Sanguine, melancholic and choleric. Each of them has certain qualities and distinctive features. IN real life There are practically no classical “pure” temperaments. Each person most often has qualities of all four temperaments. It's just that some traits are dominant. For example, in a sanguine-choleric person the qualities of two predominate

Sanguine people get along with other people very quickly, are cheerful, can easily switch from one type of activity to another, however, they do not like monotonous and monotonous work. They can easily control their emotions, quickly adapt to a new environment and actively communicate with other people. The speech of representatives of this temperament is emotional, fast, with expressive facial expressions, clear and loud. A sanguine person and a choleric person are a little similar in this regard. Representatives of the sanguine temperament cannot stand monotony. If stimuli and events quickly replace each other, new impressions are constantly present, they manifest themselves from the active side. If the effects are monotonous and long-lasting, then the sanguine person quickly loses interest in them and begins to get bored. A sanguine-choleric person may show slight irritability

Cholerics are very active, fast, excitable and unbalanced. Their mental activity is intense and violent. In this case, excitation prevails over inhibition, which is characteristic of this type of nervous activity. This is colorfully manifested in a person’s impetuosity, lack of restraint, hot temper and irritability. IN mixed temperament For a sanguine-choleric person, these qualities are softened, which makes his representative calmer and more balanced.

People with a choleric character have sharp gestures, unrestrained hasty speech, impetuous movements and expressive facial expressions. The strength of feelings in such individuals is very great, and their manifestation is distinguished by liveliness and brightness. A person with this character is subject to sudden mood swings. The imbalance greatly affects his daily activities.

The choleric person is passionate about something, gets down to business with enthusiasm, overcomes difficulties, works on the rise, demonstrating at the same time his impetuosity and speed of movements. However, when his nervous energy is depleted, an avalanche-like decline in activity occurs. The mood changes dramatically, and a representative of this temperament begins to behave irritably and aggressively, while showing extreme emotional incontinence. On this basis, conflict situations very often arise. In a mixed sanguine-choleric temperament, the severity of some negative qualities of the latter usually decreases.

Many negative properties of a choleric character can be compensated by qualities that other people have in their arsenal. “Pure” choleric and sanguine people, like representatives of other character traits, are practically never found. All types of temperament are reflected in the features of the average person.

It's no secret that everyone has their own type of temperament, which leaves an imprint on their type of activity, communication, existence in society, and life in general. Today we will look at four main types of temperament, in each of which someone recognizes themselves.

1. Choleric. People with this temperament are characterized by strength, mobility, and imbalance. It is easy to excite such a person, but difficult to calm him down, and this is unlikely to happen right away. However, it goes away as quickly as it “lights up”, but this leaves an imprint on other character traits. For example, he grabs onto a task, but rarely completes it, because he simply lacks diligence, endurance, and patience. If he is forced to do something he does not like, the work will be done poorly. Long and painstaking work is generally not for choleric people; they are characterized by the qualities of a leader and manager, and not an obedient performer. His emotionality is so pronounced that it is noticeable to everyone around him, and his main passion is ambition, praise, and pathos. He loves to be in the spotlight, strives for universal recognition, but gladly stands up for the defense of the offended and helpless in order to again win the glory of a hero and truth-teller. It is quite difficult to have a conversation with such a person, since he does not like to listen to the interlocutor, tries to interrupt him or even insult him if the conversation begins to flow in the wrong direction. But after 10 minutes he will forget all the grievances and makes attempts to resume the discussion, which again could end in a scandal. Not everyone can get used to the change in mood of a choleric person, because it happens in the blink of an eye. The complexity of the situation is that a person with this type of temperament categorically does not tolerate criticism and shows an extreme degree of dissatisfaction with any comments. He loves quarrels and with the help of scandals he can satisfy his excessive emotionality, since he emerges victorious from most situations.

2. Melancholic. The complete opposite of the type described above. This is a person with a weak, unbalanced character who is unable to withstand prolonged physical and emotional stress. He views any situation as danger, threat, trick or deception. His tendency to constantly fear makes him afraid of even his own shadow. Melancholic people are shy and very impressionable; they do not need communication with other people or universal recognition. They are most comfortable in a situation where no one touches them, demands or controls anything. If you offend such a beech, he will worry for a long time and remember the insults inflicted. The constant feeling of danger and threat that he sees in others makes him always suspect someone of wanting to harm him. But he himself will never get involved in a conflict situation and, moreover, will not take an active part in it. Any stressful situation has a magical effect on him, literally freezing him from head to toe. In this state, a person loses the ability to think sensibly and express his own thoughts cogently. But fear or disappointment can provoke him to rash actions, devoid of any logic. These people are very good workers, as they are always afraid of falling out of favor with their superiors or colleagues. It is easier for them to complete a task “excellently” than to listen to comments or reproaches. This desire fosters a sense of responsibility and a desire to work, so melancholic people make excellent performers who achieve good results in their work.
3. Sanguine. This type of temperament characterizes strong, active and easily excited people. However, they know how to be balanced and reasonable, even despite their emotionality and temper. The activity of nervous processes determined the ability to think quickly, react quickly and quickly make complex decisions. Sanguine people are distinguished by cheerfulness and ease in relation to circumstances, life situations, and problems. His excitement is easily replaced by calm, calm by activity, activity by the desire to run away from everyone. He does not linger in any of the states characteristic of sanguine people, since he loves change and cannot stay in the same environment for a long time. However, there is still a minus in this, because it is impossible to predict what can be expected from such a person tomorrow, who he will hate and who he will feel sympathy for. He is not at all afraid of difficulties, since his character makes it easy to adapt to any situation. Moreover, he not only does not react to irritants and stress, he is ready to solve the problem by dismantling it “to its bones.” You won’t scare him with work, provided that he likes it. He performs an interesting and exciting task with great accuracy and efficiency. He is a born optimist who never sits idle for a day and is always busy with something. He prefers not to notice failures or to do everything in the future to prevent their reoccurrence. His ease in everything often unnerves colleagues, loved ones and loved ones, but sanguine people are little concerned about this fact, because they simply cannot constantly be under the burden of others.
4. Phlegmatic. This type has fortitude, he is balanced and inert. Despite the activity of nervous processes, the excitation is not strong, since the process of inhibition smooths out the situation. Such a person never commits rash acts, he is devoid of excessive emotionality, and all his actions are verified to the smallest detail. His calmness may partly resemble slowness, which only has a positive effect on his work, since any task is performed with precision and perseverance, albeit with a certain amount of pedantry. It is difficult to say what is in such a person’s soul, since he is rather stingy with emotions and when expressing feelings. Even if he is overcome by a strong feeling of anger, not everyone around him will understand what is boiling in such a person’s soul. The main disadvantage of a phlegmatic person can be considered the lack of communication experience and desire, but he is not at all prone to conflicts, and this is one of his advantages. He gets used to the existing foundations and conditions, prefers conservatism in everything. He is very easy-going in the family, but his loved one may be irritated by the lack of emotions, which sooner or later can lead to complaints and quarrels. This, in fact, periodically happens in his family if the other half has a different type of temperament. He loves and does not experience any internal discomfort because of this. On the contrary, in such an environment it is convenient for him to think, reason, and analyze.

