The Melancholy is analytical and organized. An individual with Melancholy as their primary temperament will naturally question everything in their environment and life. They will analyze jobs, people, family members, and themselves.
A Melancholy is naturally analytical in many ways, in their thinking and their actions. The Melancholy is the most likely to have a very organized workspace or kitchen or even their car (emergency kit in trunk and each cubby and holder in the vehicle has a defined use). The Melancholy will often react negatively to someone changing something without permission. They will know when someone has been using their “stuff” because it will have moved even slightly.
Their natural strength – analysis and organization – can also lead to their main weakness; criticism. To our hypothetical “pure” Melancholy, the “right” answer to a question or issue is usually self-evident. Therefore, they will make statements that, to them, only seem right and proper but are often received as critical and even hurtful by others.
They will argue their point from this self-assured standpoint and will not be easily swayed. Cholerics and Melancholies are the two temperaments most likely to argue and debate though the Melancholy will do it from a more analytical point-of-view.
I have talked with Melancholies who have difficulty understanding why others are disturbed by their “helpful” statements. “Isn’t that the way you should talk to others? Don’t they want to be helped?” But often the perception by others is “Why is that person being so negative/hurtful?”