Growing up I had a really hard time remembering what each temperament referred to (melancholic was the only one I remembered, because it summed up my introverted personality). I really didn't pay much attention to the importance of the temperaments until I discovered Beatleology tucked away in the popular music section in Books A Million.
Beatleology is essentially a book on the four temperaments with each temperament correlating to one of the four Beatles (John, choleric; Paul, sanguine; George, melancholic; Ringo, phlegmatic). I'm usually skeptical of anything compared to the Beatles (and Beatleology does go overboard sometimes, like referring to the "Beatleverse" and how the Beatles are the ultimate answer to the theory of the human personality) but most of the book is pretty much spot on.
One thing I love that Beatleology brings up is the existence of "minor signs": basically, very few of us are one sole temperament (aka Beatle); the minor sign is a secondary temperament which exists along with our main temperament. So, you can have a fiery temper (John) and still be laid back and lazy (Ringo). Or in my case, my introverted, quiet personality (George) is lifted up by enthusiasm and popularity (Paul... not my favorite, but you don't choose your Beatle per se).
In many ways this minor sign is a good thing. I'm naturally introverted but in the right environment I can be outgoing. Pauls are generally tactless and demanding (this is coming from the book, not me) but Georges tend to think before they speak and bite their tongue when they really want to rip into someone and point out everything they did wrong.
Sounds like a good mix, right? Well, not really.
Beatleology doesn't just stop at your own major and minor Beatles. It goes into how these combinations affect your relationships with your boss, your kids, and your love life. Yeah, the love life section. It states that each temperament combined with another temperament will result in a very different relationship which can either be fantastic or disastrous. Here's where everything kind of fell apart for me. Each temperament is aligned with another of the four and the section goes on about the dynamics, the pros, the cons... Except for one combination: the Paul and the George. This one is summed up in three words: Resentful, Unaffectionate, Short-lived.
Uh-oh.
Okay, so it's not like I'm a Paul dating a George or vice versa, it's just that I'm a Paul and George combined. So...what does that mean? I have to stay away from anyone who might share half of my temperament combination? (Actually a friend and I have joked about this before: "Oh, you're a Paul? Sorry, this isn't going to work.") But seriously, it's a problem. But there's an even bigger problem: I have two temperaments which according to this extremely helpful book don't get along. Ever.
Anyone who knows me really well can probably see how this makes sense. Sometimes I'm confident and have my whole life planned out but I often doubt my own abilities and feel like I'm messed up everything I've ever done. Sometimes it even happens at the same time, actually it does more often than not. I hate making on the spot decisions for this reason; I basically have to let the two sides of me argue it out until I can sort through all the pros and cons.
Which, maybe isn't such a bad thing.
People often tell me I'm level-headed, which probably has to do with taking days to make a simple decision or responding with an indirect answer, just to get a feel of how the other person feels or where this conversation is going. It doesn't happen all the time - I make a ton of mistakes and my mom is constantly calling me "spontaneous" - but overall it's okay. I might have to avoid guys who share both my major and minor temperaments but a Paul/George combination doesn't necessarily mean the disaster Beatleology predicts. I mean, I'm still alive, so it can't be too bad.
If you're curious about your own temperament according to the Beatles I've attached a link below (the major sign is the main outcome, but if you come up as say 5 John and 4 Paul, your minor is a Paul). Share your results below, in the comments on Facebook, or causally mention it to me the next time I see you :) Best of luck!
Which Beatle are you?
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