Hippocrates identified 4 types of temperament - sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric and melancholic. However, in their pure form they are rare; each person only gravitates towards one of them. Over the course of life, under the influence of social influence, upbringing, lifestyle, and health, manifestations of temperament can be smoothed out. In children, the signs of temperament are more distinct; they are easy to see if you observe the child’s behavior for some time.

Let's talk in detail about each type of temperament. Let's talk about activities that are comfortable for children, taking into account their temperament.

Sanguine

Proper upbringing will form in a child an active attitude to learning and determination.

Moving, active activities are suitable for such a child. You can choose sports, dancing. Classes can be either individual or in a group or team. Perhaps, due to his activity, the child will be interested in many types of activities, he will want to study in several clubs and studios at once. Allow him this, allow him to move from one section to another. The more skills he masters, the more incentives for development he will receive. A deeper immersion in the chosen activity can occur in subsequent years - in adolescence, adolescence.

Phlegmatic person

This is a calm and leisurely baby. He thoroughly thinks through his actions and shows persistence in achieving his goals. It is difficult for him to quickly navigate a situation, he does not like change, prefers stability, and remembers acquired knowledge and skills for a long time. His mood is stable, he rarely loses his temper, and enjoys communicating with the adults and peers around him.

Upbringing can develop in a phlegmatic child such qualities as perseverance and perseverance. Activities that require painstaking and patience are suitable for him. If your child has a good ear for music, you can offer him music lessons. If he has an interest in drawing, sculpting, appliqué, engage in artistic creativity with him.

Such a child may not like activities that require speed, instant reaction, or quick adaptation. Therefore, from all types of sports activities, choose calm ones. These are swimming, ballroom and sports dancing. There, the skill is formed through repeated repetition and individual work with a trainer.

Team games - football, handball, basketball, contact sports - boxing, fencing will not bring phlegmatic people satisfaction, since they require quick reaction, the ability to understand a partner and opponent and make an instant decision.

Choleric

A choleric child is characterized by imbalance, excitability, speed of actions and movements. It lights up quickly and cools down just as quickly. Painstaking, monotonous, and time-consuming activities will be especially uncomfortable for him. In communication with peers, he strives to be a leader and is often a source of conflict.

With proper upbringing, very important qualities are formed in a choleric child: activity, initiative, passion, organizational and communication skills.

For a child with a choleric temperament, intensive but not very long classes are suitable, where there is the opportunity to communicate with peers or compete with an opponent. A passionate, risk-taking nature will feel at ease on a football field, volleyball or basketball court, or on a bicycle path. A choleric child will also “light up” on the dance floor, in a musical group - where a powerful and short-term release of energy is required.

Activities that require painstaking attention, such as drawing, modeling, embroidery, beadwork, can quickly get boring for such a child. An ordeal for a choleric child there will be loneliness and lack of communication with peers.

Melancholic

In children with a melancholic type of temperament, activity proceeds slowly, and they quickly get tired. If you push the child, the actions slow down even more. Slowly, but for a long time, the child is immersed in one or another emotional experience. Bad mood will not be fleeting, the resulting sadness surprises adults with its depth, strength, and duration. The child is anxious in an unfamiliar environment, shy strangers, avoids numerous contacts with peers.

In the process of upbringing, melancholic children develop gentleness, responsiveness, and sincerity.

For such a child, quiet activities in comfortable conditions are suitable. Melancholic children enjoy reading books, watching educational programs, films, and love to observe and explore the nature around them.

Their deep feelings and experiences can be revealed in artistic and literary work.

To determine your child’s temperament, use the questions presented in the “Diagnostics of abilities and interests” section. They will help you see signs of a type of temperament in your child’s behavior.

Let's sum it up

• Temperament is an innate quality, don’t try to fight it. Try to understand it and take it into account when choosing activities for your child.
• There are no “bad” temperaments. Rudeness, aggressiveness, selfishness, low level of culture are the result of poor upbringing.
• Choose activities according to your child’s inclinations and behavior. Consider the strength and speed of the child’s reactions, stability and change of emotions, activity and fatigue, and the need for communication.
• Parents should not only broaden the child’s horizons, but also develop his abilities, expanding his understanding of various types activities. It is important to offer your child activities that suit his temperament and capabilities. Such activities will shape his interests, inclinations, and help him overcome uncertainty and fear.

The basis of temperament

Each person is unique, has different ways of expressing emotions, feelings and reacts differently to what is happening in the surrounding reality. If one individual remains calm in any situation, then even the slightest trouble can lead another to despair. These features of human behavior largely depend on differences in activity nervous system.

Temperament as a psychobiological basis of personality

Human mental activity, which is characterized by its dynamic features (tempo, speed and intensity), is temperament. It characterizes not a person’s beliefs, views or interests, but its dynamism, and therefore is not an indicator of value.

The following components can be distinguished that determine the basis of temperament:

• The general activity of a person’s mental activity, which is expressed in the degree of desire to act, to express oneself in various activities, and to transform the surrounding reality. There are two extremes general activity: on the one hand, passivity, inertia, lethargy, and on the other, impetuosity. Between these two extremes are representatives of different temperaments;
• Motor or motor activity is expressed in the speed, intensity, sharpness, strength of muscle movements and speech of the individual, his mobility, talkativeness;
• Emotional activity expresses the sensitive basis of temperament, that is, the receptivity and sensitivity of the individual to emotional influences, its impulsiveness.

Also, a person’s temperament has an external expression and is manifested in activities, behavior and actions. By these signs one can judge some of its properties. When they talk about temperament, they mainly mean mental differences in people associated with the intensity, depth and stability of emotions, impressionability, and energetic actions.

There are several theories that define the basics of temperament. But with all the variety of approaches to this issue, most scientists recognize that this is a kind of biological foundation on which the individual is formed as a social being.

Physiological basis of temperament

This term was first introduced by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, who laid the foundation for the humoral theory. He explained the peculiarities of people's temperaments by different ratios of liquid substances in the body: blood, bile and lymph. If yellow bile predominates, it makes a person hot-tempered, impulsive or choleric. In active, cheerful people (sanguine people), blood predominates, while in calm and slow people (phlegmatic people), lymph predominates. Melancholic people are distinguished by a sad and fearful character, and as Hippocrates argued, black bile predominates in them.

According to the constitutional theory developed by Kretschmer and Zigo, the natural basis of temperament is determined by the characteristics general structure the human body, as well as its individual organs. In turn, an individual’s physique depends on the course of endocrine processes in his body.

But the neurological theory proposed by Ivan Petrovich Pavlov was recognized as the most substantiated. In his opinion, the physiological basis of temperament is a set of acquired characteristics and innate properties of the nervous system.

