Melancholic translated from Greek means black bile. This is a contradictory and complex type. Such a person experiences failures acutely and gets upset over trifles. He is sensitive, vulnerable and capable of deep emotional experiences. Among melancholic people there are extraordinary personalities with pronounced virtues.

Melancholic - a person who gets upset over little things

Characteristics of a melancholic person in the Hippocrates classification

The doctrine, created more than 2000 years ago, characterizing human behavior, remains relevant to this day. In short, the scientist believed that the type of temperament is determined by the vital juices circulating in the body.

According to Hippocrates and Galen: character depends on which fluids predominate:

  • black bile - melancholic;
  • lymph - phlegmatic;
  • bile or poison - choleric;
  • blood - sanguine.

Hippocrates gives a clear psychological portrait of melancholic people, describing them as closed, weak, detached people with high sensitivity.

A manifestation of melancholy is the inability to show emotions in public

Distinctive features are:

  • penchant for analysis;
  • thoughtfulness;
  • increased anxiety;
  • rancor;
  • inability to show emotions in public.

Melancholic people prefer to make plans in advance and do not tolerate spontaneous decisions. In a dispute, they are objective and prefer to argue their arguments.

Those with this temperament rarely scream or lose their temper. They usually speak in a quiet voice, gesticulate little and do not show unnecessary emotions. It is difficult for them to make new acquaintances and meet people.

You rarely see a melancholic person at a noisy party. They prefer a quiet pastime devoted to creativity, reading books, and contemplating the inner world. Easily vulnerable individuals are often susceptible to depression and see the world in gray tones. Secrecy and suppression of feelings make them pessimists and prevent them from enjoying life.

Melancholy makes it difficult to live in the modern world. People of this type are prone to low self-esteem, self-critical and suffer from complexes. They feel undervalued at work and react sharply to any criticism. It is difficult for them to get along with the team, they stay aloof and try to avoid conflicts. Creative work that does not require excessive activity and communication is most suitable for melancholic people, but they can realize themselves in any field, as they have good observation and stubbornness.

Melancholic people suffer from low self-esteem

In relationships, melancholic people are capable of deep feelings, but demand the same from their partner. Otherwise, they can be jealous and suspicious. People with this type of nervous system value parents and family and try to preserve it under any circumstances. They are monogamous and prefer to live their entire lives with one partner.

If a guy and a girl in a couple are melancholic, it is difficult to achieve mutual understanding. The internal experiences of two people and constant clarification of relationships interfere. The choleric person will constantly dominate the melancholic person and make his life unbearable. The calmness and slowness of a phlegmatic person will become annoying, but a sanguine person will recharge their other half with the missing optimism.

If a child with a melancholic temperament is growing up in a family, develop in him from early childhood:

  • perseverance;
  • ability to listen and analyze;
  • creation.

Curious children who study the world around them with interest and love toys that teach them to think logically: construction sets with small parts, puzzles. They have few friends, as they rarely take part in outdoor games. At school, melancholic people weakly reveal their emotions.

Children perceive information well, but prefer not to stand out and do not like to answer at the board. Criticism from a teacher or conflicts with classmates greatly upset them. The child needs encouragement from the teacher and a comfortable environment.

Description of mixed temperament types with melancholics

A clearly defined psychotype is rare. Most often, melancholic temperament is mixed with other types that determine a person’s character traits. In psychology, not only the teachings of Hippocrates are used.

According to Jung's teachings, there are two types of temperament - introvert and extrovert.

Carl Jung identified two behavioral models:

The first type of people is subject to introspection and is immersed in the inner world. Introverts have difficulty making new acquaintances and love to fantasize. The second type is sociable, a good storyteller and is not afraid to show emotions. According to statistics, about 70% of people on the planet are extroverts.

Melancholic introvert

Introversion aggravates the characteristics of melancholic people and makes them more withdrawn and touchy. Such people have increased anxiety and vulnerability. Women show passivity and complexes. They don’t like being in a big company; they have their head in the clouds, dream, and get creative.

