Scientists tell us that there are no two snowflakes that are alike; however, no one needs to tell us that there are no two people who are exactly alike! Every individual is unique. Psychologists seem to agree that different personalities are the result of a combination of physical difference (body-type, gender, physical characteristics) and environmental influence (birth order, socio-economic factors, cultural influences, parenting styles, education, etc.). Theologians would add that we all have different God-given gifts (Romans 12:6). Since every person is different from every other person, getting to know various people is an adventure in itself!
In 400 BC Hippocrates, the Greek physician, proposed that there are four basic personality types that distinguish humans from each other. Hippocrates identified: the Sanguine (happy-go-lucky), the Choleric (hard driving entrepreneur), the Melancholic (who sees the sadness in life more than others), and the Phlegmatic (who is not bothered by much of anything). Today, psychologists have further broken these into 12 personality types. Of course each of us are actually a combination of all the personality types put together. However, even though we all have traits of depression, paranoia, emotionality, avoidance, self-love, dependence, passive resistance, and perfectionism, most of us have one trait that is stronger, or that “stands out.” The Bible has examples of all the personality types. For example, Paul was a perfectionist, while Peter was emotional, and Thomas was questioning or paranoid.