phlegmatic temperament

ancient physiology

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June 17, 2026

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The phlegmatic temperament is rooted in ancient Greek physiology and the theory of four humors. Phlegm, associated with the element of water (cold and moist), was believed to influence personality, resulting in a cool, calm, and unemotional disposition. This temperament is characterized by being slow-moving, apathetic, and undemonstrative. While the Greek word "phlegma" literally means "flame," it was linked to the cold and moist element, imparting a personality type that is not easily moved by emotions. Modern psychology has moved beyond humoral theories, focusing instead on factors like the autonomic nervous system and endocrine glands to understand emotional reactivity and temperament.1234

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humour
…was sanguine (Latin sanguis, “blood”), phlegmatic, choleric, or melancholic. Each complexion had specific characteristics, and the words carried much weight that they have since lost: e.g., the choleric man was not only quick to anger but also yellow-faced, lean, hairy, proud, ambitious, revengeful, and shrewd. By extension, “humour” in the…
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…was sanguine (Latin sanguis, “blood”), phlegmatic, choleric, or melancholic. Each complexion had specific characteristics, and the words carried much weight that they have since lost: e.g., the choleric man was not only quick to anger but also yellow-faced, lean, hairy, proud, ambitious, revengeful, and shrewd. By extension, “humour” in the…
Read More