Chapter 43
Tips on Relating to Your Spouse’s
Temperament
What to Do If You Are Married to a Sanguine Husband or Wife
- Attention––sanguines have a burning need to be the centre of attention. They
want you to listen to their stories and laugh along even if you’ve heard them a
million times. They want to tell you all the incredible things that happened during
the day. Take time to sit down and listen if you want them to feel loved. They
desire their spouse’s attention and actively seek to draw outsiders’ attention to
themselves. - Do not constantly criticize them for telling stories or exaggerating too much––it
wears them down and leaves them unhappy. - Do not push sanguines too much to get serious and quieten down because they
may become negative and depressed like the melancholic, unmotivated like the
phlegmatic and an unavailable workaholic like the choleric. - Acceptance––accept your sanguines. It is their deepest need. Don’t judge or
criticize them. Sanguines need a lot of affection, that is, lots of hugs and kisses.
This can be a problem since the sanguine often marries a melancholic who is not
naturally affectionate. - Help them to organize their lives, work and all. Wife, sometimes, if permissible,
help organize him in his office. Keep a copy of his calendar at home and call him
with reminders if he doesn’t mind. Do this with a servant’s heart rather than a
nagging attitude. - Don’t be bossy. Sanguines do not like to be “bossed” around. Assure them that
you love them in spite of their imperfections.^1 - Give them approval––if you withhold it, they will look for it elsewhere even if it
means giving in to office peer pressures to which they are extremely susceptible.
The sanguine can easily become a flirt due to this. Your approval will help the
sanguine overcome this weakness.^2