for students of the Hermetic Magic path – Scuola ContattaTi

Test of your temperamental profile

The four temperaments of Hippocrates and Galen

How to take the test

Every human being is a microcosm in which all the elements of nature flow and dance.

For over two thousand years, medicine and psychology have studied human nature through one of the most fascinating insights in history: the theory of the four temperaments of Hippocrates and Galen.

Unlike modern personality tests, this view does not put you in a fixed "box". Ancient medicine knew well that none of us is made of a single pure element. Each of us has a unique combination, a personal hierarchy in which Air, Fire, Earth and Water (and their humours: blood, yellow bile, black bile and phlegm) coexist in different proportions.

This test is not meant to label you, but to draw your inner map. Through your emotional reactions, your everyday behaviour and the way you live your relationships, we will discover:

  1. Your predominant temperament (the element that guides your primary energy).
  2. The exact hierarchy of the other elements within you and their percentages, to understand how your nuances of character, your strengths and your areas of growth balance each other.

Before you begin: Make yourself comfortable, answer on instinct thinking of who you really are in everyday life (and not who you would like to be), and get ready to discover the secret chemistry of your personality.

Read the 60 statements, divided by area, and give each one a score from 1 to 5, according to how much it reflects your real life, your emotional reactions and your daily routine:

  • 1 = Not true at all / Does not represent me
  • 2 = Rarely true
  • 3 = Sometimes true / It depends
  • 4 = Often true / Represents me a lot
  • 5 = Completely true / That is exactly it

Your answers stay saved on this device: you can stop and continue whenever you like.

Part 1: Sanguine Area

Air / Blood

I get bored easily if things become repetitive or if I have to stay still in the same place for too long.
When I meet someone for the first time, I can break the ice and socialise very naturally.
I tend to be optimistic and see the glass half full even when things go wrong.
My emotions change quickly: I can go from enthusiasm to sadness and back again in a short time.
I love being surrounded by friends, going to parties and being at the centre of social life.
I live the present moment very intensely, sometimes forgetting to plan for the future or to pay attention to details.
Faced with something unexpected or a change of plans, I adapt quickly without much drama.
I speak with enthusiasm, gesture a lot and tend to express my ideas with great liveliness.
I often start many new projects with great energy, but struggle to keep the same consistency until the end.
If someone criticises me, I may be hurt in the moment, but I forget about it almost immediately.
In conversations I tend to be very expressive, warm and physically affectionate (hugs, smiles).
I hate prolonged solitude; I need to exchange with others to feel alive.
I often make decisions on instinct, following the emotion or curiosity of the moment rather than a long logical analysis.
I always try to bring cheerfulness and lightness to the groups I am part of, defusing conflicts.
I often get distracted or jump from one topic to another while I am doing something.

Part 2: Choleric Area

Fire / Yellow Bile

When I set myself a goal, I do everything to reach it, overcoming any obstacle with determination.
I love being in control of situations and prefer to lead rather than be led by others.
Faced with challenges or difficult problems, a combative and competitive energy kicks in.
I make decisions quickly and firmly, without hesitating too much or asking for too many opinions.
If something or someone gets in the way of my efficiency or my plans, I feel strong irritation or anger.
I tend to be impatient with people who are slow, inefficient or waste time on idle chatter.
I am not afraid of open conflict and I say openly what I think, even at the cost of seeming abrasive.
I feel a strong need for independence and hate depending on other people's decisions or receiving unfair orders.
Faced with difficulties, instead of getting depressed, I become even more active and responsive.
I often take on leadership responsibilities even when nobody has explicitly asked me to.
I tend to hide my vulnerabilities or sadness, because I see weakness as something to avoid.
I demand a lot of myself and, as a consequence, I also demand a lot of the people who work or live with me.
My communication style is direct, assertive, sometimes sharp and without beating about the bush.
If I make a mistake or suffer a failure, I immediately focus on how to fix it instead of feeling sorry for myself.
I get bored if I do not have a clear goal to pursue or a stimulating project to carry forward.

Part 3: Melancholic Area

Earth / Black Bile

I am a very reflective person who analyses thoughts, words and situations in depth before acting.
I have very high standards of precision and quality (I am a perfectionist) and I demand care in everything I do.
I tend to remember details of the past for a very long time, including wrongs suffered or moments of disappointment.
I need a lot of quiet, order and space of my own to recharge after social interactions.
I am extremely sensitive: I pick up on other people's emotional nuances and on the atmosphere of the places I am in.
I often brood over mistakes I have made or worry excessively about the future.
In relationships I am very selective: I have few friends, but I feel deep loyalty and affection for them.
I love art, beauty, music or deep reflection; superficiality bothers me.
When I have to face an important change, I feel a lot of anxiety and prefer the stability of routine.
I tend to be self-critical and often doubt my abilities, easily feeling inadequate.
Before expressing an opinion in public, I think about it for a long time for fear of saying something wrong or trivial.
I carry out my commitments with a sense of duty and rigorous, meticulous reliability.
I often experience moments of melancholy or deep sadness for no apparent reason.
I hate disorder, sloppiness and lack of organisation in the place where I live or work.
I give my best in deep conversations, while I hate futile chatter without content (small talk).

Part 4: Phlegmatic Area

Water / Phlegm

I keep an extraordinary calm even in situations of great stress or emergency, without losing my head.
I am a peaceful person and avoid conflict at all costs, always trying to mediate and make peace.
My rhythms of life and work are steady, calm, reflective and not at all frantic.
I tend to let other people's criticism and provocations slide off me without taking them too seriously or getting angry.
I am extremely patient, able to listen to others at length without interrupting or losing patience.
I love stability, domestic tranquillity and the predictability of my daily routine.
I find it hard to take impulsive initiatives or change habits, preferring to leave things as they are.
My emotions are well kept inside: outwardly I almost always appear impassive, serene and relaxed.
I often postpone decisions or actions because I prefer not to force events and to see how they unfold by themselves.
I am an extremely reliable, discreet and faithful collaborator and friend over time.
I do not like showing off, attracting attention or holding positions of power that require too much exposure.
My energy is steady but measured; I do not experience peaks of unbridled enthusiasm or sudden collapses.
I accept people for who they are, without trying to change them or judging them harshly.
If there is a heated argument between other people, I tend to step aside or stay neutral so as not to take part in the clash.
I am sometimes reproached for being a little lazy, indolent or unresponsive to new things.

How the hierarchy and percentages are calculated

  • Each area has 15 statements from 1 to 5: its score ranges from 15 to 75.
  • Total: the four scores are added together (Sanguine + Choleric + Melancholic + Phlegmatic) to find the Overall Score.
  • Percentage: for each temperament, its score is divided by the Overall Score and multiplied by 100.