Melancholic introverts are characterized by isolation

Signs of melancholic men are punctuality and a penchant for analysis. They try to keep their word and draw up an action plan in advance. Feeling comfortable in a team is hindered by low self-esteem and internal worries.

Melancholic introverts are suitable for thoughtful work that does not require physical activity or communication.

Melancholic extrovert

According to the teachings of G. Eysenck, who constructed the introversion-extroversion scale, a melancholic person, by definition, cannot be an extrovert, since he does not have:

  • sociability;
  • openness;
  • carelessness;
  • initiative;
  • communication skills;
  • talkativeness.

A melancholic person, by definition, cannot be an extrovert.

Impulsive, optimistic people. These qualities are not combined with the passivity and unsociability of melancholic people.

Melancholic-choleric

Cholerics are characterized by intemperance, easily lose their temper, but quickly calm down and do not harbor grudges. The melancholic-choleric type is rare. It is characterized by a cyclical emotional state, when impulsiveness is replaced by periods of apathy.

Melancholic-choleric people are characterized by a quick temper, but they are quickly quick-witted

People with this temperament set goals and strive for them with the impetuosity of a choleric person, but after a while they easily fall into despondency and pessimism, characteristic of melancholic people. They can be good leaders, as they not only have a proactive character and determination, but are also able to look at the situation soberly.

Melancholic-sanguine

An efficient and proactive person who does not dwell on failures is a sanguine person. He easily meets people and navigates unfamiliar surroundings. Sanguine-melancholic is a strange combination. These types have different personality traits that conflict with each other.

A sanguine-melancholic person has a contradictory character

Usually people behave like sociable and sociable sanguine people, without showing the traits of a mixed temperament for years. They can be activated by emotional shock. A person becomes melancholy, thoughtful for a long time and mentally experiences an unpleasant situation.

Melancholic-phlegmatic

A phlegmatic person is a calm and stable person who prefers to stick to a set routine. People with melancholic and phlegmatic traits combine slowness with increased restlessness and anxiety. A set of qualities prevents them from acting, correcting mistakes that frustrate and make them nervous.

A melancholic-phlegmatic person does not show initiative in work and in his personal life. Those around him consider him a distant and strange person.

Pros and cons of melancholic people

The melancholic temperament has many advantages. Representatives of this type know how to listen, delve into problems and give good advice. They strive for excellence, are responsible and empathetic. They have few friends, but those who do have can count on any help.

It is easy to identify the strengths of a melancholic person that distinguish him from other people:

  • ability to think outside the box;
  • increased sensitivity;
  • high intelligence;
  • ability to analyze;
  • constancy in love;
  • respect for parents;
  • loyalty in friendship.

The weaknesses of a melancholic person rarely affect others.

Most often, shortcomings only harm him:

  • difficulties in communication, isolation;
  • shyness, poor self-esteem;
  • exposure to stress;
  • tendency to depression;
  • acute reaction to criticism;
  • slowness at work;
  • passivity.

The shortcomings of a melancholic person do not harm anyone except himself

It is common for a melancholic woman to get upset and sad because of little things. These are romantic natures who love to dream. They make good wives, caring housewives and mothers.

Men of this type are serious, thoughtful, and you can rely on them. They have an innate sense of self-worth, but have low self-esteem, which often prevents them from achieving success at work.

Famous melancholic people

The ability to subtly sense the surrounding world and emotionality develops creative abilities. Many melancholic people became famous people and contributed to culture and art.

These include modern film and music stars:

  • Johnny Depp;
  • Angelina Jolie;
  • Milla Jovovich;
  • Elvis Presley;
  • Michael Jackson.

A striking example of a famous melancholic woman is Britney Spears, a man is Bill Gates. Melancholic people have enormous creative potential. It was they who created many masterpieces that conquered the world.

Among these people P.I. Tchaikovsky, F.M. Dostoevsky, N.V. Gogol, Isaac Newton.

Tests to determine the type of temperament in psychology

You can find out a personality's psychotype using tests. G. Eysenck's technique is very popular.

