fourtemperament

The four temperaments is a historical theory of personality that posits four fundamental dispositions determined by bodily humors: blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm. In ancient Greek medicine, these humors were believed to influence health, temperament, and behavior. The concept was systematized by Galen, building on Hippocrates, and became a dominant framework in medieval and Renaissance thought.

The four temperaments are commonly named sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic. Sanguine individuals were imagined as lively and sociable; choleric as ambitious and assertive, sometimes irritable; melancholic as thoughtful and reserved, often prone to worry; and phlegmatic as calm and reliable, where steadiness is valued. Each temperament was linked to a temperament’s corresponding humor and a set of associated qualities, including emotional response, energy level, and social behavior.

Throughout history, the theory influenced medical, educational, and psychological thinking and shaped early attempts to classify personality. In modern psychology, the four temperaments have largely been superseded by empirically based theories and measurement tools. Critics argue that the model rests on outdated physiology and lacks reliability and predictive validity, making it overly simplistic. Despite these criticisms, the framework persists in cultural references and in some educational or self-help contexts as a heuristic for understanding differences in style and mood.

See also: humorism; temperament; personality psychology; typologies.