Unravelling My Thoughts

Meet the Melancholy!

I had a talk with some relatives this morning. I spent the night chatting with my cousin, by marriage, and she was one of the Choleric/Sanguine blend of temperament. I'd shorten that name to say ChlorSan. I will go into the Choleric soon enough.

Her husband, however, is a Melancholy, and I spoke with both of them in the morning, and he had some questions which were very Melancholy in nature. He was very inquisitive and analytical. He's very intelligent, but he doesn't consider himself too smart. It's a lot like a person with this temperament to underestimate his/her worth. I mean, Moses, a Melancholy man from the Bible, didn't even believe he was worthy enough to lead his people out of captivity, even when God told him, very straightforward, that he, indeed, was chosen to be their leader. Moses was trusted by God enough to write the first five books of the Bible, and he didn't leave any guesswork to details of measurements, life stories of the generations before him, or lineage. Some of the best writers today are of the Melancholy temperament.

Now, we did talk about Moses. And we talked about the author of Spirit-Controlled Temperament, Dr. Tim LaHaye, which is of the same exact blend I've observed my cousin's husband to be--MelSan. He wanted the details of why I thought this way, so, as the practical, observant Plegmatic, I told him what I hear in his questions, in his curiosity. I described the Melancholy temperament to them, and the variances of its traits, due to life experience.

He said he was a dreamer, and could think up other realities. That was of no surprise to me. Many artists are great Melancholy dreamers who take us places in their writings, paintings, and other masterpieces. A world without people of this sort would be a very drab, dull place to live.

Unfortunately, however, he also mentioned he had battled Depression. That, again, was no surprise. The analytic mind of the Melancholy can often dwell on the past, and anguish over antagonistic words and situations. They can be sensitive to jokes or comments which people of other tempermaments would shrug off or laugh at. They are moody, and most likely carry themselves with a straight, or even frowning face, often looking at the ground. This is not always true, as I will write about later. In this sorrow, they can come up with some brilliant artwork. Like I wrote before, they are very intelligent, are most likely to have the highest I.Q. of all the temperaments. It is often masked, however, by self-doubt and anguishing self-introspection that can lead to the pit of despair.

People of this temperament are usually very organized, or they really aspire to be. For me, the Phlegmatic, almost is good enough. I have an organized mess, and I know the filing system, but don't tell that to Mr. Melancholy. My Stepdad, for instance is a Melancholy, and my Mom, a Phlegmatic. She puts paperwork in the correct files in ever sort of direction, and he goes behind her and straightens them up. These two temperaments work pretty well together, otherwise.

There is another aspect of the temperament I discussed with my cousin and her husband. We talked of another relative of ours, whom I had observed to, also, be of Melancholy temperament. This man we spoke of was vengeful and held grudges against people he felt had wronged him in the past in some way or another. He had tried to stick his nose in where it didn't belong, and spread gossip that wasn't quite true, so that, maybe, he could feel better about himself. This is, sometimes, how a Melancholy might cope who had learned no easier way, other than to blame himself.

I'll end this on some light notes, though. They are very methodical in their work and are often great administrators and managers.

I'm in college now, and I can recognize, with a gut feeling, if a professor is a Melancholy, within a few class session. If they lose me in big ideas from from seemingly small elements of study, then I know. I actually learn nothing at the time of those lectures, but have to hash over the words in my head until my mind catches up. It's powerful to listen to the ideas from people of Melancholy temperament. The area of research that they are passionate about could be very minute, but what can be learned from their complex view on it can be very vast. I'm not awed by their intelligence, but I am in awe at the complexity of their perceptions, and the depth of their studies.

This temperament can carry with it, also, an emotional sincerity toward other people. They are sensitive to the sadness of others. They will cry with those who cry and share feelings quite openly with friends and family, whom they consider trustworthy. They don't have many friends, but the ones they do have, they are very loyal to.

Are you of the Melancholy temperament? Do you feel I left anything out?