Knowing people will help you

Thanks to Florence Littauer for these awesome personality examples.

The Sanguine is the popular person who wants to have fun out of every situation and be the life of the party. Sanguine love to talk.

The Choleric is the powerful person who wants to take control of every situation and make decisions for others. Choleric love to work.

The Melancholy is the perfect person who wants everything done in order and done properly and who appreciates art and music. Melancholies love to analyze.

The Phlegmatic is the peaceful person who wants to stay out of trouble, keep life on an even keel, and get along with everybody. Phlegmatics like to rest.
It is amazing how quickly we can learn to spot these people and therefore know how to approach them correctly.

The Sanguines are the easiest to spot because they make grand entrances, love attention, attract people with their magnetism, exude charisma, and tell funny stories. What they want to hear from you is how attractive they are, how you like their hair, make-up, dangling rhinestone earrings, or anything else they have put on to ensure that you notice them. They live for the externals and want you to get excited over their clothes, sense of humor, or new red sports car. If you are a Melancholy, you will not naturally be given to praising the obvious and will feel that to laugh at the Sanguine's jokes and stories will only encourage them to babble on.

The Choleric Powerful Person is easy to spot because he walks with authority and appears to be in charge of everything. Such people don't want to waste much time on trivial activity with no obvious results or converse with people w ho have nothing to say of any consequence. They are frequently telling other people what to do and pointing out the "dummies" of life. They accomplish more than any of the other personality types, can quickly assess what needs to be done, and are usually right. They don't need to be affirmed on their looks, but they love praise for their accomplishment; their speed in problem solving; their constant goal setting, their loyalty to God, church, mother, business, or country; and their sense of fair play. If you are a Phlegmatic you get worn out just watching these people, but if you want them to be impressed with you, tell them how amazed you are at how much they accomplish in a very short time. They may never have noticed you before but they will suddenly see you as a person of great discernment.

The Melancholy Perfect Person is usually very neatly put together and intellectual looking. These people are usually quiet, reserved, and a little ill-at-ease in social situations where they don't know everyone. They would rather talk quietly with one person in depth than banter with a group. They consider compliments on clothes and external niceties to be trivial and want to hear about the inner virtues of integrity, wisdom, and spiritual values. They often marry Sanguines who can't find their way inside these deep virtues and who keep telling them how cute they look. When we don't understand these differences, we are giving out silver boxes that nobody wants. The Melancholy is very sensitive and easily hurt and tends to take what others say in humor as personal and hurtful. Since Sanguines and Cholerics say whatever comes to their minds without weighing their words, they often deflate the Melancholy who is waiting for someone to hand him a silver box that says, "I understand you."

The Phlegmatic Peaceful Person is amiable, easy to get along with, and relaxed. These people fit into any situation, blend in with the wallpaper, and modify their personality to get along without conflict. They laugh with those who laugh and cry with those who cry. Everyone loves the low-key nature of the inoffensive Phlegmatic, and though they aren't loud like the Sanguine, they do have a witty sense of humor. They often lean while standing and sit in comfortable recliner chairs if at all possible. They don't need a lot of praise like the Sanguine, nor do they want to be in charge like the Choleric, or get to deeply involved like the Melancholy. They do appreciate being noticed once and a while, being included in conversations that they won't push into on their own, and being told they are of value and their opinion is respected. Since they often marry Cholerics, whose idea of value is wrapped up in how much is accomplished in a given day, they don't get appreciated for their quiet and gentle spirit. They, in turn, find it difficult to praise the constant projects of the Choleric because it wears them out just thinking of them.