What drives us?

[DarylB]

OK, is it an understatement to say there are some strong personalities on CP (of course excluding my demure self)? So I did an online personality survey, here's what came up for me.... feel free to bare your soul, and do tell we should be surprised!

Here's what came up for my survey, there are a lot of these, (pick any you like, if you like) and I'd think it could be fun to figure out from these "projections" why we all 'get along so well'. I imagine there's always that danger that you one could be :^o :

The Choleric / Sanguine

The choleric-sanguine is a blending of the two extroverted temperaments and will be somewhat less extraverted than the sanguine-choleric, because the choleric’s extraversion often takes a back-seat to his goal-oriented behavior. Nonetheless, this temperament combination is second only to the sanguine-choleric in terms of being outgoing and people-oriented. This temperament mix tends to give rise to an enthusiastic, motivational, and highly driven leader (choleric) whose social skills and interest in other people (sanguine nature) make him less dictatorial and capable of some flexibility. He will value relationships more than a pure choleric, and will show greater compassion in dealing with people, will be less controlling than the pure choleric, and will be more willing to take time out to relax and enjoy himself.

If you are a choleric-sanguine, you will find that you have a great amount of energy and inspiration for initiating projects and can be highly focused on task completion as well. Although you tend to be very objective, pragmatic, and logical -- and may sometimes find yourself stepping on toes in the process of accomplishing the task at hand -- you will also have the interpersonal skills needed to resolve conflict and to help people work together and get along with one another. The creativity and sensitivity of your sanguine nature will enable you to be flexible when the situation calls for it, and less demanding and harsh than a pure choleric would tend to be. You are likely an energetic leader or manager, with superb debating skills: firmly convinced that you are right, you also have the “people-skills” necessary to convince others as well!

Without strong formation and a deep spiritual life, however, your temperament’s weaknesses will be intensified. Without attention to self-formation you may find yourself quickly aroused to anger, yet also unforgiving. You can be impatient with others and overly opinionated. You may speak frankly or impulsively without regard for others’ feelings. You should take care that you become neither a workaholic nor driven by your passions. You may insist on having your own way, and become angered, blame others, or make excuses when corrected. But, once you become aware of the weaknesses of your nature, and make a commitment to self-improvement, you will be able to be equally determined in pursuing self-formation.

If your temperament is choleric-sanguine, for a better understanding of your temperament it is recommended that you read the full descriptions of the choleric and sanguine.

Virtues and Vices

Strengths and natural virtues:

active, assertive, bold, brave, capable, compelling, confident, competitive, determined, decisive, driving, dynamic, effective, energetic, enterprising, focused, forceful, goal-oriented, independent, opinionated, passionate, persevering, positive, pragmatic, productive, purposeful, quick, resolute, self-motivated, sharp, strong-willed, vigorous, zealous

Weaknesses and natural vices:

aggressive, ambitious, angry, antagonistic, argumentative, bossy, combative, defiant, dismissive, domineering, harsh, impatient, intolerant, oppositional, prideful, pushy, relentless, shrewd, stubborn, unempathic, unsympathetic

[Dharma]

Weaknesses and natural vices:

aggressive, ambitious, angry, antagonistic, argumentative, bossy, combative, defiant, dismissive, domineering, harsh, impatient, intolerant, oppositional, prideful, pushy, relentless, shrewd, stubborn, unempathic, unsympathetic.

Wow. This explains why people have the same reaction to you wherever you go.
http://blogs.newsobserver.com/wakepol/index.php?title=retreat&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

[DarylB]

I'll be the first to admit my personality is not for the faint of heart... and somehow, a number of these "vices" have and do serve me well as advantages as well.... ie, when I was doing aircraft accident investigations, would it really be beneficial if I weren't a "cut to the chase" kind of guy? I've also been called on to lead casualty notification teams (for the record, that's notifying family members of the death of one of their own). You can't be too heartless and do that well.

Anyway, that's me. Anyone else that wants to provide more insight about themselves, feel free to step up, to me it's interesting to see what makes people tick. And can I just say, it takes a little confidence, but also a little trust, so I for one would like to offer that it be kept in that spirit (ie, I don't think it's an appropriate place to toss our harpoons, so I won't be doing that here, nor do I plan to use anything from this conversation in the heat of battle). It's supposed to be "personal and confidential", and in that spirit, I'm more curious in this forum not so much WHAT others think, that we get in the other forums, but more in WHY others reason as they do.

[dhyatt]

Interesting... I'm Sanguine/Choleric vs. your Choleric/Sanguine
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The Sanguine / Choleric

The sanguine-choleric is the most extraverted of all the temperament combinations. With the addition of the choleric aspect, the optimistic, impulsive, fun-loving sanguine becomes more adept at follow-through, taking significant leadership roles, and juggling many projects without unduly sacrificing productivity. This temperament tends to be a happy combination of charm and decisiveness, creativity and analytical skill, friendliness and focus.

