Sunshine & Sanguine

I first saw this glorious mural over a year ago and I knew I was going to come down here with my polka dot Karina Dress and take these photos, it just, took me a while to make it happen.  Just looking at all these happy colors puts me in a better mood.  I used to be a very dark and serious person and very unhappy.  I wanted to change all that, so I had to start by getting to know myself.  What's your disposition?  Are you a naturally sunshine-y person, or a gloomy Gus?  If you've never taken one of those personality tests I recommend it.  You can learn a lot about yourself, what you're like, how others perceive you and how you can become a better person by shoring up the weak points and and playing to your strengths.

The whole theory of the four basic personality types--sanguine, melancholic, choleric, and phlegmatic--is an ancient forerunner to psychology.  This theory of the four humors, or temperaments, first described by Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine and after whom the physician's Hippocratic oath is named,  in many ways has a basic accuracy that can be useful in self-improvement and in achieving a balanced mental and social life.  So, let's take a moment to talk about the four humors.

1.  Sanguine.  The sanguine personality is the social butterfly:  talkative, charming, high energy, loves crowds and gatherings.  The trouble with the sanguine personality it that they also tend to be self involved (i.e. talking about themselves and their children non-stop for hours....even though no one asked and no one cares), overpowering, and prone to hysteria.  The Sanguine person needs to learn how to be alone and to be quiet to bring balance to their personality.

2.  Melancholic.  This is me to a T.  It's the shy violet, the total opposite of the Sanguine.  Melancholiacs think deeply, feel deeply, prefer to be alone, and like everything neat and tidy.  The downside to melancholiacs is that they become obsessive, isolated, and depressed.  In order to bring balance to this personality, the melancholy person has to reach out, get involved, relax a little, and not over analyze everything.

3. Phlegmatic.  This personality type is so chill, willing to compromise because they value peace so much that people think nothing bothers them but in truth they care deeply.  To find balance this person needs to confront problems and deal with them.  Be honest about being hurt and expressing love, and be ready to stand up and fight for the things and the people that truly matter.

4. Choleric.  This personality type has risen to recognition recently by another name--Karen.  I really, really hated the whole "Karen" thing, but that's a topic for another post.  Choleric personalities are extroverted but goal oriented, they're the take charge type.  Or the "get me the manager" type.  Being a leader is a great quality, being a domineering dictator isn't.  To bring balance to the choleric personality, they need to chill out a little, unclench their iron grip, and accept the fact that they can't control everything-- and they're also not good at running everything--and let other people do their jobs without oversight.  

It's likely that you've identified one or more of those types as being dominant in your personality, and you should know that no matter what type you are, you are a valuable part of the social tapestry, but even more so if you work to have a balance to your temperament. When I started on this journey years ago, I thought I could change my temperament.  I realized that I couldn't change that, but I could bring balance to it.  Don't let your nature and desires rule you.  You can't decide what your tendencies are, but you can decide whether you'll act on them and how you react to the personalities of others.  Take charge, darling; be your best you.

Shopping Info:  Karina Dress is old, Arromic Shoes--$14.99, Hair hoop from: SHEIN