Catholic Candle note: The article immediately below is part twelve of the study of the Choleric temperament. The first eleven parts can be found here:
1. Mary’s School of Sanctity – Lesson #36: About the Temperaments – Beginning our Study of the Choleric Temperament – Part I: https://catholiccandle.org/2024/08/27/lesson-35-about-the-temperaments-the-choleric-temperament/
2. Mary’s School of Sanctity – Lesson #37: About the Temperaments – Continuing Our Study of the Choleric Temperament– Part II: https://catholiccandle.org/2024/09/26/lesson-37-about-the-temperaments-continuation-of-the-choleric-temperament/
3. Mary’s School of Sanctity – Lesson #38 — About the Temperaments – Continuing our Study of the Choleric Temperament – Their Spiritual Combat – Part III:: https://catholiccandle.org/2024/10/24/lesson-38-temperaments-choleric-temperament-their-spiritual-combat/
4. Mary’s School of Sanctity – Lesson #39 About the Temperaments – Continuing Our Study of the Choleric Temperament – That Temperament’s Spiritual Combat – Part IV: https://catholiccandle.org/2024/11/26/lesson-39-temperaments-choleric-temperament-their-spiritual-combat-part-iv/
5. Mary’s School of Sanctity – Lesson #40: Temperaments – Choleric Temperament – Their Spiritual Combat – Part V: https://catholiccandle.org/2024/12/30/lesson-40-temperaments-choleric-temperament-their-spiritual-combat-part-v/
6. Mary’s School of Sanctity – Lesson #41 – About the Temperaments – Continuing Our Study of the Choleric Temperament: a Choleric’s Spiritual Combat — Part VI: https://catholiccandle.org/2025/01/27/lesson-41-temperaments-choleric-temperament-a-cholerics-spiritual-combat-part-vi/
7. Mary’s School of Sanctity – Lesson #42: About the Temperaments – Continuing Our Study of the Choleric Temperament – a Choleric’s Spiritual Combat – Part VII: https://catholiccandle.org/2025/02/21/lesson-42-temperaments-choleric-temperament-a-cholerics-spiritual-combat-part-vii/
8. Mary’s School of Sanctity — Lesson #43 About the Temperaments –Continuing Our Study of the Choleric Temperament — Their Spiritual Combat Part VIII: https://catholiccandle.org/2025/03/27/lesson-42-temperaments-choleric-temperament-a-cholerics-spiritual-combat-part-viii/
9. Mary’s School of Sanctity – Lesson #44 About the Temperaments – Continuing Our Study of the Choleric Temperament – Their Spiritual Combat, Part IX: https://catholiccandle.org/2025/04/23/lesson-44-temperaments-choleric-temperament-a-cholerics-spiritual-combat-part-ix/
10. Mary’s School of Sanctity — Lesson #45 About the Temperaments – Continuing Our Study of the Choleric Temperament – The Choleric’s Spiritual Combat Part X: https://catholiccandle.org/2025/05/20/lesson-45-temperaments-choleric-temperament-a-cholerics-spiritual-combat-part-x/
11. Mary’s School of Sanctity — Lesson #46 About the Temperaments – Continuing Our Study of the Choleric Temperament – The Cholerics’ Spiritual Combat – Part XI: https://catholiccandle.org/2025/06/28/lesson-46-temperaments-choleric-temperament-a-cholerics-spiritual-combat-part-xi/
Mary’s School of Sanctity
Lesson #47 About the Temperaments – Continuing Our Study of the Choleric Temperament – The Choleric’s Spiritual Combat – Part XII
Note: When referring to a person with a choleric temperament in this article, we simply will label him as a choleric.
In our last lesson we examined in detail what is involved with one using his reason and saw that, when he does not listen to the voice of his reason, he sins.
Let us begin to probe into the possible reasons why the choleric has the tendency to not reason deeply or thoroughly.
In our last lesson, we saw some potential motives for why the choleric acts this way.
Now we look further into the first of those motives, namely that the choleric simply does not want to take the time necessary to think things through. This can be directly linked back to the problem of pride under several aspects.
First of all, let us recall the definition of pride which we saw in our last lesson. When one has unreasonable pride[1], he views himself disproportionately, thinking that he is better in some respect than he really is. For example, he may think he is very important.