There are special tests to check temperament

It includes 57 questions, each of which relates to a specific scale:

  • 24 questions to determine extroversion-introversion;
  • 24 questions to calculate emotional instability-stability;
  • 9 questions to determine frankness and lying.

When taking the test, answer unambiguously and without hesitation. A key is required to process responses. Each scale has a special set of numbers. The subject's data is compared with the key. If the key options match, 1 point is awarded. The counting begins with the lie scale. A result above 5 points indicates that the person answered the questions insincerely; the test cannot be considered passed. The results of the lie scale are not taken into account in the overall calculation.

If more than 12 points are scored on the introversion-extroversion scale, then the person is an extrovert, less - an introvert. The same scheme works when identifying emotional instability.

In addition, you can find out the type of temperament using A. Belov’s formula. It contains 80 questions that determine what character traits are inherent in a person. The interpretation of the answers shows the percentage of different psychotypes.

The methods of Tolstikov and Gulenko give good results. It’s easy to take any tests online and quickly find out your personal qualities.

How to stop being melancholic?

Psychologist K. Jung in his teaching claims that a person’s psychotype cannot be changed, since these are innate characteristics. But you can change your behavior and develop new habits.

In addition to introversion and extraversion, in modern psychology there are other classifications and typologies of personality that may be of interest for the psychology of creativity. The most famous classical classification of temperaments was given by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, who divided people into sanguine, phlegmatic, melancholic and choleric. Knowledge of temperaments gives an idea of ​​the psychology of individual options for the development of an artist’s creative personality.

Choleric

Cholerics are often impatient, fussy and hot-tempered in their behavior; they have sharp, impetuous movements and passionate speech with confused intonations. They are prone to sudden mood swings and are straightforward in their relationships with people. They love risk and are resourceful in argument. Accordingly, they like romantic poetry and music about the same - stormy, energetic and impetuous.

Famous composers had choleric temperaments:

  • Ludwig van Beethoven;
  • Franz Liszt.

Famous poets had choleric temperaments:

  • Pushkin, Alexander Sergeyevich;
  • Byron.

Other famous people with choleric temperament:

  • Peter I Alekseevich;
  • Suvorov Alexander Vasilievich;
  • Mendeleev Dmitry Ivanovich;
  • Chapaev Vasily Ivanovich;
  • Salvador Dali(full name Salvador Domenech Felip Jacinth Dalí and Domenech, Marquis de Dalí de Pubol);
  • Donald Trump;
  • Bill Gates;
  • Phil McGraw;
  • Oprah Winfrey;
  • Vladimir Vladimirovich Zhirinovsky.

Sanguines

Sanguine people are cheerful, cheerful and sociable. They are the soul of any society, jokers and merry fellows, they easily experience failures and troubles. They are responsive and do not feel constrained in communicating with new people. They can be hardy and efficient if the work they are doing is interesting to them. However, monotonous and painstaking work tires them and quickly gets boring. Their speech is fast and loud, with lively gestures and expressive facial expressions. Accordingly, they like music that is lively, cheerful and energetic.

We find this in abundance among composers:

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart;
  • Gioachino Rossini;
  • Sergei Sergeevich Prokofiev;
  • Antonio Vivaldi.

Writers who are sanguine include:

  • Mikhail Yurjevich Lermontov;
  • Mark Twain;
  • Honore de Balzac;
  • Herzen Alexander Ivanovich;
  • Francois Rabelais;
  • Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais.

Other famous people with a sanguine temperament:

  • Vlidimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Lenin);
  • Marie Skłodowska-Curie;
  • Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
  • Franklin Roosevelt;
  • Ronald Reagan;
  • Bill Clinton;
  • Lionel Messi;
  • Napoleon Bonaparte;
  • Louis Pasteur;
  • Magic Johnson.

