Follow HumanaNatura On Facebook and Twitter

By Mark Lundegren

I would like to introduce you to a simple and potentially quite useful model of human personality called The Four Temperatures. Notably, this model is not to be confused with either traditional or contemporary ideas about our naturally having four temperaments, though there is some overlap (see Temperament and Keirsey).

The Four Temperatures model focuses mainly on a single psychological dimension – our overall level or degree of activation, animation, engagement, or arousal. Here, this psychological state is approached in a broad and encompassing sense, but importantly is taken as largely extending from our naturally interrelated degrees of motivation and emotion in a given setting.

In this way, our perceptions, thoughts, and actions are taken as naturally interwoven or circular with our motivations and emotions, and as often significantly influenced and even driven by them in practice. At the same time, the model incorporates the critical and at times remaking idea that we commonly have the potential for conscious self-control, and thus contravening thought, to override and optimize our attributes and associated general temperature. Overall, this is to the extent that we can become aware of our current or common activating temperatures, their surrounding qualities, and their natural effects.

As you can see in my summary graphic above, human and larger animal activation is framed in the Four Temperatures model as a continuous quality in total, but also one that can be helpfully, and often healthfully, approached or organized as occurring in four broad temperature zones, states, or stages:

> Hot – states of high arousal or activation overall, and thus ones often marked by narrowed thoughts and perceptions, and strong emotions and judgments. This form of personality or identity is taken in the model as generally or predominantly reactive, and associated with lower states of both effectiveness and happiness.

> Warm – states of moderately high arousal or activation in total, and thereby ones often marked by relatively broad thoughts and perceptions, and ranging emotions and judgments. This form of personality or identity is approached as often generally or principally interested, and associated with higher states of effectiveness and happiness.

> Cool – states of moderately low arousal or activation overall, and therefore ones often marked by relatively broad thoughts and perceptions, and more tentative emotions and judgments. This form of personality or identity is taken as often generally or predominantly responsive, and associated with higher states of effectiveness and happiness.

> Cold – states of low arousal or activation in total, and thus ones often marked by narrowed thoughts and perceptions, and weak emotions and judgments. This form of personality or identity is approached as often mainly or predominantly indifferent, and associated with lower states of both effectiveness and happiness.

Importantly, the intentionally simplifying Four Temperatures model is not derived directly from a particular empirical study, but rather looking at and seeking to distill a range of modern psychological studies and theories. As such, we readily can find support for the approach across a number of contemporary research areas, and this includes its general prescription of seeking and fostering temperate or cool-to-warm activation in most settings (in addition to the above links, see Personality, Arousal, Motivation, Emotion, Moderation, Sociality, Social Behavior, Empathy, Self-Regulation, Self-Reflection, Metacognition, Intelligence, Learning, Positive Psychology, Flow, Well-Being, and Happiness).

I would encourage you to explore this at once intuitive, testable, leverageable, and universalizing model of human personality – for yourself, and as you naturally live, work, and interact with others. As I have in my own life and work, you may find that consistently and skillfully moving ourselves, and helping others to move, into the temperate or tempered regions of the model can make us, and the world around us, far more effective and happier overall.

As always, I am happy to respond to your comments and questions.

Mark Lundegren is the founder of HumanaNatura.

Tell others about HumanaNatura…encourage modern natural life & health!