Temperament: Our Biological Enervy In Motion 

A reader wrote to me recently:

> “Pope, I took the personality test you recommended—eye-opening. But now I’m hearing about ‘temperament.’ What’s the difference?”

Here’s what I told them.

Temperament Is Your Emotional Climate

Temperament is the emotional tone we are born with.. It’s not what we do—it’s how we are. It’s the pace of our reactions, the feel of our energy, the way our emotions move through us.

Temperament is like the seed — our inborn traits. The environment is the soil that nurtures or challenges that seed. Personality is the plant that grows from this interaction — a visible expression shaped by both nature and nurture.

 The Four Emotional Rhythms

The ancients spoke of four temperaments, each with its own rhythm:

- Choleric feels like fire —driven, focused, intense. They lead with passion but can burn too hot.

 - Melancholic feels like earth —deep, thoughtful, loyal. They bring depth but can get stuck in the shadows.

 - Sanguine feels like air —light, joyful, spontaneous. They lift the room but may drift without grounding.

 - Phlegmatic feels like water —calm, kind, steady. They soothe others but may avoid the hard conversations.

Most of us are a blend, but one usually sets the tone.

 🧭 Why It Matters

When you understand your temperament, you stop trying to be someone else’s version of “normal.”

You stop apologizing for your pace, your depth, your fire, or your stillness.

You start setting boundaries that match your nervous system.

You begin to grow—not by changing your nature, but by working with it and living a life of accountability and responsibility.

 Start With These Questions

- What kind of situations drain you?

- What kind of people energize you?

- How do you respond to conflict, silence, or celebration?

- What’s your emotional pace—fast, slow, steady, shifting?

Try journaling your emotional “weather” for a week.

You’re not trying to fit into a category.

You’re trying to find your rhythm—and honour it.

In a world that rewards performance, temperament invites us back to presence.

To self-knowledge.

To emotional alignment.

You don’t need to be more like them.

You need to be more like you—at your best.

Peace to your inner weather.

Want to explore your temperament? Try TemperamentTest.net (free, no signup)

Evans Agbeno

neoreportgh.com

admin@neoreportgh.com

neoreportgh@gmail.com