Part 2 - A Closer Look at The Choleric Temperament

The Choleric;   

Decisive, goal oriented, always feels the urgent need to correct wrongs, an expert in exerting sound leadership, sometimes tactless and manipulative but justifies it to reach his end result.

Sound like anyone you know? The choleric is your original "type A" personality; the one in the crowd who exhibits aggressive determination, the one who is strong willed, and the one who effortlessly takes charge to assure that everyone else is convinced that only he knows what is right and best. Cholerics get right to the point.

 

At one time or another we have all witnessed two individuals that seem to "but heads". I bet they were both cholerics! That's because they both thrive on being the one to establish the guidelines to success. They both see the bigger picture and get impatient when they can't complete a project in a calculated amount of time.

In a bind and need a quick effective solution? Call a choleric and he will save the day! Not a bad quality when the moment calls for emergency thinking! The world would be a scary place if everyone were cholerics, but it would be even more scary if no one was! We all need someone at the helm of the ship, to steer the course, and reach the destination with the cooperation from all on board. Cholerics are usually always right.

Have you ever noticed that a person's greatest strength can at times be their greatest weakness? I've seen this happen repeatedly in my own life. This holds true for all four personality types. The importance of recognizing this is due to the fact that we can be moving right along through life unaware that our actions can be destructive in some situations and constructive in others. Intentions are right, the motive is right, the heart is right, the reason is right, and the assumption is that everyone will agree. There is no gray area to the choleric; everything is black and white. The following examples will paint a picture of this truth, and when gone undetected, can tragically minimize a choleric's capacity to accomplish great things.

The Choleric with his family- This parent can rally his family together, motivate them into action, and knock out a job in no time; no ifs, ands, or buts about it. He has stiff ideals, not only for himself, but for every member in his household. Some are admirable, but some are unrealistic. He has to guard himself against being an authoritarian, and placing unreasonable expectations and demands upon those close to him. He expects instant results, and tends to let everyone know when he displeased with their poor performance. He can exasperate his family, to the point of sending them into depression, instilling in them a low self worth that carries far into their future.

The Choleric in the work place - This worker has to make sure he is not taking charge where he doesn't have any business taking charge. The urgency will well up though, and he will be challenged to restrain himself from wanting to jump in, overstepping the boundary line, and dominating the flow of circumstances. Keep in mind though, that it is usually the cholerics who are are extremely successful in their business endeavors because of their "take charge" skills. Many CEO's and sales reps are this personality type achieving high status because they are so dynamic and not easily discouraged.

Sticks and stones don't seem to harm the choleric on the outside, but underneath is a heart that wants to be understood, even if they can't easily show it. If they speak harshly and hurt your feelings - tell them! They can handle it! They might honestly not know how much power their words carry.

Synonyms used to describe the choleric are; a tidal wave, a hurricane, explosive ambition, a wall of stability, unshakable determination, a stable leader, enduring, single minded, focused, an avalanche of ideas waiting to happen, Mr. Project, "Hurry up or else!!!!", "We'll talk about it later.", and I'm sure you have more to add to the list........

In summary, we can all be thankful for cholerics around us that seem to have the drive, the decisiveness, and the unrelenting motivation to pursue any task at hand. By understanding their inborn tendencies, we can better accept why they are so compelled to behave in extreme measures. It is their gifting to do so,and when harnessed and matured, this personality type can make awesome things happen!