The Black Horse – Melancholy
“I looked and there before me was a black horse. Its rider rode out as a thoughtful, gifted and analytical genius but also deep, sad and depressive.”
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As a child were you sensitive you your surroundings and easily moved to tears? Did you line up your toys in rows and go around shutting drawers that no one else seemed to notice were open? Did you do your home work in time and even enjoy research projects? Did you feel sorry for poor children and want to support the underdog in any situation? Then you are a Melancholy.
From the time a Melancholy can stand up and move around he/she is trying to make the crooked paths straight. Melancholies more than anything need perfection. They are perfectionists who must have life in order and hopefully everyone else’s as well. We all appreciate order and and sensitivity, but for the Melancholy these traits are emotional needs.
A melancholy with a sanguine spouse who is a poor housekeeper either takes over the duties, criticizes his/her mistakes, or gets depressed. The Melancholy will keep his closet in perfect order with all pants and shirts folded exactly the same.
Florence Littauer, in her book Your Personality Tree writes about a Melancholy man who kept a milage chart on his shoes from the time he bought them to the time until he gave them away to the salvation army. He found out when he divided the cost of the shoes by the by the number of days he wore them that that the shoes had cost him 9 cents a day. Only a Melancholy would care! Another man dates every light bulb in the house at the time or purchase. This way he is able to keep a record of each bulb and know the exact length of service.
The Melancholy also has a deep need to be understood and longs for others to respond with sensitivity to his/her inner struggles and to sympathize with him over comments made by shallow people attempting to be funny. They are sensitive to their surroundings and easily moved to tears.
Melancholies are so sensitive and have such a need for order that it is easy to see how they get so quickly depressed. Since their desire to get everything and everyone in perfect order is never fulfilled, they either have to lower their expectations and accept life as it is or sink in to despair.
The Melancholy is also unwilling to express his/her needs, which throws others in to a constant guessing game.
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Adriano
omiracles.wordpress.com 