Phlegmatic people

Phlegmatic people are characterized by general restraint, unhurriedness, thoroughness, calmness not only in ordinary, but also in the most difficult situations. They are consistent and thorough in their actions, their speech is smooth and measured, without sharp expressions of emotions, without bright gestures and facial expressions. It is easy for phlegmatic people to restrain their impulses, because they adhere to the principle of saving strength. In communication they are even and reasonable. Accordingly, music of a slow tempo and even in mood suits them - without dramatic outbursts and frenzies.

Among the famous composers of phlegmatic temperament are:

  • Borodin Alexander Porfirievich;
  • Glazunov Ilya Sergeevich;
  • Lyadov Anatoly Konstantinovich.

Famous writers who are phlegmatic include:

  • Krylov Ivan Andreevich(fabulist);
  • Delvig Anton Antonovich(poet and friend of Pushkin).

Other famous people with a phlegmatic temperament:

  • Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov;
  • Alexander Alexandrovich Lyubishchev;
  • Galileo Galilei;
  • Antoni van Leeuwenhoek;
  • Immanuel Kant;
  • Karl Ernst von Baer;
  • Gennady Andreevich Zyuganov.

Melancholic people

Melancholic people are considered shy and shy, secretive and uncommunicative people. They are painfully sensitive and easily vulnerable; when they fail, they tend to withdraw into themselves and engage in self-flagellation. Their speech is quiet, with pleading and apologetic intonations. They tend to seek sympathy and help from others. They easily tolerate loneliness, preferring to communicate with one or two close friends in noisy companies. But thanks to their high sensitivity to the life around them, it is melancholic people who create the most subtle and soulful works of art.

Among the composers who are melancholic are:

  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky;
  • Frederic François Chopin;
  • Johan Julius Christian Sibelius.

Among poets and writers Melancholic people include:

  • Anton Pavlovich Chekhov;
  • Sergei Alexandrovich Yesenin;
  • Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol;
  • Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky;
  • Igor-Severyanin (Igor Vasilievich Lotarev);
  • Nikolai Stepanovich Gumilyov;
  • Semyon Yakovlevich Nadson;
  • Edgar Allan Poe.

Other famous people with a melancholic temperament:

  • Charles Robert Darwin;
  • Nicholas I Pavlovich;
  • Isaac Newton;
  • Rene Descartes;
  • Elvis Aaron Presley;
  • Michael Joseph Jackson;
  • Grigory Alekseevich Yavlinsky.

Introverts and extroverts

In K. Jung's classification, melancholic and phlegmatic people are classified as introverts, while sanguine and choleric people are classified as extroverts. An introvert is characterized by the orientation of all mental processes towards himself. His own self becomes the center of his mental life; it is from his position that he looks at the life around him. For an extrovert, the center of his interests is the life around him, and it is in it that he finds sources for his activity.
We can also talk about some correlations between introversion and the right-hemisphere brain type, extraversion and the left-hemisphere brain type.
To illustrate the temperament of a melancholic person and the temperament of a choleric person, we can cite the difference in the practice of concert performances between Chopin, a prominent representative of an introverted musician, a representative of a weak type of nervous system, and Franz Liszt, a clearly extroverted musician with a strong nervous system.
For a long period of time, Chopin and Liszt were close friends. At the same time, each of them found in the other the positive qualities that were missing in themselves.
According to the memoirs of contemporaries, Chopin was a very impressionable, fragile and vulnerable person. He captivated his listeners with the subtlety and poetry of his performance and the soft sound of the instrument. Chopin was prone to melancholy, and this quality of his character was manifested in many of his compositions - mazurkas, ballads, nocturnes. Chopin did not like to play in large concert halls, with large audiences, preferring to perform in small halls and music salons of wealthy aristocrats. “Large halls paralyze me,” he admitted in one of his letters to a friend.
The complete opposite of Chopin was Liszt's nature. This great performer, composer and conductor loved to perform in large halls, with large audiences, and the more listeners present at the concert, the more inspired the great maestro was.
Liszt amazed the imagination of his contemporaries with the frantic power of his playing. Liszt's friend, the famous German poet Heinrich Heine, reproached him for
his fingers often “rush too wildly across the keys,” to which Liszt modestly replied: “Thunderstorms are my specialty.” One of Liszt’s contemporaries spoke of his concert in the following way: “After the concert, he stands like a winner on the battlefield... conquered pianos lie around him, broken strings flutter like flags of the vanquished, intimidated instruments timidly hide in the far corners...”
Once, at one of the evenings where Chopin and Liszt played together, Liszt played one of Chopin's nocturnes. Chopin clearly did not like this performance, and he remarked to Liszt that, rather than play his works like this, it would be better not to play them at all. Immediately Liszt played one of Chopin’s virtuoso etudes, which brought everyone present, including Chopin himself, into complete admiration, “I’m not fit to give concerts,” Chopin told Liszt. “But you, you are called to this, because if you do not win the favor of the public, you have enough strength to amaze it, shock it, conquer it and lead it.”
It seems pointless to raise the question of which type of temperament is better. Liszt and Chopin were brilliant musicians, but each of them, due to their temperament, was brilliant in their own way, each made their own unique contribution to world culture. Grateful listeners will choose from her treasures what suits them best to their own temperament and attitude.
Any creative artist, whether he wants it or not, always conveys his personality to others through his creativity. Therefore, from Beethoven's music we can judge his choleric temperament, and from Levitan's paintings - about his melancholic one.

