Shona Neff

Oh yes I DID!….and WHY? Personalities are great tool for understanding politicians and identifying statesmen.

OK, so I may loose some followers with this series . . . after all, isn’t politics one of those subjects that momma told us to stay away from along with religion and finances? News flash, I don’t stay away from any of those topics when personalities are involved. Well, if you’ll hang with me, my intent is NOT to disparage one side or the other, but to provide (as best as I can) unbiased insights into the political world using personalities.

Before jumping into this topic, let me share what made me decide to tackle it in the first place. I’ve been watching a political mini series and found it intriguing. It depicts the seedier side of political life, but we all know there are good guys and bad guys in all governments…and our definitions of good and bad may vary, but that is another post for a different website. My interest swirls around personalities. Anyhow, after watching and analyzing season one, I came up with three categories for those claiming to lead our country. Some of you may not agree with my assessment, but there is much to be learned from looking at the personality breakdown in each category. So, with that, let’s jump in. (more…)

Everyone LOVES a party . . . right? Well, not always. Some personalities would rather pass on the party scene full of people and enjoy a less chaotic celebration.

My family just celebrated a cluster of birthdays which provided a great example for this topic. Let’s start with my mother who just celebrated her 80th birthday. It was a nice celebration that provided me great insights into birthday party personalities.

My sister is sanguine and LOVES all sorts of gatherings, social events, and parties. She was instrumental in plotting and planning the festivities. That makes sense because sanguine personalities are made for fun . . . and planning fun is super FUN for them! Being spontaneous people, they consider the element of surprise a true spice of life. Sis suggested a SURPRISE party for Mom. However, our mom is melancholy and doesn’t do “unplanned” very well. I suggested to my sister (who lives out of state) that rather than too much surprise, that she, at the very least, let Mom know that she planned to visit around the time of the birthday and then surprise her with the party. That way, Mom could have a visit on her calendar which allowed Mom to plan ahead while still allowing for the surprise party. (more…)

Personalities and fashion? YES!…they go together like a hand and a glove. Did you know it is possible to identify someone’s personality by just taking a good look at them? Clothing can be a pretty big indicator.

In my last fashion post I just picked clothes that typified the personality look I was going for. However, this time, I chose a theme to show how differently each personality dresses for the same situation. I chose an afternoon out on the town as the backdrop for my choices….maybe lunch, followed by an afternoon at the museum, or shopping with a friend. Thanks to my “go-to” girl, Shilpa, and her associate, Brooke, who helped me find rockin’ styles from the Young Contemporary/Edge department from the Dillards located in the Winrock Center (Albuquerque, NM).

Sanguine

Here is me in the sanguine look. Bright, colorful, and FUN!  I really love this outfit, but as a phlegmatic personality you probably won’t see me frolicking around town in this. It’s a little TOO bright for me, but there are many sanguine women who would wear this outfit around town and feel quite comfortable. They are certain to turn heads in the eye-catching outfit . . . and that is just what a sanguine loves: to be noticed.

(Jacket and dress – Chelsea & Violet, Boots – Steve Madden (from the Dillards shoe department that I now own, yay,  Purse – from a very sanguine shelf in the Dillards accessory department.) (more…)

Everyone wants to be an extrovert because the world tends to be made for these high-energy personalities…after all, aren’t they the ones that make the world go around? Aren’t they the “cool” people? Of the four personality types I deal with (sanguine, choleric, melancholy, and phlegmatic) the sanguine and choleric are the extroverts. So, what exactly IS an extrovert? We’ll explore that as we focus on #8 of of our list of 10 Things You Need to Know About Personalities.

Energized by People and Activity

Contrary to what many people think makes an extrovert such as outgoing, talkative, and full of energy, those traits are a manifestation of what extroverts are all about. They are energized by people and activities, and that, in turn, makes them outgoing, talkative, energetic, etc. Take, for example, a typical extrovert during a work week. They can work 40 hours in a week and be totally ready to have a quiet Friday evening. However, if something involving people (like a party) or a mission (someone needs furniture moved) pops up, they happily jump at the chance to DO something.