Individual differences in nervous activity are manifested by the relationship between two main processes - excitation and inhibition, which have three important properties:

• The strength of processes, which is expressed in the ability of nerve cells to withstand prolonged or concentrated exposure to stimuli. This determines the endurance of the cell. The weakness of nervous processes is indicated by high sensitivity or the transition of cells into a state of inhibition instead of excitation when exposed to strong stimuli. This feature often forms the basis of temperament;
• The balance of nervous processes is characterized by an equal ratio of excitation and inhibition. In some people these two processes manifest themselves equally, in others one of them predominates;
• The mobility of nervous processes is a rapid or slow change of excitation to inhibition and back, when life conditions require it. Thus, in case of unexpected and drastic changes, mobility ensures the individual’s adaptation to the new environment.

Combinations of these properties, according to Pavlov, determine the type of nervous system and are the natural basis of temperament:

• Weak type, in which a person is not able to withstand strong, prolonged and concentrated excitation and inhibition. In a weak nervous system, cells have low efficiency. Although, when exposed to strong irritants, high sensitivity is noted;
• The strong balanced type is characterized by an imbalance in the basic nervous processes and is distinguished by the predominance of excitation over inhibition;
• Strong balanced mobile type - nervous processes are strong and balanced, however, their speed and mobility often lead to instability of connections;
• Strong balanced inert type, in which the processes of excitation and inhibition are strong and balanced, but are characterized by low mobility. Representatives of this type are always calm and difficult to anger.

Thus, the basis of temperament is the individual properties of the psyche, which reflect the dynamics of a person’s mental activity. They manifest themselves regardless of his goals, motives, desires and remain practically unchanged throughout his life.

Doctrine of Temperament

When talking about temperament, we usually mean the dynamic side of personality, expressed in impulsiveness and the pace of mental activity. It is in this sense that we usually say that such and such a person has a large or small temperament, taking into account his impulsiveness, the swiftness with which his inclinations manifest themselves, etc. Temperament is a dynamic characteristic of the mental activity of an individual.

For temperament, firstly, the strength of mental processes is indicative. In this case, not only their absolute strength at one moment or another is significant, but also how constant it remains, i.e., the degree of dynamic stability. With significant stability, the strength of reactions in each individual case depends on the changing conditions in which a person finds himself, and is adequate to them: stronger external irritation causes a stronger reaction, weaker irritation causes a weaker reaction. In individuals with greater instability, on the contrary, strong irritation can - depending on the very changeable state of the personality - cause either a very strong or a very weak reaction; in the same way, the weakest irritation can sometimes cause a very strong reaction; a very significant event, fraught with the most serious consequences, can leave a person indifferent, and in another case, an insignificant reason will give a violent outbreak: the “reaction” in this sense is not at all adequate to the “stimulant”.

Mental activity of the same force may differ in varying degrees of intensity, depending on the relationship between the strength of a given process and the dynamic capabilities of a given individual. Mental processes of a certain intensity can be carried out easily, without any tension in one person at one moment and with great tension in another person or in the same person at another moment. These differences in tension will affect the nature of either the smooth and smooth flow of activity or the jerky flow of activity.

An essential expression of temperament is, further, the speed of mental processes. It is also necessary to distinguish from the speed or speed of the flow of mental processes their tempo (the number of acts in a certain period of time, depending not only on the speed of each act, but also on the size of the intervals between them) and rhythm (which can be not only temporary, but also forceful). ). When characterizing temperament, we must again keep in mind not only average speed the course of mental processes. The amplitude of fluctuations characteristic of a given individual from the slowest to the most accelerated rates is also indicative of temperament. Along with this, it is also significant how the transition occurs from slower to faster rates and vice versa - from faster to slower ones: for some it occurs, more or less evenly and smoothly increasing or decreasing, for others - as if in jerks , unevenly and jerkily. These differences can overlap: significant transitions in speed can be made by a smooth and uniform increase, and on the other hand, relatively less significant changes in absolute speed can be made by gusty shocks. These features of temperament affect all the activities of the individual, in the course of all mental processes.

The main manifestation of temperament is very often sought in the dynamic characteristics of a person’s “reactions” - in the strength and speed with which he effectively reacts to irritations. Indeed, the central links in the diverse manifestations of temperament are those that express the dynamic features not of individual mental processes, but of specific activity in the diverse interrelations of various aspects of its mental content. However, the sensorimotor reaction cannot serve as either a comprehensive or adequate expression of human temperament. A person’s impressionability and impulsiveness are especially important for temperament.

A person’s temperament is manifested primarily in his impressionability, characterized by the strength and stability of the impact that impressions have on a person. Depending on the characteristics of temperament, impressionability in some people is more, in others less significant; For some, it’s as if someone, in the words of A. M. Gorky, “torn off all the skin from their hearts,” they are so sensitive to every impression; others - “insensitive”, “thick-skinned” - react very poorly to their surroundings. For some, the influence - strong or weak - that makes an impression on them spreads with great speed, and for others with very low speed, into the deeper layers of the psyche. Finally, at different people Depending on the characteristics of their temperament, the stability of the impression also varies: for some, the impression - even a strong one - turns out to be very unstable, while others cannot get rid of it for a long time. Impressiveness is always an individually different affective sensitivity among people of different temperaments. It is significantly related to emotional sphere and is expressed in the strength, speed and stability of the emotional reaction to impressions.

Temperament is reflected in emotional excitability - the strength of emotional arousal, the speed with which it covers the personality - and the stability with which it is maintained. It depends on a person’s temperament how quickly and strongly he lights up and how quickly he then fades away. Emotional excitability manifests itself, in particular, in a mood that is elevated to the point of exaltation or decreased to the point of depression, and especially in more or less rapid changes in mood, directly related to impressionability.

Another central expression of temperament is impulsiveness, which is characterized by the strength of impulses, the speed with which they master the motor sphere and turn into action, and the stability with which they retain their effective force. Impulsivity includes the impressionability and emotional excitability that determines it in relation to the dynamic characteristics of those intellectual processes that mediate and control them. Impulsivity is that side of temperament by which it is connected with desire, with the origins of will, with the dynamic power of needs as incentives for activity, with the speed of transition of impulses into action.

Temperament is manifested especially clearly in the strength, as well as the speed, rhythm and tempo of a person’s psychomotor skills - in his practical actions, speech, and expressive movements. A person’s gait, his facial expressions and pantomime, his movements, fast or slow, smooth or impetuous, sometimes an unexpected turn or movement of the head, the manner of raising his eyes or looking down, viscous lethargy or slow smoothness, nervous haste or powerful swiftness of speech reveal to us some kind of aspect of personality, that dynamic aspect of it that makes up its temperament. At the very first meeting, with short-term, sometimes even fleeting contact with a person, we often immediately get a more or less vivid impression of his temperament from these external manifestations.

Since ancient times, it has been customary to distinguish four main types of temperaments: choleric, sanguine, melancholic and phlegmatic. Each of these temperaments can be determined by the ratio of impressionability and impulsiveness as the main psychological properties of temperament. Choleric temperament is characterized by strong impressionability and great impulsiveness; sanguine - weak impressionability and great impulsiveness; melancholic - strong impressionability and low impulsiveness; phlegmatic - weak impressionability and low impulsiveness. Thus, this classical traditional scheme naturally follows from the relationship of the basic characteristics with which we endow temperament, while acquiring the corresponding psychological content. The differentiation of both impressionability and impulsiveness in terms of strength, speed and stability, which we outlined above, opens up opportunities for further differentiation of temperaments.

