Temperament Theory
A Very Short History of Temperament
©2008 Walter R. Smith
Temperament theory has been around for about 2,500 years. The early Greek philosophers noticed that people had one of four personalities. The Greek physician, Hippocrates (c 370 BC) compared these personalities with bodily fluids. He said that if a person had a preponderance of:
Blood, they were cheerful
Black bile, they were somber
Yellow bile, they were enthusiastic
Phlegm, they were calm
The number four also seems to be a foundational number of life. Irenaeus, the Bishop of Lyon said that living creatures are quadriform, which explains the need for four gospels, four corners of the earth, allusions to the number four in the Book of Revelation, and other references to the number four.
Hume, Kant, Voltaire, and Rousseau all considered the four temperaments a matter of common knowledge.
Throughout history, other philosophers, psychologists, clergymen, doctors, and teachers have also acknowledge the existence of four personalities.
Dr. David Keirsey (b.1921), a psychologist and author of Please Understand Me, has made Temperament theory accessible to the average person in modern times. He calls the four personalities Artisans, Guardians, Idealists, and Rationals and assigns an animal to describe each personality.
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Artisans (SP) Fox
Core needs and values: Freedom and ability to make an impact on others
Pleasure seeking Excitement Bold Spontaneous Artistic Adaptable Sensual
Language: concrete Behavior: utilitarian
ESTP—Promoter ISTP—Crafter ESFP—Performer ISFP–Composer |
Guardians (SJ) Beaver
Core needs and values: Belonging and responsibility
Traditional Industrious Manages resources well Law abiding Responsible Adapts carefully Seeks stability
Language: concrete Behavior: cooperative
ESTJ—Administrator ISTJ—Inspector ESFJ—Provider ISFJ–Protector
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Idealists (NF) Dolphin
Core needs and values: Meaning and significance, unique identity
Enthusiastic Inspiring Meaning in life Empathy Receptive Sees potential Humane
Language: abstract Behavior: cooperative
ENFJ—Teacher INFJ—Counselor ENFP—Champion INFP–Healer |
Rationals (NT) Owl
Core needs and values: Knowledge, self-control, and competence
Logical Objective Curious Skeptical Visionary Scholarly Reasoning
Language: abstract Behavior: utilitarian
ENTJ—Fieldmarshall INTJ—Mastermind ENTP—Inventor INTP–Architect |
The difference between Temperament Theory and Type Theory is that Temperament deals with communication and behavior that is driven by peoples’ core needs and values whereas Type is interested in how we think. While Keirsey uses many Type terms, he, nevertheless, believes that we can only see what people say and do and not how they think.
People communicate either abstractly i.e., they talk about ideas, or concretely i.e., they talk about what is directly in front of them—about things they can see, hear, smell, touch, or taste. People behave either in a cooperative manner i.e., they want to do what is right or in a utilitarian manner i.e., they do what works—what it takes to get the job done. They do not worry about whether or not it is the right thing to do. Keirsey also assigns roles to the sixteen types. See the above chart for an overview of each temperament.
