Phleg-what-ic???

The other day, I was in the middle of a very intense situation that involved a group deadline that needed to be met. A couple people around me where flipping out because we were behind schedule and things weren’t coming together fast enough. I was leaning back in my seat, watching them work themselves into a tizzy, when one of them wheeled around on me and very irritatedly demanded to know why I wasn’t panicking!

I blinked a couple times and, realizing I didn’t really know, shrugged my shoulders. Of course, this didn’t satisfy them, but I honestly didn’t have an explanation. I just knew that it was all going to work out one way or another. My friend waved her hand in my direction and said to the group, “Oh, she’s one those phlegmatic people.”

My eyes squinted in confusion and said, “Phleg-what-ic?” She said, “Y’know…a phlegmatic!” Like I should know what that is. I thought about asking her to explain it, but the others were already continuing on with their flipping-out session and I didn’t want to interrupt, so I didn’t.

When I got home, I looked it up. Apparently, there are names for different personality types, and I fall into the one called a peaceful phlegmatic. Typically, that’s what a lot of introverts are categorized as, which totally fits, if you read the description.

Merriam Webster defines it as: Having or showing a slow and stolid temperament. In the book, Personality Plus, author Florence Littauer lists some strengths of the phlegmatic as: easy going, relaxed, patient, well balanced, keeps emotions hidden, competent, steady, calm, cool, and collected. And I thought, yeah, that sounds like me. I’m going to make it a point to ready further into this and see what else matches.

Oh, btw’s, we made the deadline.