The physiological basis of temperament is the neurodynamics of the brain, i.e., the neurodynamic relationship of the cortex and subcortex. The neurodynamics of the brain is in internal interaction with the system of humoral and endocrine factors. A number of researchers (Pende, Belov, partly E. Kretschmer, etc.) were inclined to make both temperament and even character dependent primarily on these latter. There is no doubt that the system of endocrine glands is included among the conditions affecting temperament.

It would be wrong, however, to isolate the endocrine system from the nervous system and turn it into an independent basis of temperament, since the most humoral activity of the endocrine glands is subject to central innervation. There is an internal interaction between the endocrine system and the nervous system, in which the leading role belongs to the nervous system.

For temperament, the excitability of the subcortical centers, with which the characteristics of motor skills, statics and autonomics are associated, is undoubtedly of significant importance. The tone of the subcortical centers and their dynamics influence both the tone of the cortex and its readiness for action. Due to the role they play in the neurodynamics of the brain, subcortical centers undoubtedly influence temperament. But again, it would be completely wrong, by emancipating the subcortex from the cortex, to turn the former into a self-sufficient factor, into the decisive basis of temperament, as is sought to be done in modern foreign neurology by currents that recognize the decisive importance for temperament of the gray matter of the ventricle and localize the “core” of personality in the subcortex, in the stem apparatus, in the subcortical ganglia. The subcortex and cortex are inextricably linked with each other. Therefore, it is impossible to separate the first from the second. What is ultimately decisive is not the dynamics of the subcortex itself, but the dynamic relationship between the subcortex and the cortex, as I. P. Pavlov emphasizes in his doctrine of the types of the nervous system.

I. P. Pavlov based his classification of types of nervous system on three main criteria, namely strength, balance and lability of the cortex.

Based on these basic features, as a result of his research using the method of conditioned reflexes, he came to the definition of four main types of the nervous system:

1. Strong, balanced and agile - a lively type.
2. Strong, balanced and inert - a calm, slow type.
3. Strong, unbalanced with a predominance of excitation over inhibition - excitable, unrestrained type.
4. Weak type.

The division of the types of the nervous system into strong and weak does not lead to a further symmetrical division of the weak type, as well as the strong, according to the remaining two signs of balance and mobility (lability), because these differences, which give significant differentiation in the case of the strong type, turn out to be practically insignificant and do not provide really significant differentiation.

I. P. Pavlov connects the types of nervous systems he outlined with temperaments, comparing the four groups of nervous systems that he came to in the laboratory with the ancient classification of temperaments dating back to Hippocrates. He is inclined to identify his excitable type with choleric, melancholic with inhibitory, two forms of the central type - calm and lively - with phlegmatic and sanguine.

Pavlov considers the main evidence in favor of the differentiation of types of nervous system that he establishes various reactions with strong counteractions from irritative and inhibitory processes.

Pavlov's teaching about the types of nervous activity is essential for understanding the physiological basis of temperament. Its correct use involves taking into account the fact that the type of nervous system is a strictly physiological concept, and temperament is a psychophysiological concept and it is expressed not only in motor skills, in the nature of reactions, their strength, speed, etc., but also in impressionability, in emotional excitability, etc.

The mental properties of temperament are undoubtedly closely related to the bodily properties of the body - both the innate structural features of the nervous system (neuroconstitution) and the functional characteristics of the (muscular, vascular) tone of organic life activity. However, the dynamic properties of human activity are not reducible to the dynamic features of organic life activity; With all the importance of the innate characteristics of the body, in particular its nervous system, for temperament they are only the starting point of its development, which is not separate from the development of the personality as a whole.

Temperament is not a property of the nervous system or neuroconstitution as such; it is a dynamic aspect of personality, characterizing the dynamics of its mental activity. This dynamic side of temperament is interconnected with other aspects of a person’s life and is mediated by the specific content of her life and activities; Therefore, the dynamics of a person’s activity cannot be reduced to the dynamic features of his life, since that itself is determined by the relationship of the individual with the environment. This is clearly revealed when analyzing any side, any manifestation of temperament.

Thus, no matter how significant the role the organic foundations of sensitivity and the properties of the peripheral receptor and central apparatus play in human impressionability, impressionability cannot be reduced to them. The impressions that are perceived by a person are usually caused not by isolated sensory stimuli, but by phenomena, objects, persons that have a certain objective meaning and evoke on the part of a person one or another attitude towards himself, determined by his tastes, attachments, beliefs, character, worldview. Because of this, sensitivity or impressionability itself turns out to be indirect and selective.

Impressionability is mediated and transformed by needs, interests, tastes, inclinations, etc. - the whole person’s attitude towards the environment and depends on life path personality.

In the same way, changes in emotions and moods, states of emotional upsurge or decline in a person depend not only on the tone of the body’s vital functions. Changes in tone, undoubtedly, also affect the emotional state, but the tone of life is mediated and determined by the relationship of the individual with the environment and, therefore, the entire content of his conscious life. Everything that has been said about the mediation of impressionability and emotionality by the conscious life of the individual applies even more to impulsiveness, since impulsiveness includes both impressionability and emotional excitability and is determined by their relationship with the power and complexity of the intellectual processes that mediate and control them.

Human actions are also irreducible to organic life activity, since they are not just motor reactions of the body, but acts that are aimed at certain objects and pursue certain goals. They are therefore mediated and conditioned in all their mental properties, including dynamic ones that characterize temperament, by a person’s attitude towards the environment, the goals that he sets for himself, the needs, tastes, inclinations, and beliefs that determine these goals. Therefore, it is in no way possible to reduce the dynamic features of a person’s actions to the dynamic features of his organic life activity, taken in itself; the very tone of his organic life activity may be determined by the course of his activity and the turnover that it receives for him. The dynamic features of activity inevitably depend on the specific relationship of the individual with his environment; they will be some in conditions that are adequate for him and others in conditions that are inadequate. Therefore, attempts to give a doctrine of temperaments based only on a physiological analysis of nervous mechanisms without correlation in animals with the biological conditions of their existence, and in humans with the historically developing conditions of their social existence and practical activity, are fundamentally illegitimate.

The dynamic characteristics of mental activity do not have a self-sufficient, formal character; it depends on the content and specific conditions of the activity, on the individual’s attitude to what he does and to the conditions in which he finds himself. The pace of my activity will obviously be different in the case when its direction is forced to run counter to my inclinations, interests, skills and abilities, with the peculiarities of my character, when I feel myself in an environment alien to me, and in the case when I am captured and am passionate about the content of my work and am in an environment that is consonant with me.

Liveliness, turning into playful playfulness or swagger, and regularity, even slowness of movements, taking on the character of sedateness or majesty in facial expressions, pantomime, posture, gait, and behavior of a person, are determined by a variety of reasons, including the mores of the social environment in which a person lives , and the social position he occupies. The style of an era, the way of life of certain social strata determines to a certain extent the pace and, in general, the dynamic characteristics of the behavior of representatives of this era and the corresponding social strata.