More than 2 thousand years ago, the ancient Greek thinker, scientist, doctor and philosopher Hippocrates identified 4 human temperaments: sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic and melancholic. Then he justified this selection by the peculiarity of the relationship and predominance of certain fluids (“juices”) in the human body - blood, sputum and bile.

Of course, psychologists and physiologists have long proven that the division into four temperaments is associated not so much with the redistribution and predominance of any liquid media in the body, but with the dominant mental and behavioral processes at the level of higher nervous activity.

Every person is good, bad or remarkable in some way. There are no ideal psychotypes, temperaments or people. Next, we will talk in detail about who a melancholic person is, how he manifests himself in life, and by what signs he can be recognized in himself and others.

A melancholic person in the common understanding is a person who is always depressed or often falls into a depressed/depressed state, highly impressionable, and therefore prone to tearfulness, almost always pessimistic and complaining about life. But this is only a purely “everyday” idea and a superficial judgment. In fact, certain mental processes in a melancholic person occur quite rapidly and actively, at a deep and serious level.

Traits of a “classical” and “pure” melancholic

  1. Shyness to the point of shyness.
  2. Confusion in unfamiliar or unusual surroundings.
  3. Difficult and time-consuming establishing contacts with people, poor communication skills.
  4. Uncertainty – both in oneself and in one’s abilities (reasonable and unreasonable).
  5. Preference for solitude, comfort in solitude.
  6. Strong feelings due to failures, external “irritants” and criticism.
  7. Introverts, all “in themselves.”
  8. Secrecy and isolation - trying not to show thoughts and feelings to strangers.
  9. Constant introspection and “digging” into oneself.
  10. Detail, scrupulousness, accuracy, increased concentration.
  11. Quiet voice, quiet speech.
  12. In conversation and in company, he almost never leads, adapts to the interlocutor, loves to listen to what others say than to speak himself.
  13. Great impressionability, sometimes to the point of tears.
  14. Vulnerability and touchiness.
  15. Submission and the desire to be subordinate (both in career and in personal life).
  16. The desire to evoke sympathy and compassion for oneself from others.
  17. Despite the above, there are unreasonably high demands on both yourself and others.

But such classics of the melancholic genre in their “pure” and original form are extremely rare. The melancholic type will certainly be “diluted” by some qualities from other temperaments, which makes it possible to compensate and smooth out certain pronounced features.

Which of the 17 listed points of the “classical” melancholic is an advantage and which is a disadvantage, everyone decides and determines for himself. But some of them have obvious advantages that can be revealed and used for good.

