Phlegmatic: characteristics, pros and cons of temperament

You've probably noticed that some people are in a good mood all the time, while others have the slightest reason to be sad; some have time for everything, while others cannot come anywhere without being late; someone grasps on the fly, while someone needs long and tedious explanations. The reason for this is human temperament. Today we will talk about phlegmatic people, their characteristics, the peculiarities of relations with them and the upbringing of children of this type.

Under the definition of phlegmatic in psychology, very slow people are designated, a feature of which is equanimity, which they retain in any situation. In order to unbalance them, you need to really try, such people are extremely laconic and, as a rule, carefully hide their feelings and experiences.

Due to the fact that phlegmatic people have a slower reaction rate, many of these people seem lethargic, tired and even unwilling to fulfill the requests of friends and orders of their superiors. Sometimes it seems that these people are not able to feel either fear, sadness, or joy, or delight. Actually, many people believe that phlegmatic people do not experience any emotions at all, but this is far from the case. Under the mask of serenity, there is a real hurricane of feelings and experiences, but these people will never betray themselves with a glance or a word.

Phlegmatic people are calm, balanced and unshakable like a rock, you can expect aggression from them only in the most extreme situations. These people are also distinguished by their thoroughness and balanced decision-making.Phlegmatic people never base them on feelings and sensations, these people make the final verdict only as a result of careful deliberation, many days of analysis and weighing all the pros and cons. This means that you will never hear from such a person the phrase "an inner voice prompted me ...", they are extremely responsible and extremely focused.

Isolating phlegmatic is quite simple. These are people who are stingy in showing emotions. They always express their joy or sadness in an extremely restrained manner, the biggest problem for them is a sharp change in activity or the transience of events in their personal lives. For example, they may be upset if a favorite restaurant is closed or an unwanted move to a new place of residence is imminent. The absence of any changes becomes the basic parameter of well-being and complete safety. If the circumstances around change too much and quickly, this can cause a nervous breakdown and neurosis, since the phlegmatic psyche simply cannot withstand acute internal experiences.

Phlegmatic people are introverts, that is, people who often resort to self-examination and introspection. Being alone, they get the opportunity to dream, reflect on their mistakes and make plans for the future.

As a rule, phlegmatic individuals have adequate or even reduced self-esteem. These people do not have the habit of making increased demands on others, they are not characterized by the manifestation of ambition, therefore, they rarely reach heights in their careers, they have enough tits in their hands. Phlegmatic people avoid being in the spotlight, they are alien to the crowd, large audience or any public speaking.

In relations with family and friends, they try in every possible way to avoid aggravating the corners. At the time of quarrels, either they are silent, or they agree with their opponent, and more often they simply leave so as not to take part in the showdown.

The phlegmatic character has both advantages and disadvantages.

These people are distinguished by external firmness of character, absolute calmness, strength and confidence. Usually, everyone around them is drawn to such personalities, they are attracted by the opportunity to find support and participation. Phlegmatic people are sweet and very charming people who charge their friends and relatives with their charisma.

The undoubted advantage of phlegmatic people is that it is almost impossible to knock them out of balance. In order for them to lose their temper, something extraordinary must happen, in this case he will express his displeasure in a rather stern, very formidable voice, but laconic. As a rule, such "remarks" make a crushing impression on the opponent.

Phlegmatic people are considered unique people who can easily get along with representatives of all other types of temperament. Such people accept others as they are, do not seek to bend them under themselves and remake them. They are born diplomats who can always find a common language even with indifferent personalities. They do not take disappointment, resentment and threats to heart, therefore they rarely experience an unpleasant feeling of bitterness if the desired does not work out.

Such people absolutely do not have the habit of using the people around them for personal gain, it is unusual for them to weave various intrigues behind their backs, such people keep secrets well and you can always trust them without fear of publicity.

Phlegmatic people always help if you ask them for help, but they do everything in their power to ensure that the request is granted. At the same time, they are always responsible for their words, and if you thank them for the support provided, they will continue to try to help with even greater zeal.

Phlegmatic people have a tendency to make decisions for a long time, but if they still intend to act, they will go to the end. If the situation begins to get out of control, then they activate all their internal forces and direct them to find a way out of the current situation. Exceptional dedication, complete diligence and endless diligence are the main qualities of a phlegmatic person.

Do not assume that phlegmatic people are always "in themselves", on the contrary, they are people with a well-developed sense of humor. At the same time, they do not throw jokes incessantly, unlike sanguine people, but in difficult times they can always defuse the situation with a witty joke.

However, phlegmatic people also have disadvantages.