The dynamic features of behavior that come from the era, from social conditions, do not, of course, eliminate individual differences in the temperament of different people and do not abolish the significance of them organic features. But, reflected in the psyche, in the consciousness of people, social moments themselves are included in their internal individual characteristics and enter into an internal relationship with all their other individual characteristics, including organic and functional. In real life specific person, in the dynamic features of his individual behavior, the tone of his life activity and the regulation of these features, which comes from social conditions (the pace of social and industrial life, morals, everyday life, decency, etc.), form an indivisible unity of sometimes opposite, but always interconnected moments. Regulation of the dynamics of behavior, based on the social conditions of human life and activity, can, of course, sometimes only affect external behavior without affecting the personality itself, its temperament; wherein internal features a person's temperament may also be in conflict with the dynamic characteristics of the behavior that he outwardly adheres to. But, ultimately, the characteristics of behavior that a person adheres to for a long time cannot help but sooner or later leave their mark - although not mechanical, not mirror, and sometimes even compensatory-antagonistic - on the internal structure of the personality, on its temperament.

Thus, in all its manifestations, temperament is mediated and conditioned by the real conditions and specific content of a person’s life. Speaking about the conditions under which an actor’s temperament can be convincing, E. B. Vakhtangov wrote: “For this, the actor at rehearsals needs to mainly work so that everything that surrounds him in the play becomes his atmosphere, so that the tasks the roles have become his tasks - then the temperament will speak “from the essence.” This temperament is essentially the most valuable, because it is the only convincing and foolproof one.” Temperament “from the essence” is the only convincing one on stage because this is what temperament is in reality: the dynamics of mental processes is not something self-sufficient; it depends on the specific content of the personality, on the tasks that a person sets for himself, on his needs, interests, inclinations, character, on his “essence”, which is revealed in the variety of the most important relationships for him with others. Temperament is an empty abstraction outside the personality, which is formed as it makes its way through life.

Being a dynamic characteristic of all manifestations of personality, temperament in its qualitative properties of impressionability, emotional excitability and impulsiveness is at the same time the sensory basis of character.

Forming the basis of character properties, temperament properties, however, do not predetermine them. When involved in the development of character, the properties of temperament undergo changes, due to which the same initial properties can lead to different properties of character depending on what they are subordinated to - the behavior, beliefs, volitional and intellectual qualities of a person. Thus, on the basis of impulsiveness as a property of temperament, depending on the conditions of upbringing and the entire path of life, various volitional qualities can be developed in a person who has not learned to control his actions by thinking about their consequences; rashness, unrestraint, the habit of cutting from the shoulder can easily develop. act under the influence of passion; in other cases, on the basis of the same impulsiveness, determination will develop, the ability to move towards the goal without unnecessary delay or hesitation. Depending on a person’s life path, on the entire course of his socio-moral, intellectual and aesthetic development, impressionability as a property of temperament can in one case lead to significant vulnerability, painful vulnerability, hence to timidity and shyness; in another, on the basis of the same impressionability, greater spiritual sensitivity, responsiveness and aesthetic sensitivity can develop; in the third - sensitivity in the sense of sentimentality. The formation of character on the basis of temperamental properties is significantly related to the orientation of the individual.

So, temperament is a dynamic characteristic of personality in all its effective manifestations and the sensory basis of character. Transforming in the process of character formation, the properties of temperament turn into character traits, the content of which is inextricably linked with the orientation of the individual.

Influence of temperament

The dynamic characteristics of a person’s character—the style of his behavior—depend on temperament. Temperament is the “natural soil” on which the process of formation of individual character traits and the development of individual human abilities takes place.

People achieve the same success in different ways, replacing their “weaknesses” with a system of mental compensation.

Under the influence of life conditions, a choleric person may develop inertia, slowness, and lack of initiative, while a melancholic person may develop energy and determination. A person’s life experience and upbringing mask the manifestations of his temperament. But under unusual, super-strong influences, in dangerous situations, previously formed inhibitory reactions can be disinhibited. Choleric and melancholic people are more prone to a neuropsychic breakdown. Along with this, the scientific approach to understanding individual behavior is incompatible with strictly tying people’s actions to their natural characteristics.

Depending on the living conditions and activities of a person, certain properties of his temperament can be strengthened or weakened. Temperament, despite its natural conditioning, can be classified as a personality trait, since it combines the natural and socially acquired qualities of a person.

Foreign psychologists divide temperamental characteristics mainly into two groups - extraversion and introversion. These concepts, introduced by the Swiss psychologist C. G. Jung, mean that individuals are predominantly focused on the external (extrovert) or internal (introvert) world. Extroverts are characterized by their predominant focus on to the outside world, increased social adaptation, they are more conformist and suggestive (subject to suggestion). Introverts highest value give to the phenomena of the inner world, they are uncommunicative, prone to increased introspection, have difficulty entering a new social environment, are non-conforming and suggestive.

Among the qualities of temperament, rigidity and plasticity also stand out. Rigidity - inertia, conservatism, difficulty switching mental activity. There are several types of rigidity: sensory - prolongation of sensation after the cessation of the stimulus; motor - difficulty in restructuring habitual movements; emotional - continuation emotional state after the cessation of emotional impact; memory - overservation, obsession with memory images; thinking - inertia of judgments, attitudes, methods of solving problems. The opposite quality to rigidity is plasticity, flexibility, mobility, adequacy.

The characteristics of temperament also include such a mental phenomenon as anxiety - tension, increased emotional excitability in situations interpreted by the individual as threatening. Individuals with a high level of anxiety are prone to behavior that is inappropriate to the degree of threat. An increased level of anxiety causes a desire to escape from the perception of threatening events, involuntarily narrowing the field of perception in a stressful situation.

So, a person’s temperament determines the dynamics of his behavior, the uniqueness of the course of his mental processes. Temperament determines a person’s way of seeing, experiencing events and relaying them verbally. When analyzing human behavior, one cannot help but take into account the “biological background” of human behavior, which affects the degree of intensity of individual personality traits.

A person’s temperamental characteristics act as psychophysiological capabilities of his behavior. For example, the mobility of nervous processes determines the dynamic qualities of intelligence, the flexibility of associative processes; excitability - the ease of occurrence and intensity of sensations, stability of attention, the power of imprinting memory images.

However, temperament is not a value criterion of an individual; it does not determine the needs, interests, and views of an individual. In the same type of activity, people with different temperaments can achieve outstanding success due to their compensatory capabilities.

It is not temperament, but the orientation of the individual, the predominance of higher motives over lower ones, self-control and self-control, suppression of lower-level impulses to achieve socially significant goals that determine the quality of human behavior.

Temperament structure

Temperament is a term derived from the Latin temperamentum (proper proportion of traits) and tempero (mix in proper proportion). To date, the problem of temperament has been studied in sufficient detail, and therefore there is a wide variety of definitions in science. of this property personality.

