MEN'S WORKSHOP
This workshop is cancelled
An easy way to explain the four temperaments:
An exaggerated way of understanding the four temperaments is to consider four people who see a star fall to earth. The Sanguine talks about it animatedly to all present; the Choleric wants to form an expedition to find it and analyze it; the Melancholic ponders what it means and how he feels about it; and the Phlegmatic waits for the others to decide what to do as whatever decision they make is fine by him. (Ref. Fisheaters.com)
Examples:
1. The Choleric: St. Paul, St. Louis Marie DeMontfort
2. The Melancholic: St. John of the Cross, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
3. The Sanguine: St. Peter, St. Philip Neri
4. The Phlegmatic: St. Thomas Aquinas, Pope John XXIII
Why is understanding your temperament important?
We are all called to holiness (referred to as the universal call to holiness). What does it mean to be called to holiness? It means that we are called to an awareness of the struggles within ourselves in order to overcome the weakness of our human nature. We are called to live the life of Christ, to be perfect as our heavenly Father is (Matt. 5:48). In order to do this, we need to heed the advice of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, who stated, "Man, know thyself." The desire to respond to the universal call to holiness prompts a proper understanding of our temperaments in order to shun vices and strive toward virtue.
1. The first function of the temperaments is self-knowledge. If I know myself, then I know how to adjust myself either toward the good or against the bad. Each day we strive to grow in holiness. We wish we could acquire virtues, and certainly would love it if that was to be easy. In order to grow in virtue and holiness, proper self-knowledge helps to know where to begin. The temperaments tell how we act and react to stimuli and situations. They tell us how we respond to the environment and to those around us. In a sense, we can say that a proper knowledge of the temperaments prepares us for the working of grace because, primarily, grace builds on nature.
2. The second function of temperaments is knowledge of the other. Naturally, human beings are made for connection. We seek ways to feel connections in our lives, but each of us is unique and responds differently to those connections. Littauer (1992) rightly states, "If we were all identical eggs in a carton, a giant mother hen could warm us up and turn us into slick chicks or roving roosters overnight, but we're all different. We are all born with our own set of strengths and weaknesses, and no magic formula works wonders for all of us."
Why do you act the way you act, maybe annoying, withdrawn, upsetting, or even avoidant? Why do you come across the way you do to your spouse or colleague? Why does it seem like you face similar struggles in life? These are questions that confront each of us on a daily basis. The more you know whether your temperament is sanguine, choleric, melancholic, or phlegmatic, the better you can answer some of these questions and concerns. Such knowledge can help you improve your relationship, first, through enhanced self-knowledge and then, through a better knowledge of your partner after this workshop.
For more information on the temperaments, see: The Temperament God Gave You, by Art and Larraine Bennett
https://www.catholiccompany.com/temperament-god-gave-you-i7110/
Also visit: https://www.goodcatholic.com/a-catholic-guide-to-the-four-temperaments/