1Cademy - Galens Description of the Melancholic Temperament

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Galen's Expansion of the Four Temperaments Theory

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Galen's Description of the Melancholic Temperament

In Galen's framework, the melancholic person, linked to an excess of black bile from the kidneys, is described as being reserved, anxious, and unhappy.

Updated 2026-06-30

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OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

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An ancient theory of personality proposed that an individual's temperament is determined by an imbalance of specific bodily fluids. According to this framework, a person who is often reserved, anxious, and unhappy is thought to have an excess of a particular fluid. Which fluid and its associated organ would this theory link to such a personality?

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