  • Shyness. Arrogance and melancholic are absolutely incompatible concepts. A person of melancholic temperament is usually modest, will never get into trouble, will not go over their heads. Getting what he wants through any sacrifices and ugly methods is not about him.
  • Difficult communication skills - here you can also find advantages. A melancholic person is careful in communication and statements, always delicate, tries not to offend or be rude to his interlocutor. This does not mean that such a person does not know how to communicate and build a dialogue. He just prefers to think more than to talk, and also not to waste his energy in conversations.
  • Love of solitude and constant introspection. Nowadays, it is sometimes so important to be alone with yourself in order to analyze the actions (both your own and those of others). After all, only in solitude can one understand and evaluate what has been done, understand the reasons for what was done and plan the further course of action. Therefore, melancholic people are far-sighted and understanding people.
  • Impressionability from external stimuli and criticism. Since the melancholic person himself experiences all sorts of external influences very acutely, he understands how painfully this or that word/action can hurt. Such a person is very careful in words and actions, he will think ten times before saying or doing anything. This makes melancholic people attractive to others from the point of view of psychological comfort. That’s why melancholic people are good and loyal friends. A melancholic friend is for a long time.
  • Introvert. Melancholic people are closed and do not let everyone into their world. This is good from the point of view of your own emotional safety: showing everyone your moral beliefs and beautiful soul is not always useful.
  • Attention to detail, excellent concentration. Melancholic people “do not throw themselves away” on anything. They can work long and hard on any project, studying it down to the smallest detail. At the same time, they achieve excellent results.
  • Suffering and compassion. The ability to sympathize and provide moral support in difficulties is the strong point of a melancholic person. He will always console, give advice, reassure. People love to turn to people like this for help and always get it.
  • The desire to obey. The positive here is that this quality makes melancholic people excellent performers at work, which is very much loved and appreciated by their superiors. And the melancholic wife will be happy to give the reins to the man, which will raise his self-esteem.
  • High demands on yourself and others. A melancholic person constantly improves himself, tries to become better - both personally and in terms of work opportunities. But he thinks other people are the same. This is why sometimes there is a misunderstanding among those who do not consider self-improvement a priority.

There are no completely positive or completely negative mental types and temperaments. A melancholic person has many obvious virtues that other people do not have. If everyone weren’t different and thought the same, then life and communication would probably become boring.

Of course, everyone has heard about the types of temperament, but few people know what signs belong to a specific type and what the differences are between all types of temperament. One type of temperament is melancholic.

Melancholic is one of the types of temperament. People with a melancholic temperament are more likely to be depressed and sad. Such people are closed in on themselves, alienated from the general team, have increased emotionality, are very sensitive and impressionable. Any events that occur are perceived by a melancholic person too emotionally and close to the heart. Such a person is easy to hurt and offend, he experiences all misfortunes very deeply, looks at the world more in a negative sense than in a neutral or real one.

Depressive states for a melancholic person are the norm of every day and a familiar state in which he is comfortable.

On the other hand, melancholic people are collected and organized, purposefully move towards achieving a goal or result, they are able to think deeply and consider problems from different angles, finding a non-standard solution. The easily vulnerable nature of melancholic people made them withdrawn and silent, so as not to bring trouble upon themselves once again.

Many believe that thanks to melancholic people, melodic and romantic music and literature, deep philosophical reflections and the subtle facets of creative people who express themselves in the craft of artists and poets arose.

Characteristics of Temperament

Melancholic people have a weakened nervous system; it cannot withstand heavy and long-term stress. The psyche of a melancholic person is sensitive to everything, even to the smallest changes, hence the increased vulnerability.

Melancholic people constantly worry, they have increased anxiety, fear of new beginnings and discoveries, they think about everything that was told to them, and have a negative attitude towards changes and spontaneous decisions.

Therefore, the life of a melancholic person is monotonous, habits are constant and cannot be changed. A melancholic person lives in his own closed world and rarely lets anyone into it.

