Describing the Phlegmatic Temperament

Phlegmatic Temperament

Have you ever seen a person do a repetitive job for years and not get tired of it? Meet the Phlegmatic temperament. 50% of all people tested have the phlegmatic temperament.

The phlegmatic have their own pace at which they do things and tend to be stubborn. They have low energy levels and tend to be tired often. Some people will think the Phlegmatic have a chemical imbalance, but sometimes, it is just their Phlegmatic temperament that just naturally has low energy levels.

Some have described the Phlegmatic temperament as Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh.

The Phlegmatic Temperament has a great capacity to do tedious work with precision and accuracy. Think of an accountant or a processing job of some sort. They will be very good at these types of jobs that do not require much energy or even creative thinking. Not that they can’t be creative, it just takes too much energy to put in on paper. The Phlegmatic tend to be more of a watcher of life than a participator. They will preach to you how to do something, yet they may never do it as it takes too much energy.

These may sound negative, but the phlegmatic temperament is the most peaceful and stable of all temperaments. For them to have any type of addiction would be rare. They’re not hostile or hold any type of un-forgiveness as “Peace at all cost” is their motto of life. They are the most diplomatic temperament.

What gives the phlegmatic temperament away is their defense mechanism; dry/ wry humor. Have you ever encountered a situation where the mom might have told the son, “Can you clean the bathroom?” and the sons response may be, “As my siblings sit and watch TV? Sure!” What a smart aleck! This is the Phlegmatic Temperaments way of trying to get out of doing a task as they must protect their low energy levels.

Need more examples of the Phlegmatic’s dry humor? Think of Garfield, the cat. He always made smart aleck comments to Odie so he wouldn’t have to do a task and loved to sleep. Also, Garfield would be preachy, yet would not want to do the task himself.

Are you a Phlegmatic? Find out your temperament now!


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