Sunday, June 16, 2013

Perfectionism

I discovered someone who used the Winnie the Pooh characters to illustrate the Four Humors.
http://catholicgraymatters.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-4-temperaments-theory-as-explained.html

Roo – Sanguine
Roo displays a laughing streak and an absurd level of happiness which only a sanguine could possibly possess.

Where Sanguine is T1.
characterized by their social nature
Tigger – Intense Sanguine
The energetic Tigger wreaks absolute havoc in the Hundred Acre Wood with his spontaneous antics. He is the classic sanguine: a lot of fun to be around, but little self-control and no attention span whatsoever.

Winnie-the-Pooh – Phlegmatic
All the other animals in the Hundred Acre Wood love Pooh Bear, precisely 
because he is so easygoing and pleasant to be around. Pooh is content 
to relax and let stronger personalities or circumstances lead him.
Where Phlegmatic is T2.
characterized by submissiveness
Rabbit – Choleric-Melancholic
Rabbit likes things done his own way, and trusts to his strong and stubborn will (sometimes, too much) above all else. He also has a melancholic perfectionist streak, as witnessed by his obsessive gardening and his at times reclusive attitude.

Where Choleric is T3, and Rabbit is T3/4.
characterized by dominance and confidence
Eeyore – Melancholic
The pessimistic and perpetually sorrowful Eeyore is the epitome of the reclusive, sorrowful melancholic, always expecting the worst from others and from life.

Where Melancholic is T4.
characterized by their perfecting and perfectionistic nature
Piglet – Phlegmatic-melancholic
In the words of the Genius: “Piglet exemplifies order and decency.” (This is an actual quote.)
Piglet gets along with everyone, is peaceful, and is Pooh Bear’s rock in the storm. But he worries far more than most phlegmatics, displaying his melancholic tendency to overthink matters.

I am sometimes Eeyore, but more often Piglet, the Phlegmatic/Melancholic (or in our parlance, the T2/4).

I also just finished a 4th/5th step process in my recovery program.  I've been in recovery nearly 25 years, but it always helps to repeat the steps.  This time around, I discovered my core defect of character is Pride and Pride in Reverse (low self-esteem), and Perfectionism.

AA Twelve Steps & Twelve Tradtions, p. 48-49

... but hey, don't listen to me or anyone, EXPRESS YOUR TRUTH! Jane

1 comment:

Vildy said...

oh! Finally, I get it: I'm Rabbit.