Who Am I: My Personality Temperament

This time I got hold of a Personality Plus Book by Florence Littauer.

In chapter 1 of the book states "There's Only One You" "No Two Alike" "Each One of Us Is Unique" The author is right. It's What's Underneath That Counts.

Here's Florence Littauer's words in verbatim...would want to share this insights to my love ones so we understand one another and deal in better ways...

We were all born with our own temperament traits, our raw material, our own kind of rock. Some of us are granite, some marble, some alabaster, some sandstone. Our type of rock doesn't change, but our shapes can be altered. So it is with our personalities, We start with our own set of inborn traits. Some of our qualities are beautiful with strains of gold. Some are blemished with fault lines of gray. Our circumstances, IQ, nationality, economics, environment, and parental influence can mold our personalities, but the rock underneath remains the same.

My temperament is the real me; my personality is the dress I put on over me. I can look in the mirror in the morning and see my face, my body, myself. That's the real me. I can put on a flattering dress to camouflage too many curves. I've taken the real me and dressed it up, but I haven't permanently changed what's underneath.

If only we could understand ourselves:
Know what we're made of
Know who we really are
Know why we react as we do
Know our strengths and how to amplify them
Know our weaknesses and how to overcome them

I suggest that you buy a copy of the book. It shows us how to examine ourselves, how to polish up our strengths, and how to chip away our weaknesses. When we know who we are and why we act the way we do, we can begin to understand our inner selves, improve our personalities, and learn to get along with others. We are not going to try to imitate someone else, put on a brighter dress or new tie or cry over the kind of stone we're made from. We're going to do the very best we can with the raw material available.

Imitations abound, but there's only one you.

To find our own raw material and understand our basic natures, let's examine the personality or temperament groupings first established by Hippocrates 24 hundred years ago.

We will have fun with the POPULAR SANGUINES, who exude enthusiasm.

We'll get serious with PERFECT MELANCHOLIES, who strive for perfection in all things.

We'll charge forth with the POWERFUL CHOLERICS, who are born leaders.

And we'll relax with the PEACEFUL PHLEGMATICS, who are happily reconciled to life.

No matter who we are, we have something to learn from each of these types.

The book has a Personality Temperament Test inside. Having done the test, I'm a blend of Choleric-Sanguine. But other people see me as a blend of Choleric-Melancholy. This made me confuse...so being self-aware, I'm observing myself so to resolve my confusion. The result of the test is true and what other people see in me is also true. I am a blend of Choleric, Sanguine and Melancholy. I have most of the strengths of Choleric - Sanguine and the weaknesses of a Melancholy. It seems that I'm those few who have more than two blend.

Maybe, you are wondering what I'm talking about. Maybe, you are asking what is Choleric or what is Sanguine or what is Melancholy or what blend? Click on the Temperament (the capitalized letters) above so you will know the description, strengths and weaknesses.

Thanks Florence! Now, I understand why my Mom is like that...hehehe

Source: Personality Plus by Florence Littauer