B.M. Teplov gave the following definition: “Temperament is the characteristic characteristic of this person a set of mental characteristics associated with emotional excitability, that is, the speed of the emergence of feelings, on the one hand, and their strength, on the other.”

Thus, it can be argued that temperament is a set of psychodynamic properties of the nervous system, the biological foundation on which personality is formed.

Since the psyche is a property of the nervous system, the individual properties of the psyche, including the properties of temperament, are determined by the individual properties of the nervous system. Therefore, the first main sign of the properties of temperament is their conditioning by the properties of the nervous system, which constitute physiological basis temperament. Moreover, only one type of temperament depends on each type of nervous system (with its specific properties).

The same dynamic features of mental activity depend on the relationship between emotional and volitional features. This ratio is the one characteristic feature, which has been the basis of the concept of temperament since the time of Hippocrates. Therefore, there are objective reasons to believe that individual characteristics the emotional-volitional sphere are properties of temperament. This, however, does not mean that all individual characteristics of the emotional-volitional sphere, and only them, are associated with temperament.

As a result of attempts at such an analysis, three main, leading, components of temperament were identified, relating to the areas of the individual’s general activity, his motor skills and his emotionality. Each of these components, in turn, has a very complex multidimensional structure and in different forms psychological manifestations.

The greatest importance in the structure of temperament is the general mental activity of the individual. The essence of this component lies in the individual’s tendency to self-expression, effective mastery and transformation of external reality.

In terms of content, the second component is especially closely related to the first component of temperament - motor, or motor, in which the leading role is played by qualities associated with the function of the motor (and especially the speech-motor) apparatus. Among the dynamic qualities of the motor component, one should highlight such as speed, strength, sharpness, rhythm, amplitude and a number of other signs of muscle movement (some of them characterize speech motor skills).

The third main component of temperament is emotionality, which is a broad complex of properties that characterize the peculiarities of the emergence, course and cessation of various feelings, affects and moods. Compared to other components of temperament, this component is the most complex and has a branched structure of its own. The main characteristics of emotionality are impressionability, impulsiveness and emotional stability.

Impressiveness expresses the subject’s sensitivity to emotionally significant influences.

Impulsivity refers to the speed with which an emotion prompts action without prior thought or conscious planning. Emotional lability usually refers to the speed at which one experience changes to another.

The main components of temperament form a single structure in human behavior, which makes it possible to limit temperament from other mental formations of the personality - its orientation, character, abilities, etc.

Manifestation of temperament

The differences between people in temperament are manifested in their activities. To achieve success in it, it is important that a person controls his temperament, knows how to adapt it to the conditions and requirements of his activity, relying on his strong properties and compensating for his weak ones. This adaptation is expressed in an individual style of activity.

An individual style of activity is an expedient system of ways and techniques for performing activities that corresponds to the characteristics of temperament, ensuring the best results.

The formation of an individual style of activity is carried out in the process of training and education. In this case, the subject’s own interest is necessary.

Conditions for the formation of an individual style of activity:

1. determination of temperament with assessment of the severity of its psychological properties;
2. finding a set of strengths and weaknesses;
3. creating a positive attitude towards mastering your temperament;
4. an exercise in improving strong properties and possibly compensating for weak ones.

Temperament also matters for the choice of activity. Cholerics prefer emotional types ( sport games, discussions, public performance) and are reluctant to do monotonous work. Melancholic people willingly engage individual species activities.

It is known that during training sessions, sanguine people, when studying new material, quickly grasp the basics, perform new actions, although with errors, and do not like long and careful work when mastering and improving skills. Phlegmatic people will not perform new actions or exercises if something is unclear in the content or technique; they are prone to painstaking, lengthy work when mastering it.

For example, for athletes there are differences depending on temperament in pre-race conditions. Sanguine and phlegmatic people are predominantly in a state of combat readiness before the start, choleric people are in a state of starting fever, and melancholic people are in a state of starting apathy. At competitions, sanguine and phlegmatic people show stable results and even better results than in training; for choleric and melancholic people they are not stable enough.

In the same differentiated manner, in particular taking into account the strength and balance of the students’ nervous system, it is necessary to approach the use of various forms of pedagogical influences - praise, blame. Praise has a positive impact on the process of skill formation in all students, but the greatest impact on the “weak” and “unbalanced” ones. Blame is most effective on the “strong” and “balanced”, least effective on the “weak” and “unbalanced”. The expectation of being graded for completing tasks has a positive effect on the “weak” and “balanced”, but is less significant for the “strong” and “unbalanced”.

Thus, temperament, being dependent on the innate properties of the nervous system, manifests itself in a person’s individual style of activity, so it is important to take into account its characteristics when training and upbringing.

Taking into account the characteristics of temperament is necessary when solving mainly two important pedagogical problems: when choosing methodological teaching tactics and the style of communication with students. In the first case, you need to help a sanguine person to see sources of diversity and creative elements in monotonous work, a choleric person to instill the skills of special careful self-control, a phlegmatic person to purposefully develop the skills of quickly switching attention, a melancholic person to overcome fear and self-doubt. Taking into account temperament is necessary when choosing a style of communication with students. Thus, with choleric and melancholic people, such methods of influence as individual conversation and indirect types of demands (advice, hint, etc.) are preferable. Reproach in front of the class will cause a conflict explosion in a choleric person, and a reaction of resentment, depression, and self-doubt in a melancholic person. When dealing with a phlegmatic person, it is inappropriate to insist on immediate fulfillment of the requirement; it is necessary to give time to mature own decision student. A sanguine person will easily and gladly accept a remark in the form of a joke.

Temperament is the natural basis for the manifestation of psychological qualities of an individual. However, with any temperament, it is possible to develop in a person qualities that are not characteristic of this temperament. Self-education is of particular importance here. In a letter to O.L. Knipper-Chekhova, A.P. Chekhov wrote: “You... envy my character. I must say that by nature I have a harsh character, I’m quick-tempered, etc., etc., but I’m used to controlling myself, because it’s not appropriate for a decent person to let himself go.”

The combination of naturally interconnected temperament traits is called a temperament type. In psychology, the typology of Hippocrates - Galen is traditionally used, distinguishing sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic and melancholic.
When giving psychological characteristics to the types of temperament, it should be remembered that this division is conditional. Typical for each type are its extreme poles and the relationship between various features. In the same time "clean" temperaments almost never happen in life. Most people combine traits of different temperaments, especially clearly after the child masters oral speech, that is, after 2-2.5 years. Also, one should not talk about “good” or “bad” temperaments: in each type there are both strong and weak sides.

Sanguines

sanguine people- these are people who have a strong, balanced and mobile nervous system. They are active, sociable, and easily adapt to new conditions. Sociable, quickly understands people, easily establishes relationships with them a good relationship. Among friends they are cheerful, cheerful, optimistic. By orientation - extroverts.

Kant called sanguine people people of a cheerful disposition, carefree and full of hope, who always hope for success. In his opinion, they are bad debtors; they promise so, but do not keep their word.

