What is Temperament: Types of Temperament and their Meaning

In cases where you are confronted with the question, what is temperament? It is the constellation of inborn traits that determine a child’s unique behavioral style and the way he or she experiences and reacts to the world around him. Temperament traits (such as neuroticism, sociability, impulsivity, etc.) are distinct patterns in behavior throughout a lifetime, but they are most noticeable and most studied in children.

Your personality traits and temperament can affect your thoughts and behavior patterns—which means that for many, your temperament type may also influence your parenting style.

Environmental and biological factors can influence how your personality and temperament types develop. Both nature and nurture elements can determine how each of the five personality traits develops as you age. As each person has unique experiences throughout their life, this can result in countless types or traits of main temperaments.

Common Traits You Can Find in Individuals With Temperament

Here are some of the common traits you can look out for the different forms of temperaments.

• Constraint Vs. Disinhibition

This personality trait can include thoughtfulness, impulse control and goal-directed behaviors. People aligning with this personality type may be highly organized and able to pay attention to details while meeting deadlines, they will probably be more goal-oriented, often succeeding as fantastic managers. You might often plan or consider how your actions affect others. People with low levels of this trait might, in contrast, display less structured patterns and can procrastinate often.

• Extroversion Vs. Introversion

This personality trait generally refers to how you interact with other people. People high in the extroversion trait might display substantial emotional expression, natural abilities with socialization, assertiveness, excitability, and the tendency to value meaningful conversations.

Social situations may give you energy, which could otherwise be draining for someone with a higher level or preference towards introversion. People with high levels of this trait may enjoy the attention and meeting new people, and may not hesitate to start conversations or make new friends. People higher on the introversion end, however, will be the opposite and social situations may negatively affect their energy.

• Agreeableness Vs. Antagonism

This personality trait generally refers to prosocial behaviors such as affection, kindness, trust, and altruism. People with high levels of this trait may have an interest in having compassion for others, as well as a strong sense of self-awareness and empathy. They may find joy and interpersonal harmony by helping others, particularly those in need of assistance.

• Emotional Instability Vs. Stability

This personality trait generally refers to one’s emotional stability, particularly as it relates to levels of sadness and moodiness in someone’s life. People with high levels of this trait may experience frequent mood swings, sadness, nervousness, and irritability.

In contrast, those low in this trait often might show more emotional stability and resilience. People with this trait may also be more likely to have poor mental health or some kind of personality disorder.

• Openness Vs. Unconventionality

This personality trait can refer to how open you are to new experiences. Characteristics such as imagination, insight, and curiosity might be emphasized with this specific dichotomy. If you align with this personality type, you may be more open to learning new things or creating unique experiences.

People with higher levels of this trait might be outgoing, adventurous, creative and engage in pleasure-seeking behaviors, often succeeding as fantastic entertainers. Those with lower levels of openness may struggle with open-minded thinking, perhaps preferring traditional values and practices.

Temperament Changes or Goes Through Changes

Temperaments do go through its own changes. You ask how? Here are clues:

• Extroversion may decline from age 30 to 90, with a possible pronounced drop around age 50.
• Agreeableness may show a linear increase with age.
• Conscientiousness might peak between the ages of 50 and 70, then it may decline.
• Neuroticism might decline with age, possibly increasing around age 80.
• Openness might have a negative linear association with age.

Types of Temperament and their Meaning

Below are the four types of temperament and the clear, straightforward expressions that they can have to convince, inform and educate you:

• Sanguine 

People who are defined as sanguine are typically extroverted and sociable. They are chipper people who see a glass as half full instead of half empty. You will likely find them in the middle of a crowd and not at the fringes. Social interactions come easy to them, and they can be talkative and energetic.

While sanguine people seem to have positive traits, the same personality traits that make them fun to be around could also make them impulsive and indecisive. Their impulsivity can sometimes manifest as seeking out thrill-seeking behaviors, which in extreme cases could include drug use.

• Choleric 

The defining characteristics of choleric people are dominant and assertive. People who belong to this temperament type are goal-oriented and driven. They are high achievers at work, school, or even play and are often selected as team leaders.

Unlike sanguine, choleric people are decisive but can be impatient and stubborn. They could prioritize achieving set goals over fostering critical social connections and relationships.

• Phlegmatic 

Laid-back is the word that’s likely to come to mind when encountering a phlegmatic person immediately. They are easygoing people who tend to be very empathetic when relating with others. They are dependable and patient people who find comfort in the mundane and routine.

Phlegmatic people show little emotion, which can come across as passive or unfeeling during social interactions. Their need to avoid conflict at all costs can be disadvantageous, causing them to miss out on opportunities when they fail to assert themselves.

• Melancholic 

People often conflate melancholic with joyless or sad, but there’s so much more to people with this temperament. Although reserved, melancholic people are also thoughtful and sensitive. They can also be analytical and methodic, especially at work, making them valuable to any workplace.

Conversely, they prefer to work alone and might not make the best team players. They get moody and anxious when things aren’t going their way.