Personality Blends

I'm sure most, if not all, of us have mixed ingredients in a blender. I like to make salsa and by the time the blender has worked its magic, there's no way to distinguish the original ingredients such as tomatoes, onions, and jalapenos; they are completely mixed together. Although there are personality blends, the original ingredients (traits) don't get mixed to the same extent as those put into an appliance made for mixing. The Personalities tend to stay more distinct.

I've never met anyone who exhibits every single trait of one personality type; most people have a primary/dominant personality along with a secondary personality. It is possible for someone to have 50/50 blend of two personalities which allows them to move naturally from one to the other, depending on their circumstances.

When considering the blends it's important to note that there are "natural" and "unnatural" combinations. In order to illustrate these blends, picture The Personalities in this format:

                                                      Sanguine                                      Choleric

                                                      Phlegmatic                                   Melancholy

Using the above arrangement of the four personality types, the natural blends move across/horizontally or up and down/vertically. For example, sanguine/choleric or sanguine/phlegmatic and melancholy/phlegmatic or melancholy/choleric are natural blends. However, any combination made from matching The Personalities diagonally (sanguine/melancholy or phlegmatic/choleric) are considered unnatural blends because they are total opposites. (See the Purely Personalities archives for the individual traits of each personality type.) Today we are going to explore the different blends.

Sanguine/Choleric Blend: Both sanguine and choleric personalities are outgoing, optimistic, and energized by  people. This combination is a born leader - they mix the natural leadership skills of the choleric and the people-loving aspect and charm of the sanguine to create a modern-day Pied Piper. They can lead and motivate people. The sanguine side of this blend helps tone down the intensity of the choleric and the choleric side reigns in the lack of focus that often plagues sanguines.

I know a lady who is a 50/50 blend of this mix. Because she can easily move between the two personalities, her surroundings tend to dictate which personality rises to the top. If she is "in charge", the choleric quickly emerges so that she can accomplish the task at hand. If she doesn't have to be the leader, she happily assumes the role of the fun-loving sanguine.

Sanguine/Phlegmatic Blend: Everyone loves this combination. It takes the easygoing nature of the phlegmatic and weaves it together with the energy and excitement of the sanguine. This combination tends to be witty and fun to be around, plus they seldom demand their own way.

My sister and I share this blend with one difference...sanguine is her primary personality while phlegmatic is mine. Because Gail is more sanguine than phlegmatic she enjoys a variety of social settings. She belongs to a cooking group, is past president of her local Kiwanis Club, and is a born hostess who loves to entertain people in her home. Then there's good ol' phlegmatic Shona: I'm a terrible hostess who dreams of quiet evenings at home and if a bubble bath is part of the equation, I'm giddy with excitement. I shy away from social galas, although if I have a specific purpose, my sanguine side will take over and I can easily socialize with anyone.

Melancholy/Phlegmatic Blend: People with this combination tend to be deeper than the other personalities. They  are usually more introverted, realistic, and are energized by solitude. They prefer to work behind the scenes and like to analyze what is going on around them. The phlegmatic personality usually tones down the perfectionist tendencies of the melancholy, while the melancholy's ability to focus keeps the phlegmatic on task.

Choleric/Melancholy Blend: This is corporate America's favorite person. When you mix the decisive, goal-oriented nature of the choleric with the analytical and organized tendencies of the melancholy, you have quite an accomplished worker. My husband, Warren, is this blend with choleric as his dominant personality. His choleric side can quickly assess any situation and his melancholy side can organize the necessary steps to address the situation.

Thankfully, God has put us together with a little more finesse than when I make salsa in my blender. None of us are alike and none of us are strictly sanguine, choleric, melancholy, or phlegmatic. However, unlike my jumble of blended salsa ingredients, we tend to display distinctive traits even when they are mixed together in our DNA; we are perfectly blended by God. Most people will have a natural blend that combines two of the personality types and many of us, myself included, may even display one or two traits from the opposite personality. This, too, can be normal. We just need to remember that, no matter who we are, we are a beautiful blend.

(c)2008 Shona Neff

Comments

[Jesse Green, Jr.]

I am preparing a workshop on Family Life and this information is very helpful.