Being around people or accomplishing something recharges the sanguine and choleric extroverts battery. (more…)

After letting it sit around naked for a couple of days, I finally got around to decorating my poor bare tree. At least the factory attached lights kept it from total embarrassment. As I pulled out the decorations for the “fun” tree this year…the set of ornaments that includes ALL the goofy ornaments my two “twenty-something” boys picked in a yearly ritual when they were young…the parade of personalities that emerged from the boxes kept me entertained.

Sanguine

So, what spirited sanguine could resist THIS jolly, rotund man dressed in bright red sledding down a slope full of frozen fun! I must confess that my sanguine side fell in love with this crazy ornament when I was shopping for an ornament exchange last Christmas. I loved it so much I stole the sledding Santa during the exchange and came home with him. Shhh…don’t tell.

(more…)

Sandra dreaded the holidays . . . and she had reason. Her family expected her to throw a celebration fit for royalty. Christmas in Sandra’s world included decorating her place to rival Santa Claus’s house, cooking like Martha Stewart, and a limousine to shuttle out-of-town guests. Every year people expected more and more, and her yuletide budget had exploded to $10,000! But, Sandra knew that if she didn’t go to such extreme measures her family would be disappointed.

The above scenario is true and may sound crazy to many of you,  but if you are “people pleaser” maybe you can relate. (more…)

Using personalities as a tool removes a lot of negative vibes in relationships because they helps us understand each other. This is very true when it comes to girlfriends. I’ve had friendships come and go over the years, but after becoming familiar with personalities, I feel that my more recent relationships are healthier. Today we are going to look at the sanguine girlfriend.

Sanguine Traits

Sanguine girls/women are bright and lively in just about everything they do. Popular is a word often used to describe these energetic people. Popularity comes naturally for personalities who love people, make friends easily, tell wonderful stories and jokes, and are great conversationalists. If you have spent any time with a sanguine then you know they are warm, engaging, charming, and make the world a happy place. They are great fun if they don’t wear you out with their high-energy and talkative tendencies. (more…)

Have you ever wondered what an enthusiastic, fun-loving girl sees in a quiet, meticulous man? Or what how a neat and tidy person tolerates someone who leaves total disarray in their wake? Understanding personalities sheds light on these often perplexing realities.

Why are so many people drawn to their exact opposite? Do you remember that famous line in the Tom Cruise movie, Jerry McGuire . . . “you complete me”? That is so true – we tend to be attracted to our opposites because they have what we don’t. The sanguine/melancholy couple is a great example of that premise. (more…)

I hope you enjoy my first EVER vlog (video blog). I’ve been wanting to present “stuffy” personalities for a long time, but it seemed to me that just writing such a post would not do the subject justice. SO . . . when I recently learned the steps of making a vlog, I knew the time was right for this long awaited topic.

As with most things there is room for improvement, and since I haven’t mastered the art of editing (actually, I have NO clue how to edit and I don’t really want to learn right now) there is ONE place I ask you to watch for so you are not confused. After I describe the SANGUINE stuffy, I move to the CHOLERIC. I accidentally use the term “sanguine” in two places when I meant to say “choleric”. Just be on the lookout and that won’t trip you up. And, I promise that after a long enough time of procrastinating (a personality trait in phlegmatic people like me) I will learn how to fix such boo-boos.

Enjoy!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ua9P3FXWLDM

©2012 Shona Neff

Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but June is the month for weddings.

Personalities play a big part in the world of nuptials and, believe it or not, we tend to marry our opposite. We fall in love with all the strengths of our beloveds, but after the honeymoon we often discover we married their weaknesses. Personalities are a tool that help us understand the person we marry and today we are going to look at the different princes through the lens of personalities.

Prince Sanguine . . . the True Charmer

The sanguine hubby tends to be spontaneous, creative, and fun. This is evident in everyday life and life in the bedroom (or possibly other fun and funky locations.) They love whimsical activities and games and often have as many words as women that they need to speak in a given day. That’s why the sanguine personality is known as the talker. The sanguine prince uses all these traits to be truly charming. (more…)