Why do some trad priests keep on talking about "temperaments"?

[Scriptorium]

I learned about the four temperaments when I was young, from  an excellent small book called  The Four Temperaments by Rev. Conrad Hock.  It is a very Catholic and very concise book, and well worth reading by any Catholic who is trying to know and improve himself.  Here it is online http://catholinks.com/FourTemperaments.htm

This. Very good information. Also good for parenting or supervision.

[SouthpawLink]

Is that because I haven't fully matured yet?

[Usquequo Domine]

I learned about the four temperaments when I was young, from  an excellent small book called  The Four Temperaments by Rev. Conrad Hock.  It is a very Catholic and very concise book, and well worth reading by any Catholic who is trying to know and improve himself.  Here it is online http://catholinks.com/FourTemperaments.htm

Thank you so much for posting this!

[OCLittleFlower]

I learned about the four temperaments when I was young, from  an excellent small book called  The Four Temperaments by Rev. Conrad Hock.  It is a very Catholic and very concise book, and well worth reading by any Catholic who is trying to know and improve himself.  Here it is online http://catholinks.com/FourTemperaments.htm

Very interesting.

The quiz on the FE site tells me I am Sanguine but this book's method pegs me as phlegmatic -- yet I am not and have never been shy, etc, with anything except my anger.  However, I lack the Sanguine chronically late trait.  *shrug*

[Servire Deo]

Maybe it's just me but I can't pin down a temperament.

Is that because I haven't fully matured yet?

There are mixed temperaments. My wife can't be pinned down. Also a mature person is not subservient to their temperament, but . You seem to be like a melancholic in the sense that you are rigorist and overly judgemental. I don't know you, and I am not saying that is altogether true, but you display some of those qualities in your posts. Keirsey provides more nuance, and as one matures you can purposely foster qualities to balance your temperament. For instance, trying to be more compassionate, or taking on tasks which challenge oneself to be outgoing, etc. His book Please Understand Me II is a good primer.

But I've read that melancholics should have jobs like "Night Watchman", which is an antiquated way of saying "Night Security Guard". It seems like some say one should stay in one's comfort zone and others say that one should try to leave one's comfort zone.

[OCLittleFlower]

Maybe it's just me but I can't pin down a temperament.

Is that because I haven't fully matured yet?

There are mixed temperaments. My wife can't be pinned down. Also a mature person is not subservient to their temperament, but . You seem to be like a melancholic in the sense that you are rigorist and overly judgemental. I don't know you, and I am not saying that is altogether true, but you display some of those qualities in your posts. Keirsey provides more nuance, and as one matures you can purposely foster qualities to balance your temperament. For instance, trying to be more compassionate, or taking on tasks which challenge oneself to be outgoing, etc. His book Please Understand Me II is a good primer.

But I've read that melancholics should have jobs like "Night Watchman", which is an antiquated way of saying "Night Security Guard". It seems like some say one should stay in one's comfort zone and others say that one should try to leave one's comfort zone.

Different people will always have differing ideas about this.  I think that it can be helpful to learn to function outside of one's comfort zone, but at the same time it is important to play to one's strengths.  I would say it is best to mainly play to one's strngeths in terms of career choice.  Why torture yourself and fight an uphill battle when you could more easily succeed if you chose something that you are good at?

[drummerboy]

A for work for differing temperments, do what best suits you as a person.  Again, temperments are our personalities, and we make them subservient to us.  I'm kind of a typical melancholic-shy, introverted, pefers to be alone, and yet I want to teach college history some day because I love the topic so much.

I think the temperments are a greatly undervalued way to understand ourselves.  I find myself mostly phlegmatic, so I know I have to be especially vigilant about sloth, naps, and procrastination, and not have to worry so much about lust or envy; thus I can utilize and focus my energies on attacking my predominant faults, which are the ones that realy hold me back from God.

[rbjmartin]

I think the answer to the original question is because it originates from Classical times (Wikipedia says Hippocrates developed it into medical theory) and was popular among the medievals.

[The Curt Jester]

The real fun with temperaments comes when you do the test for other people and see what they get. 

[Jackson K. Eskew]

Listen to these in succession:

http://www.audiosancto.org/sermon/200808...Fault.html

&

http://www.audiosancto.org/sermon/200508...ng-It.html

&

http://www.audiosancto.org/sermon/200509...ation.html