Introducing Choleric Temperament and Personality

   Choleric is the hot, quick, active, practical, and strong-willed temperament. He is often self-sufficient and very independent. He tends to be decisive and opinionated, finding it easy to make decisions for himself as well as for others.

   Choleric thrives on activity. In fact to him, “life is activity.” He does not need to be stimulated by his environment. No, he stimulates the environment with his endless ideas, plans, and ambitions. His is not an aimless activity, for he has a practical, keen mind, capable of making sound, instant decisions or planning worthwhile, long-range projects. He does not vacillate under pressure of what others think. He takes a definite stand on issues and can often be found crusading against social injustice or unhealthy situations.

He is not frightened by adversaries; in fact, they tend to encourage him. He has dogged determination and often succeeds where others fail-not because his plans are better than others, but because he is still “pushing ahead” after others have become discouraged and quit. If there is any truth in the adage “Leaders are born, not made,” then the Choleric is a born leader. He always lands on his feet.

   Rocky Choleric’s emotional nature is the least developed part of his temperament. He does not sympathize easily with others, nor does he naturally show or express compassion. He is often embarrassed or disgusted by the tears of others. He has little appreciation for the fine arts; his primary interest is in the utilitarian values of life. He is too optimistic, rarely anticipating failure, which he seldom fails-except at home. Love is not usually high on his priority list.  

   He is quick to recognize opportunities and equally as quick at diagnosing the best way to make use of them. He has a well-organized mind, though details usually bore him. He is not given to analysis but to quick, almost intuitive appraisal; that means he tends to look at the goal toward which he is working without seeing the potential pitfalls and obstacles in the path. Once he has started toward a goal, he may run roughshod over individuals that stand in his way. He tends to be domineering and bossy and does not hesitate to use people to accomplish his ends. He is often considered as opportunist.

Habits of Temperament

   Let’s look at the same habits we considered for the Sanguine. Behind the wheel, Cholerics are daring in speed demons that dart in and out of traffic constantly. They always try to get more accomplishment in a given period of time than is humanly possible and attempt to make up time by driving furiously between appointments. Strangely enough, they rarely get tickets-not because they don’t deserve them, but because they are crafty enough to keep an eye on the rear view mirror to watch for the local “black and white”.

   Choleric hates yard work. When he does it at all, it is with a vengeance. He is mechanical by nature and detests repairs or pruning because, quite frankly, he is not very good it. When he does take on the yard, he works at the frenzied pace to get the job done. But neatness is not his hallmark.

   Cholerics are stereotype eaters-their menu seldom varies from one day to the next, and when their food arrives, they bolt it down in big chunks, often talking while chewing. Frequently they are the first ones finished.

   Balancing a check book?  Cholerics hates details, so they assigned or hire someone else to take care of it or carry two accounts-using one for six months, then shifting to the other so they don’t bounce any checks.

Career Bests

   Cholerics might consider careers that require leadership, motivation, and productivity, provided they do not require too much attention to details and analytical planning. Committee meetings and long range planning bore the Choleric-a doer. Rarely will you find a predominant Choleric as a surgeon, dentist, philosopher, inventor, or watchmaker. Although not usually craftsman, Cholerics often supervise craftsmen. They usually enjoy construction work, because it is so productive, and will end up frequently being foremen or project supervisors.

   Rocky Choleric is a developer by nature. When he drives through the countryside, he cannot share his passenger’s enjoyment of the “beautiful rolling hillsides,” for he envisions road graders carving out streets and builders constructing homes, schools, and shopping centers.

Most of today’s cities and suburbs were first envisioned by a Choleric. You can be sure, however that he hired a Melancholy as the architect with the analytical and creative ability to draw the plans he outlined.  

   Once Cholerics learn to delegate responsibility to others and discover that they are able to accomplish more through other people, they can complete an amazing amount of work.

Since they are completely performance conscious and have no perfectionist hang-ups, they reason, I’d rather get a number of things 70 to 80 percent finished than a few things 100 percent completed.

   Rocky Choleric is a natural motivator of other people. He oozes self-confidence, is extremely goal-conscious, and can inspire others to envision his goals.

   Cholerics have a built-in promotional ability and do well in sales, teaching (but always practical subjects), politics, military service, sports, and many other endeavors.