TEMPERAMENT PROFILE: ISFP (Si-Fi-Te-Ne)

Phlegmatic/Sanguine (P/S) = Patient Improviser

Tim LaHaye

The easiest of the temperament blends to get along with over the long haul are the P/Ss. They are congenial, happy, cooperative, thoughtful, people-oriented, diplomatic, dependable, fun-loving, and humorous. They never display an abrasive personality and are neighborhood favorites, with adults and children. They are usually good family members who enjoy a quiet life and love their spouses and children.

The weaknesses of the P/Ss are as gentle as their personality, unless you have to live with them all the time. Since they inherited the Phlegmatic lack of motivation and the Sanguine lack of discipline, it is common for these people to fall short of their true capabilities. They often quit school, pass up good opportunities, and avoid anything that involves “too much effort”. They tend to putter around, enjoy solitude, and don’t seem to mind that the years pass them by, and they don’t go anywhere or accomplish very much.

Since opposites tend to attract each other, a female P/S will often marry an aggressive man who carries her through life. When the man is a P/S it’s a different ball game. A wife finds it difficult to carry her husband vocationally, and his passive ways often become a source of irritation to her. The P/S’s wife buys him every new self-improvement book that hits the market, but he falls asleep reading them.

Fear and worry are additional problems that churn up unrealistic feelings of insecurity. With just a little more faith, they could be transformed from their timidity and self defeating anxieties. However, they prefer to build a protective shell around themselves and avoid involvement or commitment to activity.

Unwritten Grace

The laid-back, friendly types that most people seem to have in their lives. P/Ss tend to be well liked because they are gentle and friendly without being too “in-your-face”. They are the sort of people who seem content with lots of friends or just a few. They can be quick to move on from people no longer in their lives, but also have no trouble welcoming them back. They might not necessarily strive for deep connections with others but are usually happy to be there for people who need them. They are good natured and calm, and fairly adaptable when it comes to people. They are quieter than the sanguine dominant blends; people may come to them rather than the other way around. However, their combination of inoffensiveness and friendliness may mean that they are more approachable than the other phlegmatic blends. P/Ss can be sensitive and insecure, but may just shrug off (or hide) negative emotions, except in a serious crisis. They may struggle with productivity at times, being slow to get started then being easily distracted by anything more interesting. Though they can be quiet, they like social events, and aren’t prone to either hogging the spotlight or lurking in the background.