, season, and division of a day: (hot and dry) fire, summer, and afternoon.
In a person's life, it corresponds with adolescence and young adulthood (roughly ages 13-35).
Organ: Spleen.
Archetypal color: Darker shades of yellow, all shades of red or orange (the colors of a Volcano).
The Yin-Yang Duo: Yang (Red).
Planet or Satellite: Mars.
Western Zodiac Constellations: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius.
Personality Blood Type: O
Apocalypse Horseman: War.

Melancholic (black bile): Introverted, emotional, and task-oriented.
Key Strengths: Detailed, conservative, analytical, organized, perfectionistic, faithful to a fault, discreet will of stone, elegant (in the more dignified ways), selfless, an excellent medic or lawyer.
In common with choleric: Excellent leader, practical, an effective manipulator of people, punctual.
In common with phlegmatic: Polite, ethical to a fault, deep, thoughtful, sensitive, artistic
Key Weaknesses: Rigid, too straight-laced, critical, bashful, pessimistic, moody, depressed, impractical (yes, both practical and impractical), has unrealistically high expectations, very paranoid
In common with choleric: Inflexible, snobbish, emotionally distant, strict, resentful, vengeful, self-righteous and dogmatic, sees the worst in people.
In common with phlegmatic: Shy, insecure, easily embarrassed, slowpoke
Expressive low, responsive low; response's delay long, duration long.
The Contemplating Conscience of DISC and Myers–Briggs types generally I_T_.
Will often correspond with the Cynic or (the more pessimistic flavor of) the Conflicted when in a Four-Philosophy Ensemble. note
Amongst the four main "Dere Types" can qualify as a pure Kuudere (Cold and Blunt).
Oni type and Good Cop/Bad Cop: Stoic, aloof Blue Oni, a cold "Bad Cop" with less involvement (if not a coward)
Corresponding element, season, and division of a day: (cool and dry) earth, autumn, and evening.
In a person's life, it corresponds to middle-aged adulthood (roughly ages 35-65).
Organ: Gall Bladder.
Archetypal color: Navy blue, dark purple, olive green, all shades of brown or black (the colors of a cave or cavern).
The Yin-Yang Duo: Yin (black).
Planet or Satellite: Saturn.
Western Zodiac Constellations: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn.
Personality Blood Type: A
Apocalypse Horseman: Famine.

Phlegmatic (phlegm): Introverted, unemotional, and people-oriented. note
Key Strengths: Calm, humble, an excellent assistant, spy or librarian, discreet, flexible will of steel (flexible steel), elegant (in the simpler ways), thoughtful, patient, modest, a real sweetheart, accommodating, steady-paced, sympathetic, perceptive, faith in morality (and leading by example), very compassionate, assuming innocent until proven guilty, a good listener, open-minded, considerate, and empathetic to all.
In common with melancholic: Polite, reserved, gentle, ethical to a fault, dependable, mysterious, quiet and stealthy, a deep poker face
In common with sanguine: Pleasant, forgiving, witty, easygoing, idealistic endurer, emotionally available, a good sense of humour, good with relationships.
Key Weaknesses: Indifferent, submissive, lazy, slow, shy and passive, slacker, indecisive and too yielding.
In common with melancholic: Timid and docile, scared of sudden change, stubborn (about certain things), easily embarrassed.
In common with sanguine: teasing, too compromising, forgetful, unable to find what's wrong
Expressive low, responsive high; response's delay long, duration short.
The Stable Supporter of DISC and Myers–Briggs types generally I_F_.
Will often correspond with the Realist or the Conflicted when in a Four-Philosophy Ensemble.
Amongst the four main "Dere Types" can qualify as a pure Dandere.
Oni type and Good Cop/Bad Cop: Blue Oni and gentle, diplomatic "Good Cop"
Corresponding element, season, and division of a day: (cool and moist) water, winter, and deep night.
In a person's life, it corresponds to older adulthood (roughly ages 65 and up).
Organ: Lungs/Brain.
Archetypal color: Teal, green, white, gray, all shades of blue or black (the colors of the ocean).
The Yin-Yang Duo: Yin (blue).
Planet or Satellite: Moon.
Western Zodiac Constellations: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces.
Personality Blood Type: AB
Apocalypse Horseman: Death.

The four temperament system, while interesting, was seen as flawed even back then as some people did not fit with any of the presented humors, so a neutral temperament has been used, labeled sometimes as the Leukine, other times the Supine/Eclectic, although in fiction this has been mostly reserved either for the lead character or more commonly for secondary characters (as for Four-Philosophy Ensemble, usually the Realist or Apathetic).
A fifth temperament was originally derived in modern temperament theory from the once popular FIRO-B psychometric instrument, which included moderate scales. When the temperaments were mapped to it, the traditional Phlegmatic ended up moderate in both "expressive" (classic "extrovert" and "introvert") and "responsive" (classic "people vs task" focus) scales, and the low expressive high responsive area was labeled "Supine". In some versions of the theory, this is reversed, with the Phlegmatic kept in its old place, and the new temperament considered the moderate one.
This "fifth humour" often shares many common elements with the Phlegmatic. The difference is that the Phlegmatic is this way from a lower energy reserve which leads him to take the path of least resistance (to either go with the flow and be agreeable, or to be stubborn and slow), while the Supine has an emotional energy that drives him to be reserved, but wanting of acceptance from others.



I added a poll. How would you define yourself? Which category do you think you belong to? Try to be as honest with yourself as possible.

[Melki]

I'm mostly melancholic, with few stripes of choleric.