I took a temperament test today. Boy, was that a bad idea.
I think most people would describe me as even-keeled,
down-to-earth, or even sweet. Fine. This temperament test put me in the
“melancholy” category. Needless to say, if this test maker and I ever met we
probably wouldn’t be friends. Melancholy? I associate melancholy with Charlie
Brown and people who actually assemble survival kits (sorry, if you assembled
one). But I don’t consider myself moody or gloomy. I’m a ray of sunshine.
Maybe, I didn’t follow the instructions right. First, I was
forced to rank myself on certain personality traits ranging from optimistic to
lazy and next to each trait I had to assign a numeric value from 1 (being least
like me) to 5 (being most like me). Then, I was instructed to add up my
numbers, throwing out 1s and 2s because those are low intensity.
There were four categories: choleric, phlegmatic,
melancholy, and sanguine. After I tallied everything, I fell into the category
of melancholy. Well, at least my category doesn’t sound like a disease.
The scoring grid describes the distinguishing characteristic
of each group. Cholerics thirst for power, melancholies long for intimacy,
phlegmatics just want some peace, and sanguines are looking for a fun time.
Melancholies want to be good (morally), to be understood,
and to be appreciated. They crave acceptance and over time want to be
vulnerable enough to reveal insecurities with other people. Melancholies want
to please others but also seek autonomy. We need to feel secure. If you upset
us, we might resent you or just be suspicious of you for a really long time. And
we’re moody. There’s that word again!
Truth is, this category describes me to a t. A capital T. As
adoptees, do we all get the same mixed bag of inner turmoil? Would the recipe
be: 1 handful of insecurity mixed with a pinch of moodiness topped off with a
hefty fork load of acceptance seeking?
Try it. Score your answers and tell me you don’t feel a
little temperamental when you’re finished…
Test can found at:
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