Sanguine people are emotional, with expressive facial expressions and pantomime that is easy to control. They speak loudly, clearly, quickly, with the correct intonations. During the conversation they actively gesticulate and laugh loudly. Feelings arise very easily, change just as easily and are, as a rule, shallow. Today they are joyful, carefree and passionately in love, tomorrow they are sad, worried and may forget about their passionate love. However, in general, successes and troubles are easily experienced and therefore sanguine people have a predominant good mood and a well-developed sense of humor.

Sanguine people willingly take on new business, but their activities are productive only when the work captivates them. If the work is not interesting, the work is monotonous, they abandon the task without finishing it. During work, they easily switch their attention, but devote little time to preliminary and control actions (for example, preparation for work, corrections, additions, etc.). They rarely plan their work, and if there is a plan, they do not strictly follow it, and are often distracted by trifles. Sanguine people easily grasp everything new, but their interests are weak, changeable and constantly require new impressions.

So, for the sanguine person strong point is that they are cheerful, quickly learn new material, “grabbing” it “on the fly.” They are suitable for dealing with strong and unexpected stimuli. During important competitions, they show higher results than during study and training. Weak side is that they overestimate themselves and their capabilities, are often distracted from the main task, are not focused enough, their interests and feelings are unstable, they can be frivolous and superficial. Sanguine people cannot perform work for a long time that requires perseverance, sustained attention and patience. Due to the speed of action, mistakes can be made. Therefore, they should be instilled with perseverance and concentration, and maintain a steady interest in the matter.
When communicating with sanguine people, we can recommend the following. The requirements for them should be maximum, but fair. You should show trust in them and give an outlet to their internal energy, directing it to useful things. It is inappropriate to assign monotonous work, because sanguine people get tired of it, but the work started must be taught to be completed to the end. You can use additional motivation for this. It is advisable to cultivate patience and determination, to teach to value friendship.

Cholerics

Cholerics are strong, active and unbalanced people with a predominance of excitation over inhibition. characteristic of them high level activity, energy and perseverance. By orientation - extroverts. They love to be the center of attention. Conflict and unyielding in communication. They can be impatient, unrestrained, and quick-tempered. In relationships with others they can be harsh and overly straightforward; they lack endurance. However, there is no hatred in their anger, and they love others the more the faster they give in to them.

Kant writes that choleric people willingly become bosses who do not like to work themselves, but only to manage.

These are emotionally unstable people. Emotions and feelings arise quickly, but they can disappear just as quickly. The expression is pronounced. Speech is hasty, intermittent, tense. Lively facial expressions, expressive gestures, sharp and energetic movements. They experience their joys, pains, and sorrows deeply. They are often influenced by strong passions and... In such a state, they may act rashly, which they will regret later.
Cholerics are characterized by cyclical behavior: they can work hard, overcoming difficulties, and suddenly give up everything. This is facilitated by a rapid change of interests. If the interests are serious, they can be energetic, proactive, principled, capable of high concentration of attention. If there is no interest, they demonstrate affective feelings, irritability and lack of restraint. Just like sanguine people, they devote little time to preliminary and control actions and rarely plan their work.

So, the strength of choleric people is that they easily concentrate their attention, especially in stressful situation, are active, fast, energetic. They can work with strong stimuli, in particular in unpredictable situations.
In conditions of competition and competition, they improve their results. They have organizational skills. They have the ability to easily form skills and habits. The weak side is their tendency to violate discipline and conflict, as well as lack of restraint, harshness, affectivity, and weakness of self-control in emotional situations. Due to the speed of actions, mistakes can be made.
When working with choleric patients, it is recommended to capture them interesting thing and give instructions; teach to be restrained; accustom to more calm and uniform work; guide their activities in the right direction. When communicating with choleric people, you should use their energy rationally, not inhibit their activity in the form of direct prohibitions, and communicate calmly and confidently. If this is a child, do not punish under any circumstances by prohibiting her activity (for example, wait, sit). Due to the tendency of choleric people to aggression, cultivate empathy.

Phlegmatic people

Phlegmatic people are strong, balanced and inert. Low activity level of behavior, slow, assiduous, calm, reserved, persistent, soft. Remain calm even in difficult times life situations. React adequately to impact external environment However, they cannot quickly respond to changes in the environment; they are characterized by the same attitude towards others, sociability, but low sociability. By orientation - introverts.

Kant noted that in Everyday life a phlegmatic person is often called a philosopher.

Feelings arise slowly, but are distinguished by strength, depth, constancy, duration and restraint in external manifestations. They are patient and rarely complain. Not influenced. Taciturn, speech is slow, calm, with pauses. The voice is quiet, expressionless. Gesticulation and facial expressions are very poor. They know how to control their emotions. Therefore, it is difficult to anger them and they rarely lose their temper.
Phlegmatic people are not inclined to change their environment or to frequently move from one job to another. They show seriousness, thoughtfulness, and perseverance in their activities. They work with concentration and always get things done. Tasks are performed evenly and accurately, new information are absorbed slowly, but thoroughly and for a long time.
Characterized by sustainable interests. The work is planned and strictly adhered to. Before making a decision, he will think about it for a long time. They have stable attention, but its switching is somewhat slow.

So, the strengths of phlegmatic people are their discipline, stability, regularity and systematicity in work, endurance, and punctuality. The weak point is slowness of action, inertia, lethargy, external indifference, poor attention switching. They are often late in submitting work, and their stereotypes are difficult to change. Phlegmatic people are also not suitable for working with strong and unexpected stimuli.
Phlegmatic people are recommended to be given more time to complete certain tasks, and they should switch from one habitual action to another gradually. You can give additional instructions about the work they perform, avoiding assignments associated with a high pace of activity. Under no circumstances should you complain about slowness and incompetence. Welcome every manifestation of initiative and independence. It is advisable to stimulate the manifestation of sincere feelings.

Melancholic people

Melancholic people are characterized by a weak, unstable and inert nervous system. Low level of activity, reserved, experiencing fear of a new situation. When they find themselves in new conditions, they become lost. Therefore, it is difficult to tolerate a change of environment. They are closed, shy, indecisive, timid, and avoid communicating with unfamiliar people. They do not like new acquaintances and noisy companies. They are introverts by orientation.

Kant called melancholic people people with a very gloomy character, who first of all pay attention to life's difficulties.

Melancholic people are very impressionable people, they often get offended; their feelings are characterized by the slowness of their flow. They deeply experience any event in life, especially images and failures, however, unlike choleric people, they carry their grief within themselves, without outwardly showing their experiences. The movements of melancholic people are restrained, speech is slowed down, quiet, sometimes turns into a whisper. Constant in their affections. If they love someone, then the breakup is a great tragedy for them. They will suffer, but they will not decide to take this or that action. Prolonged and strong stress, as well as everything new and unusual, causes a slow reaction, and then its cessation. However, in a familiar and calm environment they feel good and work productively. They are planning their work. At the same time, decisions are made carefully. A lot of time is spent on preliminary and control actions (for example, preparation for work, corrections, additions, etc.). While working, their attention is easily distracted and focuses only for a short time. They have stable, strongly expressed interests that change slowly.

