Melancholic
In a nutshell...
Melancholic people are emotionally
sensitive, perfectionistic introverts.
Perfectionistic
The defining feature of a melancholic
attitude is perfectionism. They are idealists who wish for things to
be a certain way, and they get distressed when they are not.They hold
themselves and others to unrealistically high standards, and get
distressed when these standards are not met.
This leads to them being
self-deprecating - because they do not meet their own standards - and
critical of others - because those others do not meet their
standards.Their generally dour demeanour comes from their inner
struggle between an imperfect world and a desire for perfection.
Many melancholics wish to learn and to
understand, to know the details of every little thing, because to be
ignorant is to stray from perfection. They are not content to just
accept things the way that they are.They are inquisitive and ask
specific questions in order to come to a clearer understanding.This
leads many of them to be overanalytical, neurotic worriers.They are
very stubborn, because they try very hard to stick to their own
carefully considered views and standards of perfection, and are not
easily shifted from this path. They do not go with the flow.They are
tenacious and cannot let things go, because 'good enough' is not good
enough. They strive for perfection.They are very pessimistic, and
assume the worst due to these unrealistic standards.
They think and plan before they act;
they are not the types who will resort to rash, impulsive behaviour,
and will panic if they are unable to plan in advance.It's easier for
them to reject and hate things than it is for them to love and
embrace them. Their interests and tastes are picked carefully, and
they give a lot of attention to each one, and hold them close to
their hearts, rather than having many fleeting interests that change
quickly and often.They complain a lot, in a 'whinging' kind of way
rather than a 'put down' or 'demanding' kind of way.They tend to
argue, because they cannot simply let things be if they seem wrong.
They argue using reason, evidence, logic, and explanations, delivered
analytically or with pleading. They only argue to set wrongs right,
rather than to assert dominance. The argument is about the issue, not
about them.They respond poorly to compliments, often 'rebutting' them
by saying that they're not so great after all.
"Wow, that's a really nice
painting you just made!"
"I don't know, the eyes are
probably too big..." (rather than "Thanks!")
They will blame themselves for
mistakes, because they are acutely aware of their own imperfection.
They tend to prefer things to be tidy,
organised in some way or another. This doesn't necessarily mean
'neat' as such; often they have very idiosyncratic organisation
methods.
They are idealists, who imagine perfect
fantasies and feel upset when things don't live up to these
fantasies.
They prefer to tackle the heart of the
matter, which can lead to them avoiding 'beating around the bush'.
Introverted
Melancholics are the most introverted
of the temperaments in that they crave time alone, and are most at
ease in their own company.
They can enjoy spending time with
others, but this drains their energy, and they need alone time in
order to recharge.
Much of their introversion comes from
their perfectionism. They are picky about the sorts of people that
they associate with; people who meet their standards and share their
outlook. People that don't will make them uncomfortable; they do not
wish to talk to 'anyone and everyone'.
Their self-deprecation also makes them
think that they might not be very interesting anyway, that they
aren't really worth spending time with, even if they know in the
depths of their minds that they are very interesting indeed.
Once they have someone to talk to in a
quiet and relaxed environment, they can talk a lot and will enjoy
sharing thoughts and ideas.
They are very wary of making friends.
Unlike sanguines, it can take them a very long time for them to
consider someone they're familiar with a 'friend', but once they've
reached this point, they will likely stick with that person loyally.
They prefer having a few close friends
to many acquaintances.
They can be seen as selfish, because
they prefer to be alone with their thoughts, to have their own
things, rather than sharing time or possessions socially with others.
They are usually very possessive about
the things that they own and are reluctant to let others borrow or
use them, because they treat their own things well, care about
everything deeply, and will worry that others will not look after
them with the same level of care.
They could be described as 'intense',
rather than 'easy-going'.
Sensitive
Melancholics are very emotional. They
are moved deeply by beauty, and by distress. They are very easily
hurt, because of their perfectionistic tendencies.
Often their moods are like delicate
glass sculptures; built up slowly, deliberately, and carefully, but
easily broken, and hard to repair once shattered.
They respond to things that they
dislike with misery and with tears rather than with rage.
They are very slow to 'snap', but will
hold onto emotions for a very long time. They hold grudges, because
people who have failed to meet their standards, who have hurt them,
will not just suddenly meet those standards without changing
drastically.
They can become very 'moody', and they
can be difficult to interact with because they are so easily hurt.
They are not aggressive, and wish to
flee from things that cause them distress.
If they want to get back at another
person, they are more likely to make them feel guilty than to insult
them bluntly.
They are 'thin-skinned'.
Role
In our distant ancestors, the
melancholic members of a pack may have been the analysts, the
information gatherers. They scouted for potential danger, or for
food, and reported back to the pack leader. The more accurate their
findings were, the better; this led to a trend towards perfectionism,
as the 'analysts' closer to perfection survived better than those
that made sloppy mistakes.
In current society, they often tend
towards analytical roles such as scientists, analysts, programmers,
logicians, and so on. In fantasy settings, they may be wizards or
sages.
Credits
to;http://temperaments.fighunter.com/?page=melancholic
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