People of this type find it difficult to adapt to various changes that can unsettle them for a long time, deprive them of a sense of safety and security, and cause nostalgia. Phlegmatic people are not very fond of travel and trips, as they are unable to quickly get used to new living conditions.

Outwardly, these people do not show any emotions, because many around them regard this attitude as complete indifference. Such people are often accused of callousness and heartlessness. And since they are laconic, they do not seek to convince others of the opposite.

Sacrifice is a feature that quite often harms the phlegmatic person himself, as it rather rapidly depletes his nervous system. In any difficult situation, a phlegmatic person tries to console the others, literally radiating confidence and calmness, but a real storm is boiling in their souls. Internal experiences do not receive an external outlet and deplete the internal forces of the body. Thus, the phlegmatic person directs all his negativity to himself, since acting out on other people is a taboo for them.

As a rule, phlegmatic people take a long time to assess their environment. Any change in circumstances can knock the ground out from under their feet, but after the whole environment has been thoroughly analyzed, phlegmatic people begin to take steps towards achieving their goals.

Due to their balance, such people are quite hardworking and persistent, they tend to memorize a large amount of information and thoroughly analyze all the information they have.

Typically, phlegmatic people often act as a vest - constantly provide a shoulder and are ready to provide any support. Their prudence and inner core allows them to reconsider the problem situation and offer another solution, more balanced and deliberate.

As for his own experiences, a person of this type will never share them with other people, even the closest ones. These people are real realists who do not create any illusions, live in the present, set clear goals for themselves and do not consider dreams necessary and useful for life.

It is impossible to determine what a phlegmatic person thinks about and what he feels, their face is devoid of any emotions and it is difficult to give a description of their feelings and thoughts from it. By the way, this sometimes infuriates more hot-tempered choleric people and emotional sanguine people. Many people take this outward calmness and low reaction rate for the fact that the person is simply inhibited, but in fact this is not at all the case.

Phlegmatic people are rather reserved people, which is why it is quite difficult for them to make friends and build close relationships. They are rather reluctant to make contact and for too long to converge with others. But if this person nevertheless chose a friend for himself, then such a connection will be very strong, this is friendship, which is called "for centuries."It is safe to say that you will not find a more faithful and reliable friend than a phlegmatic person.

Phlegmatic people are considered very good family men; they rarely find their other half from among new acquaintances. As a rule, this is a person with whom they have known for a long time - perhaps they lived in the neighborhood or studied together. When they mature to a marriage proposal, phlegmatic people think for a long time. Although such inhibition is more likely to benefit them, since a spouse is a person with whom they will have to go hand in hand through life, and the decision about marriage should be as balanced and thoughtful as possible. The value of marriage bonds for a phlegmatic person is very great.

As a rule, phlegmatic people enter into marital relations in middle age. Their family life goes on smoothly - you will not expect any scandals with breaking dishes from them. If a partner hurts them, they will simply withdraw and stop communicating indefinitely.

Sanguine people are characterized as active, lively and mobile people who quickly respond to events happening around them and at the same time relatively easily survive the setbacks and troubles that happen to them. This type is completely opposite to the slow phlegmatic, afraid of changes, who is characterized by self-examination and introspection, which are included every time something in life does not go according to plan.

A choleric person is perhaps the most emotional type, an extrovert. People of this temperament are impetuous, fast and at the same time completely unbalanced. Choleric people are characterized by mood swings, violent nervous reactions, emotional outbursts and a change in the line of behavior. Unlike phlegmatic people who know how to control themselves, a choleric person will never accumulate discontent - everything that he wants to say to his opponent, he will not say, but shout. This means that Italian passions with throwing objects and smashing dishes are about them.

But melancholic people are described by psychologists as very vulnerable and sensitive people who deeply and for a long time experience even the smallest setbacks - this is their main difference from phlegmatic people. But the absence of a strong external reaction certainly unites these two temperaments. This is a kind of mixed type between choleric and phlegmatic.

Phlegmatic children fully correspond to the characteristic features of this type of temperament. From a very young age, such crumbs are distinguished by extreme slowness, love of order. At the same time, they are characterized by high efficiency and energy. Children of this type have great difficulty in switching from one activity to another. They take any changes hard, so changing school and place of residence can be very stressful for them.

Many people call phlegmatic children golden, it is very easy to get along with them, children are very obedient and inactive. At a very young age, they very rarely cry and do not require increased parental attention. Such children speak slowly, there are long pauses between words. Kids do not immediately answer the questions posed and can literally sit for hours over a piece of paper, and often they need to be nudged in order for them to start doing something.

That is why psychologists give several important recommendations to parents of phlegmatic children.