Special signs of a melancholic person:

  • Quiet, balanced voice.
  • Facial expressions and gestures are poorly expressed.
  • Lack of bright emotions.
  • Excessive self-absorption.
  • Thoughtfulness.
  • Increased stubbornness.
  • Those who like to argue.
  • Tendency to deeply analyze situations and what is happening around.

Many melancholic people are able to hide their true feelings and experience everything inside. But such behavior does not lead to good, since a person eats himself up from the inside with negative emotions and bad moods, as a result, all this can result in a nervous breakdown and mental disorder. The result is the same - a person crushes himself with negativity from the inside, withdraws into himself, does not make contact with others, is in a depressed state and in constant sadness. For a melancholic person, the whole world is painted in black or gray tones; there is no joy or laughter in it, only ridicule and grins.

In order to analyze whether you are of a melancholic nature or not, it is enough to take an easy test consisting of simple questions.

Test questions:

  1. You have a pissemistic attitude.
  2. You are inconsolable.
  3. Be sad a lot, for no reason.
  4. You are selfless.
  5. You are serious.
  6. You are dissatisfied with many things.
  7. You are constantly nervous.
  8. You prefer to observe what is happening from the outside and not interfere.
  9. You are self-absorbed.
  10. You have a good memory.
  11. You have a quiet demeanor.
  12. You prefer to think a lot about various topics.
  13. You are reserved.
  14. You are gloomy.
  15. You are closed in on yourself.
  16. You are slow.
  17. you are depressed.
  18. You are vulnerable.
  19. You are demanding, both of yourself and of those around you, but at the same time you are not aggressive.
  20. You are thoughtful.

If you answered “Yes” to half or more of the questions, then you have a melancholic temperament in your nature. But there is no homogeneous melancholic person, so you still have a second type of temperament. You can determine which one in the same way by selecting questions for other types of temperament.

Features of a person with a melancholic temperament:

  • Slow memory of information and small details, difficulty concentrating on one subject.
  • Low self-esteem, constantly criticizes oneself, complexes develop. The result is a feeling of being undervalued.
  • Slow movements, sluggish reaction to what is happening.
  • Low academic achievement, often falling behind the program or a given pace, so they can often be considered lazy.
  • Any external irritants lead to disruption of smooth work.

For melancholic people, working from home, where there are no external stimuli and always a comfortable environment, is better suited. Also suitable for melancholic people are specialties where there are no strict framework for performing work, preferably with a free or variable work schedule.

Interaction with others

As a rule, melancholic people have very few friends. Firstly, because not everyone can understand such a person and not everyone is able to endure constant depressive states. Secondly, the melancholic person himself does not strive to open up and trust anyone; everywhere it seems to him that there is deception.

In communication, melancholic people are passive and are never leaders; they do not push forward and prefer to remain in the shadows. They are more suited to a role where they are cared for rather than being cared for by someone else.

If the melancholic person opens up and shows feelings and these feelings are responded to, then he will be a faithful life partner, albeit with his own characteristics.

Advantages

  • Showing restraint.
  • They know how to listen and allow the interlocutor to speak fully. Based on the results, they can give really good and correct advice.
  • Sensitivity to all changes.
  • Neatness, the ability to take care of yourself and keep your home and workplace clean.
  • He can sincerely show concern for others, in most cases he shows concern for our smaller brothers, since animals are not capable of betrayal and deception.
  • Execution, if he promised, then he will do it.
  • Dreaminess and developed imagination allows you to look for extraordinary solutions to problems.

Flaws

  • It's difficult to switch from one thing to another.
  • Slowness of execution.
  • A person sways with difficulty and is carried away by one thing and does not pay attention to what is happening around him.
  • Often ignores others and deafens what is said.
  • Inability to correctly distribute and coordinate one’s energy and time.
  • Difficulties in communication due to increased sensitivity and vulnerability.
  • Fatigue, which leads to the need to take many breaks from work.
  • High risk of stress and depression.
  • A melancholic person always expects the worst, both from people and from what is happening around them.
  • Increased anxiety.
  • Overestimating other people.