So, the strength of melancholic people is their empathy and understanding of the problems of other people. They are “deep” and stable in their feelings, capable of capturing details that are inaccessible to other people. They do monotonous work well. The weakness of melancholic people is their excessive impressionability, immersion in their own experiences, shyness, isolation, aloofness, slowness, and fatigue. They have a hard time withstanding strong and unexpected stimuli. During competitions they show the worst results. Melancholic people, as well as phlegmatic people, should be given more time to complete certain tasks. they need a calm, favorable environment, tact, responsiveness and goodwill in relationships, a gradual transition from one activity to another.
When working with melancholic people, it is recommended to follow the principle of gradualism. Show empathy and understanding of the person's condition. Moral support when the environment changes. Approve the slightest manifestation of activity. Cultivate a sense of self-worth. Learn to plan your activities, wisely distributing time between work and rest.

Does a person's temperament affect his success in life?

In psychology, the question of whether a person’s temperament affects his success in life has always been relevant: firstly, on his personal life; secondly, for work activity.
When communicating with people, you should remember that temperament is a stable individual psychological feature of a person and therefore it is almost impossible to change it. Under the influence of the environment, individual features are generally only strengthened or weakened
temperament without changing its type. Therefore, knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your temperament, you can learn not to show its individual manifestations, for example, excessive facial expressions and gestures, shyness, touchiness, etc. A person with any temperament can learn this. To a large extent, this depends on the moral and volitional qualities of character.
Only in some cases, mainly in early childhood, under the influence of severe physical and mental trauma, severe infectious diseases and other factors as a result of changes in higher nervous activity, changes in the type of temperament are observed.
For people with different types of temperament, accordingly, it is necessary and different attitude. So, punishment, a reprimand, a bad assessment can have a positive effect on choleric people who have a strong nervous system. In this case, negative reinforcement can encourage them to improve.
However, this can have the opposite effect on melancholic people: they become depressed, their performance decreases, and depression may occur. The above type of response to negative reinforcement is the most likely, but not necessary. Whether a person will act one way or another will ultimately depend on his character.

From a practical point of view, the question of whether temperament imposes restrictions on types of activity is relevant. In general, it can be argued that there is no such limitation, and a person with any temperament can achieve significant success in life, or may not realize his potential. However, if professions impose strict requirements on the speed, pace and rhythm of work, such restrictions arise. For example, a dispatcher at an airport or a nuclear power plant, or a test pilot will require a strong and agile type of nervous system, characteristic of sanguine and choleric people. On the contrary, actors and musicians need emotional sensitivity, which is more typical for melancholic people. However, for most professions, temperamental traits play decisive role, and their shortcomings can be compensated by the individual style of human activity. It should be remembered that in conditions of joint activity, character traits have a more significant impact on the final result than when a person works alone.
So, differences in temperament are, first of all, differences in the uniqueness of the dynamic manifestations of the psyche, and not in the level of its capabilities. Characteristics of temperament determine the ways and means of work, and not the level of achievement. Therefore, temperament does not determine the social value and moral and volitional qualities of a person. They will depend on the character.

The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates was one of the first in history to try to classify personality types and determine a person's temperament. He was one of the first to identify the main types of characters depending on their mood. According to Hippocrates, a person’s mood and character are influenced by the fluid that predominates in a person’s body. Temperament is the dynamic characteristics of a person that determine his activity, motor manifestations, and emotionality.

Hippocrates identified the following types of human temperaments:

• choleric(bile predominates in the body) - linear - assertive sociotype, energetic, domineering, decisive person;
• sanguine(blood predominates) - a flexible, agile, joyful, optimistic, talkative, active person;
• phlegmatic person(mucus predominates) - a balanced, stable, calm, polite, attentive person;
• melancholic(black bile predominates) - a receptive-adaptive, detached, withdrawn, thoughtful person.

Temperament types: choleric

Cholerics characterized by both internal and external anxiety. The most unbalanced temperament, when an obstacle arises, cannot contain its emotions and splashes them out. It is straightforward and goes straight ahead in one desired direction, it is difficult to switch. In communication with choleric you need to give him the opportunity to express his emotions, which can be different - from anger to joy. Choleric people give their best at work and bring things to a positive or negative result, but suffer from instability, lack of commitment and chaos in their affairs.

Temperament types: sanguine

Sanguines active on the outside, but calm on the inside. After outbursts of irritation, they quickly calm down, switching to another type of activity. Sanguines can easily change the degree of assertiveness in business; when they have the desire, they behave actively, and when they are not in the mood, they withdraw themselves and passively observe. Such flexibility of temperament depends on the impressions and emotional experiences of a sanguine person, which affects their desire for change and adventure. They like to change types of activities, they change often, so they experience a surge of strength, become more active and behave energetically.

Temperament types: phlegmatic

Phlegmatic people calm both externally and internally. They are balanced, restrained and closed to others, trying not to be distracted by external factors. It takes a lot of effort to piss him off. This person is calm and assiduous, does not show violent emotions, and does not interfere in other people's affairs. The activity of choleric and sanguine people frightens him. Your experiences phlegmatic person hides so deeply, lives so strictly according to a schedule that it gives the impression of a machine. Of course, they experience emotions, but they know how to manage them very well and tend to maintain a settled and slow lifestyle for as long as possible. Phlegmatic people They are very reliable, change their loyalties with great difficulty, and you can completely rely on them.

Temperament types: melancholic

Melancholic people calm on the outside, but restless on the inside, introverted, hiding inner experiences under the guise of calmness or, conversely, liveliness, easily masquerading as others temperaments. Constant problem melancholic- search inner harmony, which is easily destroyed by other people's opinions and external factors. Melancholic difficult to determine; they can easily be active or calm. In order to determine whether you really have a melancholic person in front of you, observe his behavior in conflict situations, as well as the stability of his internal state for a month or two. In case of conflict melancholics either they try to smooth out the contradictions without finding out who is right and who is wrong, or they immediately leave, withdraw themselves, unable to withstand the difference in emotions they experience. Therefore, they try with all their might to adapt to the situation, to adapt to it, and not to manage it. Melancholic people They constantly need peace of mind, which is incomprehensible to other people, reacting painfully to even the slightest changes in the situation, which brings instability to their performance. They refuse to open up to other people without interfering with their surroundings.

Classification of personality types by temperament turned out to be very useful for Hippocrates and his students. By understanding personality types, doctors began to better understand the patient and the symptoms of the disease that he describes.

You will learn how people of each temperament behave from this story:

It is convenient to test the characteristics of temperaments during sales. Cholerics prefer to immediately dismiss the seller; sanguine people will talk politely, without giving a definite answer and for fear of offending the seller. Understanding the characters and temperaments of our customers, we will not experience excessive hopes or be offended by rudeness, but will learn to adjust all stages of the sale (add or reduce some of the stages of the sale) to the buyer’s temperament.

According to experienced sales managers, the best buyer is a choleric buyer. If he said “yes”, then he’s buying, if “no”, then there’s no point in wasting time. A sanguine buyer will stall for time, find a bunch of excuses to postpone the meeting, and then, with a lot of apologies, announce that he intends to refuse the purchase.