Body-Type & Classic Temperaments

[Psychdigg]

This chart of somatotypes shows the locations of the various combinations of the classic temperaments. Each somatotype area is larger than the MBTI because there are twelve vs. sixteen types.

 

[miss fortune]

hmmm... I'm an anomaly... what a surprise

 

[Betty Blue]

Can you explain a little more of this please

 

[FDG]

Mm. Fits for me, I think.

 

[Chloe]

i score as san-mel but according to chart i am sang-phlegmatic 4 3 4, but borderline sang-mel so it mostly fits for me too.

 

[Haphazard]

5 1 5.

 

[Psychdigg]

gemPOPgem:

I think I'm allowed to refer to my blog? I have written a "typologycentral" blog that explains "What is a Somatotype".

You might want to look at that.

 

[Such Irony]

Where would mel-phleg fall on this chart? I don't see it on there.

 

[Psychdigg]

paradigm-shift:

Are you blind?

I actually labeled it wrong. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[Eric B]

I don't even understand this one. Is this suggesting physical body shape?

You would have 16 types if you allowed for the four "pure" temperaments in addition to the blends.

In my matchup of the temperaments and types, ENFP does match San-Phleg. (ENP + NF).

 

[Psychdigg]

Eric B

You would have 16 types if you allowed for the four "pure" temperaments in addition to the blends.

Permutations of 4 items = 4! Four factorial = 4x3x2x1 = 24 I am only using the first two domimant items thus 12.

 

[Eric B]

The way I find the temperaments match type is through the Keirsey groups plus Interaction Styles. Both of those sets can be matched to the four ancient temperaments (Though I had to dispute Keirsey's matching on NF and NT).
So each type is one temperament and one Style. ISTJ, ENTJ, ESFP and INFP will end up with the same temperament in both groupings. (e.g. Melancholy-Melancholy: IST + SJ, etc)

 

[Psychdigg]

Eric B

It is based on Dr. W.H. Sheldon's method of somatotyping. Endomorphy = Visceral Dominance, Mesomorphy = Muscular Dominance, Ectomorphy = Nervous System Dominance Midrange body types = Orientational System Dominance.

I have a blog on this site that explains in more detail what is meant by somatotype.

 

[OrangeAppled]

I am melancholy, or possibly mel-phleg. In any case, I am also an ectomorph....of course, this doesn't jive with the somatypes chart, being that I am also INFP. Mel-phleg is certainly INFP-ish, especially enneagram 4w5.

 

[Psychdigg]

Orange Appled:

I don't get what you are saying. Yes No Maybe Sometime? It is possible to drift into adjacent areas because MBTI is not really bimodal. Everyone falls on a nice bell curve between the extremes. Nature likes it that way because the middle affords the advantage of adaptability. What is unusual is when a person jumps accross the chart from somatotype of an INFP and a personality of an ESTP.

 

[OrangeAppled]

Orange Appled:

I don't get what you are saying. Yes No Maybe Sometime? It is possible to drift into adjacent areas because MBTI is not really bimodal. Everyone falls on a nice bell curve between the extremes. Nature likes it that way because the middle affords the advantage of adaptability. What is unusual is when a person jumps accross the chart from somatotype of an INFP and a personality of an ESTP.

I am ectomorphic & melancholy, which go together on this chart, but on the other chart, that same section seems to be INTx territory, and I am definitely INFP. Melancholy descriptions always sound closer to Feeling than Thinking also, so the two chart seems contradictory. That's what I am saying.

 

[Eric B]

Didn't you take one or more of the other Galen tests? I looked through a couple of them, but couldn't find you.

The purest Melancholy is ISTJ (both the IST "Chart the Course" part, as well as the SJ "Guardian/Stabilizer"), and it does have the tertiary Fi, so many descriptions do point out strong Feeling traits. They also point it out as very artistic (where in Keirsey's theory, it is the Sanguine/Dionysian SP). But it is otherwise a very strong Thinking temperament. INTJ is Melancholy-Choleric, so it figures it might match that on his chart.

Mel-Phleg seems to be INFJ, (the true "feeling" Melancholy), and INFP seems to be the pure Phlegmatic. Cognitively, it is very close to ISTJ, however (FiNeSiTe, vs SiTeFiNe). If you're Melancholy and Phlegmatic, you could actually be Phleg-Phleg-Mel in the Inclusion-Control-Affection system, in which the Melancholy part is in the area of Affection, which is the deepest level of the person, and not clearly represented in type. So you would see yourself as Melancholy while still possibly being an INFP.

 

[KLessard]

I am melancholic-phlegmatic and ectomorphy fits me pretty well. I am kind of flat, I guess. But I am not particularly tall, just average (5'5').

 

[OrangeAppled]

Didn't you take one or more of the other Galen tests? I looked through a couple of them, but couldn't find you.

The purest Melancholy is ISTJ (both the IST "Chart the Course" part, as well as the SJ "Guardian/Stabilizer"), and it does have the tertiary Fi, so many descriptions do point out strong Feeling traits. They also point it out as very artistic (where in Keirsey's theory, it is the Sanguine/Dionysian SP). But it is otherwise a very strong Thinking temperament. INTJ is Melancholy-Choleric, so it figures it might match that on his chart.

Mel-Phleg seems to be INFJ, (the true "feeling" Melancholy), and INFP seems to be the pure Phlegmatic. Cognitively, it is very close to ISTJ, however (FiNeSiTe, vs SiTeFiNe). If you're Melancholy and Phlegmatic, you could actually be Phleg-Phleg-Mel in the Inclusion-Control-Affection system, in which the Melancholy part is in the area of Affection, which is the deepest level of the person, and not clearly represented in type. So you would see yourself as Melancholy while still possibly being an INFP.

From what I've read about Melancholy, to equate it with SJs seems rather laughable. I've seen these connections made, which make more sense to me (although I don't think they align perfectly):

NF - Melancholy
SP - Sanguine
SJ - Phlegmatic
NT - Choleric


I only sometimes test mel-phleg anyway. I'm not an easy-going, peace-making type, and I definitely don't come off that way to those close to me (as I receive different feedback).

 

[Psychdigg]

I think H.J. Eysenck has the correct understanding of temperament. The following chart illustrates this: