the art of being melancholy

I'm taking a break from the usual dosage of self-help books on relationships. So right now, I'm reading this book called Your Personality Tree. It's supposed to help me understand the way that I am and how I am able to cope with people of different personality types.

Barely into the second chapter, the book has all ready told me what type I am: A Melancholy with parts Choleric and Sanguine. (The book tends to categorise personality types into a whole X or a combo of Y and Z but I am definitely a mixture of R, S and T.)

I will only list the parts which I feel are true about me, as the book also notes that not all the traits may apply for every person because we're all unique and stuff.

Melancholy, The Thinker:

Emotions
Strengths
1. Deep and thoughtful
2. Talented and creative
3. Philosophical and poetic
4. Appreciative of beauty
5. Conscientious
6. Idealistic
Weaknesses
1. Remembers the negatives
2. Moody and depressed
3. Enjoys being hurt
4. Has false humility
5. Off in another world
6. Low self-image
7. Has selective hearing
8. Self-centered
9. Too introspective
10. Persecution complex
11. Tends to hypochondria


Work
Strengths
1. Perfectionist, high standards
2. Detail-conscious
3. Sees the problems
Weaknesses
1. Not people-oriented
2. Depressed over imperfections
3. Chooses difficult work
4. Self-deprecating
5. Hard to please
6. Standards often too high
7. Deep need for approval


Friends
Strengths
1. Makes friends cautiously
2. Faithful and devoted
3. Will listen to complaints
4. Can solve others' problems
5. Moved to tears with compassion
6. Seeks ideal mate
Weaknesses
1. Lives through others
2. Insecure socially
3. Withdrawn and remote
4. Critical of others
5. Holds back affection
6. Dislikes those in opposition
7. Suspicious of people
8. Antagonistic and vengeful
9. Unforgiving
10. Full of contradictions
11. Skeptical of compliments

Do you recognise these traits in me? I'm sure you do.

Because I am idealistic, I refuse to see the reality before my very eyes. Because I am appreciative of beauty I am depressed by the flaws I see in myself. Because I remember the negatives I find it difficult to move forward and constantly dwell in painful moments. Because I enjoy being hurt I will continue to let myself be hurt by people whom I care about although they may not care about me, but as I am idealistic I refuse to see the reality that they may not care about me and that I should move on. Because I am a person with pride, I will persecute those whom I find are less than perfect. Because I have selective hearing, advice does not work on me because I am stubborn and will only choose to hear what I want to hear. Because I am a perfectionist I get depressed and feel that life is not worth living when things do not go the way I want them to go and because of that, flawed people will never become my boyfriend. Because I enjoy being hurt I will choose difficult work to make my life more complicated than it all ready is. Because I am deeply insecure I need to be validated constantly and that is why I will ask you what you think of me at random moments to fish for compliments although compliments given without asking make me suspicious as to what the true motive behind those nice words may be. Because my character seeks to find the ideal mate I shall never tire you with grouses of not being able to find a boyfriend until I actually do find one. I am antagonistic and vengeful and I show this side of me through my sharp words and standoffish stance.

This is the Melancholy me.