Your ability to connect with people balances out the domineering and relentless temperament of the pure choleric. You value relationships highly and make friends easily. You are insightful, enthusiastic, and affectionate; your sanguine capacity for dealing with people, combined with the leadership skills of the choleric, make you an excellent manager of people. You are also capable of constancy, dedication, and serious undertakings — though at times you may have been underestimated, due to your often humorous and light-hearted manner. You not only are capable of creative inspiration, but also you will find within yourself the persistence and drive needed to carry out your inspirations.

St. Peter may have been a sanguine-choleric. He was impulsive, enthusiastic, protective, talkative, frequently wrong — yet a heroic and passionate leader of the flock.

The bad news is that, if intellectual, human or spiritual formation is seriously lacking, this temperament blend can exhibit the worst of the two temperaments: overly talkative, brassy, opinionated, loud, rash, swift to jump to conclusions, and forgetful. If intellectual depth is lacking, this temperament mixture can become superficial, bossy, and intolerant. The high-spirited humor of the sanguine can become biting and hurtful when combined with the unforgiving, vengeful nature of the poorly formed choleric. If pleasure-seeking and impulsivity are not contained, the sanguine-choleric may wind up with a lax conscience that justifies his weaknesses, ultimately resulting in habitual sin. Easily captivated by exciting new projects or opportunities, the sanguine-choleric should watch out for his tendency to come up with great ideas, put everyone to work, and then drop the ball when the project gets tiresome. On the other hand, the natural generosity flowing from the sanguine temperament will commit him to many good works.

If your temperament is sanguine-choleric, for a better understanding of your temperament it is recommended that you read the full descriptions of the sanguine and choleric.
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Yikes!

Famous Sanguines

Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Magic Johnson, Franklin Roosevelt, Tigger

[Tonya]

Okay, I'll play:

I test as

The Pure Choleric

The choleric is your original "type A" personality. This temperament is characterized by quick, intense reactions to both external and internal stimuli. Reactions are sustained over time, so the choleric temperament is not only decisive, but also tenacious and driven to follow-through. The choleric is typically extraverted--which means that his energy is focused externally, actively, and socially. This temperament is characterized by determination, energy, forcefulness, confidence, intensity, and vitality.

If you are a choleric, you are a dynamic, self-motivated leader who can set your sights on a target and relentlessly pursue it until success is achieved. You are a strong-willed individual who makes decisions quickly and decisively, and who readily and easily grasps difficult concepts and strategies. Learning comes quickly to you, and you like to take action immediately. You think logically and pragmatically, and are sometimes accused of "rolling over" people once you have set a plan in motion. You do not readily reveal deep emotions—except anger. Cholerics are often accused of being stubborn, domineering, and dictatorial. You demand loyalty from your friends, and thrive when you are in control. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a choleric president: "There is nothing I love as much as a good fight," he famously said.

It has often been said that cholerics are either great saints. . . or great sinners. St. Paul was probably a choleric. He was a brilliant and zealous Pharisee—driven, at first, to persecute the early Christian community, but then, after his conversion, he became the greatest defender of the faith. If you are a choleric, humility comes with difficulty. You have a predilection for doing your own will, and thinking that you always know what is right and best. But, once you commit yourself to a life of virtue and growth in holiness, your determination will be turned toward service of Christ and the Church. A good spiritual director will help you identify God’s will for you, and attentiveness to your prayer life, especially meditative prayer, will help your naturally quite active temperament become more contemplative.


Strengths and natural virtues:

active, assertive, bold, brave, capable, compelling, confident, competitive, determined, decisive, driving, dynamic, effective, energetic, enterprising, focused, forceful, goal-oriented, independent, opinionated, passionate, persevering, positive, pragmatic, productive, purposeful, quick, resolute, self-motivated, sharp, strong-willed, vigorous, zealous

Weaknesses and natural vices:

aggressive, ambitious, angry, antagonistic, argumentative, bossy, combative, defiant, dismissive, domineering, harsh, impatient, intolerant, oppositional, prideful, pushy, relentless, shrewd, stubborn, unempathic, unsympathetic


Interesting that we all seem to have some form of choleric, huh? Must be the extrovert factor.

The only thing I would really disagree with is the "unempathetic, unsympathetic" characterization. I'm not sure that fits--I think I'm pretty much a bleeding heart. The rest I could cop to at one time or another.

Here's what I find interesting, too: this description of my personality bears a strong resemblance to those found for my astrological sign (Leo). Anyone else note that?