Try to develop mobility in the child, but this should be done gradually, without rushing. Give it to the sports section, but it is advisable that these were not team sports - let it go its own way. At the same time, work on hardening him, do not let him sleep too much.Such a baby should not be left alone for a long time, he needs to ensure a frequent change of backgrounds and impressions - travel with him, visit exhibitions, museums, concerts, be sure to visit and invite friends to your house.

Try to develop the creative abilities of the crumbs, let him draw, play music, dance, sculpt, recite and express himself in every possible way. That being said, don't set yourself the goal of making him a great artist or artist. Your task is to reduce the baby's fear of the public, of communication and self-expression.

A separate role in the upbringing of a phlegmatic person belongs to games. It may seem to you that your child does not need anything and is not interested, but this is far from the case. Serious passions are boiling inside the phlegmatic and you should teach your child to cope with them. That is why role-playing games should play the main role in your leisure time, while stimulating the child to come up with a thematic line on his own, ask who exactly you intend to play with - a plush bunny or a kitten. Ask him to come up with a name for his hero himself, invite him to compose the route of the toy himself and find a way out of the difficult situation in which the animal fell. The child should feel like a real master of the situation. A child needs such games, and from early childhood - only in this way will he gradually learn to react to certain situations and by the age of 4-5 he will be able to confidently keep himself in the circle of his peers.

Pay special attention to outdoor games. Many mothers find it meaningless to spend time in the sandbox, and this is natural, because the picture of a happy childhood for most of us is associated with an active pastime, fun races with friends, toy fights, catch-ups and taggers. And yet, do not try to break the child, you must help him adapt, awaken his interest in physical activity, but not force him. To get started, start with the most common games, such as catch-up. Let the baby catch up with you, and then you will, while be sure to let him catch you, and do everything possible so that the baby considers himself fast and dexterous. This gives the baby self-confidence and liberates him.

If a child cheerfully slides down the hill - be sure to loudly express delight at his speed and agility, if he threw the ball into the goal - congratulate him on a successfully scored goal. A child should fall in love with sports games, only in this case physical activity will become a part of his life in the future.

Working for people with a phlegmatic temperament is viewed in terms of achieving various business goals. As a rule, they give a slow reaction at the start, but thanks to their penchant for analysis, endless diligence and exceptional hard work, they usually become ideal performers.

Despite the large number of positive characteristics, such people, as a rule, tend to underestimate their self-esteem, do not feel confident in their abilities, which does not allow them to build a good career and reach some TOP positions in business.

Such a person always refuses mass events, lectures, seminars, trainings, speeches and meetings with partners in public places. Phlegmatic people categorically do not accept work associated with constant business trips and travels, since in this case they will have to leave their home and spend at least a minimum time where everything is alien to them and far away.

Phlegmatic people assess their abilities exceptionally sensibly and will never undertake the solution of those tasks that they cannot afford.The option “the main thing is to get involved in a war - and then we'll see” is not for them, therefore they prefer stable labor relations with a standard set of job responsibilities.

Such bosses are highly valued among subordinates - inert and taciturn, they will never scold their employee, especially in public. Usually, at first glance, employees are afraid of him, but over time they find weaknesses and begin to very confidently manipulate such a boss.

The best areas of employment for phlegmatic people are considered professions from the following list:

• scientist and researcher;
• accountant or financial analyst;
• botanist;
• doctor.

There are quite a few phlegmatic people known in history. So, the most famous Russian commander who defeated Napoleon's army, Mikhail Ivanovich Kutuzov, had a phlegmatic temperament. He is accompanied by the outstanding fabulist Ivan Andreevich Krylov, as well as the first chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Adenauer, who became famous for himself - it is he who is credited with the restoration of Germany in the post-war years, when he literally raised it from ruins and led to stable economic and social growth. By the way, as the story goes, at the university he was not popular with students - he was considered a bore, so he spent all his time exclusively on studies and science.

The creator of the hydrogen bomb, the famous Soviet scientist Andrei Sakharov was also a phlegmatic, and among his colleagues he was considered a real slow-witted, who was unable to quickly understand what he was told.

Oddly enough, there are also a lot of phlegmatic people in the world of sports. For example, the well-known coach of the football team, Dick Advocaat, belongs to this type, although even he sometimes allows himself to succumb to emotions on the field, but he communicates with representatives of the press extremely restrained and laconic.

Among the famous women phlegmatic, one can also note the Russian poet Marina Tsvetaeva, as well as the singers Lolita Milyavskaya, Alla Pugacheva, Lyudmila Zykina and actresses Natalia Gundareva and Irina Muravyova.

And among men, the famous politician Gennady Zyuganov and the philosopher of past years Immanuel Kant can be classified as phlegmatic.

For the character traits of phlegmatic people, see the video below.