Lifestyle

Knowing Yourself: A Primer on the 4 Temperaments

Long before modern personality quizzes, an ancient system offered a strikingly relatable way to understand human behavior and personality.
Knowing Yourself: A Primer on the 4 Temperaments
Charles Le Brun's depiction of "The Four Temperaments," created in the 17th century, illustrates each temperament's distinguishing traits. Public domain
Walker Larson
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Most of us are familiar with the Myers-Briggs personality test and other contemporary personality tests, but there’s a much older temperament classification model that often gets neglected: the classical four temperaments.

This model originated with Hippocrates 2,000 years ago and was further developed in the Middle Ages. Despite its antiquity, it continues to serve as an excellent key for understanding both oneself and others. Knowledge of temperaments can help us identify and counteract our weaknesses while capitalizing on our strengths. It also enables us to better understand—and get along with—others in our homes, communities, and workplaces.

Walker Larson
Walker Larson
Author
Before becoming a freelance journalist and culture writer, Walker Larson taught literature and history at a private academy in Wisconsin, where he resides with his wife and daughter. He holds a master’s in English literature and language, and his writing has appeared in The Hemingway Review, Intellectual Takeout, and his Substack, The Hazelnut. He is also the author of two novels, “Hologram” and “Song of Spheres.”