Psychologists are increasingly talking about the limitless possibilities of the human psyche. That work on yourself allows you to acquire new personality traits. But can you change your temperament?
All eminent psychologists agreed that the temperament of a person (and not only a person) cannot be changed. Despite the popularity of this term in modern society, few people really understand what temperament is. First of all, this is the type of mental system, the type of higher nervous activity with which a person or an animal is born. And the nervous system, as you know, is studied by physiology, which already partially explains the fact that temperament cannot be changed.
What is temperament
The concept of temperament implies an innate type of higher nervous activity in a person or an animal, which determines the speed of mental processes and the degree of excitability of the nervous system. "In the people", temperament is considered to be that which was formed on the basis of a certain type of higher nervous activity. On its basis, some character traits develop more actively and more easily and others are more difficult to develop. Thus, people with a similar type of nervous system also have similar character traits. If we compare the concepts of temperament and character, then temperament as an innate characteristic becomes the basis for the formation of character as acquired qualities. Temperament acts as a skeleton, on which character is built up in the process of development and upbringing. Depending on the inclinations formed by the temperament, the character forms one or another personality figure.
Temperament structure
The speed of mental processes and the degree of excitability of the nervous system are two properties by which temperament can be measured. If we represent them in the form of two axes of the coordinate system, then each quadrant will symbolize one of the four types of temperament. A classic is the selection of such types as sanguine, choleric, melancholic and phlegmatic. The figure shows two axes: introversion-extraversion and stability-lability. The first axis reflects the speed of mental processes: from the minimum (introversion) - to the maximum (extraversion) speed. The second axis reflects the degree of excitability or mobility (lability) of the nervous system: from stability to lability (instability).
What can change temperament
Congenital physiological characteristics cannot be changed. However, character traits built up on the skeleton of temperament can be developed. There is no bad temperament. He is just a starting position. There are many examples in human life that prove that having a bad ear can become a great composer, that being left-handed you can become an outstanding guitarist, and so on. Of course, having innate inclinations, it is easier to develop the ability. But each type of temperament has its own advantages.