If you meet a person of melancholic temperament on your life's path, be careful with him, remember that he is easy to hurt or offend, do not pester such a person and do not expect a quick answer or reaction to your actions. In communication, the most important thing is gentleness and kindness; show the person that you have no interest in offending him. Show sensitivity and restraint, treat with understanding, but not with regret.

Text: Olga Natolina

It is thanks to this type of temperament, the melancholic, that we touched literature, philosophy, poetry and music. The traits of melancholic people are very interesting - they are thoughtful, intelligent, talented people who love beauty. Features such as “melancholic” have brought sophistication and sophistication to our lives.

General characteristics of a melancholic person

The characteristics of a melancholic person are described in three words - isolation, vulnerability and thoughtfulness. Melancholic people live in increased anxiety and have a complex inner world. Melancholic people are very sensual and vulnerable people.

Often, melancholic individuals have excellent taste, rich imagination, creativity and subtle style. A person of this type of temperament is very serious and attaches great importance to his words and actions. One can say about him: “he doesn’t waste words.” For example, if he promised something and cannot fulfill it, then he will sincerely worry and suffer because of this, even if in this situation little depended on him. Moreover, this situation can lead melancholic people into a depressed and withdrawn state.

Temperament "melancholic"

A melancholic person is a weak, impressionable and vulnerable personality type, and his nervous system cannot withstand heavy and prolonged stress. Melancholic people do not like changes in life. They will always treat with caution a change of place of work or residence, a change in family status and position in society. They try to live their whole lives in one place, and they value their well-established way of life and their usual way of life very much.

The mood of melancholic people is changeable, but usually they try to hide it, not showing their feelings and experiences in any way. Since melancholic people tend to give in to worries and anxiety, they can often exhibit neurotic disorders. Increased sensitivity and heightened perception lead to the fact that even a minor reason can cause tears and resentment.

Features of a melancholic person

Self-esteem. The self-esteem of a melancholic person is usually the lowest in comparison with the other three types of temperament. Melancholic people are usually unsure of themselves, do not believe in their luck and exaggerate their shortcomings. Very prone to introspection and self-criticism.

Job. Melancholic people have a weak nervous system, have little endurance and are slow. When doing any work, they quickly get tired, so they need frequent rest and switching their attention. They are also unable to work in extreme and stressful conditions. People with pronounced melancholic characteristics rarely occupy leadership positions. Melancholic people are dependent on emotional support and the mood of colleagues.

Society. Melancholic people find it difficult to make new acquaintances, since communication with other people is of little interest to them. They are more focused on their inner world, on their “I”. In society, they stay aloof, do not maintain conversations, and behave socially passively. Melancholic people prefer to remain in the shadows, but they like to be looked after and feel cared for by others. When communicating with people of the other three types of temperament, the most difficult thing for melancholic people is to communicate with active sanguine people.

Relationship. In relationships with the opposite sex, melancholic people behave passively and do not strive to show their feelings. In love relationships, they expect great activity from their partners. As a rule, melancholic people are monogamous. Due to emotional weakness and vulnerability, when communicating with melancholic people, you need to avoid harsh phrases and be sensitive and attentive.

Test: Am I melancholic?

Melancholic can be identified using various tests. It is enough to answer a number of questions. You should answer without thinking, whatever immediately comes to mind: either “yes” or “no.” Write down all your answers and count them later. If positive answers predominate, then your temperament contains obvious melancholic traits.

  • Are you a shy, self-conscious and timid person?

  • Do you usually get lost in new or unfamiliar surroundings?

  • Do you not have too much faith in your strengths and abilities?

  • Do you like being alone and it doesn't bother you at all?

  • Troubles and difficulties can unsettle you for a long time; do you feel depressed?

  • Is your speech timid, slurred and quiet?

  • Are you an impressionable and sentimental person?

  • Do you like it when people around you empathize with you?

  • Do you strive for perfectionism in everything, and make excessive demands on others?

  • Are you a suspicious, suspicious and sensitive person?

  • Are you a vulnerable and touchy person?