from: The Four Temperaments test

• In a nutshell...
  • Melancholic people are emotionally sensitive, perfectionistic introverts.
• Perfectionistic
  • The defining feature of a melancholic attitude is perfectionism.
  • They are idealists who wish for things to be a certain way, and they get distressed when they are not.
  • unrealistically high standards
  • self-deprecating - because they do not meet their own standards
  • critical of others - because those others do not meet their standards.
  • inner struggle between an imperfect world and a desire for perfection.
  • they wish to learn and to understand, to know the details of every little thing, because to be ignorant is to stray from perfection.
  • They are not content to just accept things the way that they are.
  • inquisitive
  • ask specific questions in order to come to a clearer understanding.
  • => overanalytical, neurotic worriers.
  • stubborn, because they try very hard to stick to their own standards of perfection, and are not easily shifted from this path.
  • They do not go with the flow.
  • 'good enough' is not good enough.
  • very pessimistic
  • They think and plan before they act; they are not the types who will resort to rash, impulsive behaviour, and will panic if they are unable to plan in advance.
  • It's easier for them to reject and hate things than it is for them to love and embrace them.
• They argue using reason, evidence, logic, and explanations.
  • They only argue to set wrongs right, rather than to assert dominance.
• They respond poorly to compliments, often 'rebutting' them by saying that they're not so great after all.
• They will blame themselves for mistakes
• They tend to prefer things to be tidy, organised in some way or another.
  • often they have very idiosyncratic organisation methods.
• They are idealists
  • and feel upset when things don't live up to these fantasies.
• They prefer to tackle the heart of the matter, avoiding 'beating around the bush'.
• Introverted
  • Melancholics are the most introverted of the temperaments in that they crave time alone, and are most at ease in their own company.
  • They can enjoy spending time with others, but this drains their energy, and they need alone time in order to recharge.
  • Much of their introversion comes from their perfectionism.
  • They are picky about the sorts of people that they associate with; people who meet their standards and share their outlook.
  • they do not wish to talk to 'anyone and everyone'.
  • Their self-deprecation also makes them think that they might not be very interesting anyway, that they aren't really worth spending time with, even if they know in the depths of their minds that they are very interesting indeed.
  • Once they have someone to talk to in a quiet and relaxed environment, they can talk a lot and will enjoy sharing thoughts and ideas.
• They are very wary of making friends.
  • it can take them a very long time for them to consider someone they're familiar with a 'friend', but once they've reached this point, they will likely stick with that person loyally.
• They prefer having a few close friends to many acquaintances.
• They can be seen as selfish, because they prefer to be alone with their thoughts, to have their own things, rather than sharing time or possessions socially with others.
• They are usually very possessive about the things that they own and are reluctant to let others borrow or use them
• They could be described as 'intense', rather than 'easy-going'.
• Sensitive
  • Melancholics are very emotional.
  • They are moved deeply by beauty, and by distress.
  • very easily hurt, because of their perfectionistic tendencies.
• They respond to things that they dislike with misery and with tears rather than with rage.
• They will hold onto emotions for a very long time.
• They hold grudges.
• They can become very 'moody', and they can be difficult to interact with because they are so easily hurt.
• They are not aggressive, and wish to flee from things that cause them distress.
• Role
  • In our distant ancestors, the melancholic members of a pack may have been the analysts, the information gatherers.
  • They scouted for potential danger, or for food, and reported back to the pack leader.
  • The more accurate their findings were, the better; this led to a trend towards perfectionism, as the 'analysts' closer to perfection survived better than those that made sloppy mistakes.
  • In current society, they often tend towards analytical roles such as scientists, analysts, programmers, logicians, and so on.
  • In fantasy settings, they may be wizards or sages.