The choleric type is determined, persistent, objective and explosive. It is passionate, emotional, dramatic, and intense. The choleric person likes to lead, solve problems, and take the initiative. He is fast and seeks results. He is motivated by challenge. He is also loyal, faithful, and generous, which makes him abhor treachery. He wants to dominate but does not need to be the centre of attention. He is strong, courageous and has great powers of concentration. He likes luxury. He can be outgoing, but he is usually reserved. Direct and frank, he does not like evasiveness and innuendos. Although he does not enjoy being contradicted, he accepts divergent opinions if they are well founded and serve his purposes. Although he is temperamental, he does not hold a grudge.

The weaknesses of the choleric type are impatience, intolerance, and authoritarianism. He is competitive and combatant, and can be violent, angry, and explosive. In anger he is reckless. He does not tolerate what he perceives as weakness in others, especially when he is looking for something, and that makes him seem insensitive. On these occasions, he can even become cruel. He always tries to dominate, but not to control, and this can lead to friction and to be brusque and imperious. He has difficulty in delegating powers, being a centralizer. His frankness can cause him to be impolite or rude. He also lacks subtlety. His posture and expression often intimidate others. He is vain, proud, and rarely accepts his mistakes publicly, tending to shift blame or seek an excuse. His intensity makes it difficult to have fun and relax. Of all types, he is the one most easily addicted to work, drink, drugs, games, or the like, because he tends to be obsessive. He is also messy but not disorganized, and his haste and search for results can make him inattentive to detail. He cannot stand being pushed or controlled.

The Choleric type stomps hard with the heel and usually has a strong neck and bones. His posture is erect, and he tends to cross his arms and legs, forming a “4” when he sits. His gestures are firm and decisive. The choleric's physical constitution is stocky, with easy fattening in the belly region, because he likes to eat, especially well-spiced and sweet foods. He quickly swallows everything. He does not like tight clothes, especially around the neck. His speech is slow and kinaesthetic, or loud and fast.

The Choleric's face is rectangular in shape, with a strong, pronounced chin, but it can also be a hexagon with a horizontal or triangular base. His gaze is piercing and intense, with wide-spaced eyes. The eyebrows are thick and straight. The mouth can be full and sensual and the nose wide. The profile is straight, with the forehead pronounced and straight. The hair is red, medium brown or reddish brown.

The choleric colour is orange red — also from the warm colour group, classified into autumn and spike types. Spike, which in English means “spicy”, describes the choleric well. Its element is fire, hot and passionate.

Straight, horizontal, and vertical lines, for expressing strength, security, and power, when found in face shapes, features and gestures, are indicators of choleric characteristics.

Cultures that characterize themselves as choleric are strong, “masculine”, intense and passionate, like the Irish, Spanish, German, Russian, Viking, and Northern European Slavs. Choleric music is heavy and strong, characterized by marches. It is the music of heavy rock, Beethoven, and Wagner; the dances are of the tango type and those marked with foot taps, such as flamenco.

From the book Integrated Visagism: identity, style, and beauty (Senac SP, 2009) ©

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