Various Types of Unreasonable Pride Which Are Often Associated With the “Hurried” Choleric
We noted in an earlier lesson how the choleric tends to be over-confident and often acts as if he is a “know-it-all”.
This over-confidence naturally coincides with other aspects in the trap of pride. Here the choleric wants to be seen as a “hero” who carries out the greatest achievements. He sees himself as the one who “saves the day” especially when there is a crisis or a big problem to solve.
Along with this mentality (that he is a self-made hero) is the choleric’s drive to excel in what he is currently doing and in all his plans. Because he wants to accomplish a great number of things, he believes that he does not have time to “slow-down” his “progress” and “waste” his time evaluating the details of his plans. He certainly does not view the idea of analyzing his plan as anything that would be productive in assuring the success of his project. Indeed, his over-confidence assures him that his plans are perfect so reflection about them is not needed.
This unreasonable pride[2] also prompts this choleric to want “instant fulfillment” of his plans. We must remember that the choleric has a lot of energy and seems to always be on the move. He wants to accomplish many things and acts as if he wished that his project could have been done already! He wants his plans implemented “yesterday” or even “last year”! He gets impatient if there are any delays in his plans.
Lacking a God-Centered View of Things
This choleric with unreasonable pride may very well think he is working with God’s Will in mind. However, he more often has put his own will before God’s Will, and his own glory before God’s glory.[3]
Unfortunately, he is easily ensnared in this kind of unreasonable pride and tends to think that his plan could not possibly have any flaws whatsoever. If he knew the truth of the matter – viz., that to think thoroughly and deeply about his project would help him consider if his plan was good and/or perfecting to his soul – then he would actually want to take the necessary time to evaluate his plan.
How Should the Choleric Perceive Himself in Order to Prevent Unreasonable Pride and to Help Him Keep His Sights on God’s Will?
The choleric has to understand that God must be his first priority – in fact his only priority. He must put God first in his heart, therefore, in his life.
In order to have this proper perspective he has to be, first of all, a man of prayer. He must pray to know God’s will and to be humble. If he understands how important it is to be humble and work for God – in the time-frame and under the circumstances that God sends – then he will have no problem being patient and waiting for God to enlighten his understanding. He would seek advice and want to thoroughly examine his goals to be sure that he is not being fooled by a trick that the devil sends in order to entrap him in pride.
The choleric should especially fear pride, for unreasonable pride is a sin. Hence, he should fear his tendency to plow ahead heedlessly and impetuously. He ought to pray to have a great appreciation for proper learning and for the use of reason, knowing that God expects him to use this highest faculty, his intellect. Thus, he should understand the fact that it is sinful for him to not think deeply and carefully. He should make it his goal to acquire a horror of displeasing God in any way. He must see God as his beloved Friend and, thus, it must penetrate deep into his heart that he should avoid, at all costs, anything that would offend his Divine Friend.!
By repeated efforts, the choleric can learn to want with all his heart to foster a deep love of God and thereby provide himself with the greatest protection against his type of unreasonable pride which leads him quickly to vainglory.
The Choleric Must Have High and Supernatural Goals.
The choleric must seek God’s Will in all things. He must always ask himself what service/task/plan God wants from him. The choleric must see his own nothingness first before he will be able to discover God’s Will and have the desire to work for God. The choleric must be aware of his tendency to see himself as a special hero when, after all, he knows the truth that only God’s Will matters! The choleric must overcome his temptation to vainglory. If he fears vainglory, this will help him overcome the temptation to it. He must see that the only true glory is to do God’s Will. He must see his need to be united with God and that without God, he can do nothing.
A Preview…
In our next lesson we will address the second motive on the list (in lesson #46) of reasons why cholerics have a tendency to not think deeply and carefully, namely, because of a false belief that such reasoning is too difficult.
[1] All sin is unreasonable and all unreasonable pride is a sin. But there can be good pride, e.g., a parent’s proper pride in his children’s good conduct or a workman’s proper pride in his work, leading him to do good quality work and not “cut corners”.
[2] All sin is unreasonable and all unreasonable pride is a sin. But there can be good pride, e.g., a parent’s proper pride in his children’s good conduct or a workman’s proper pride in his work, leading him to do good quality work and not “cut corners”.
[3] Here is one way that St. Thomas Aquinas, greatest Doctor of the Catholic Church, explains that this motive is vainglory:
Now the sin of vainglory, considered in itself, does not seem to be contrary to charity as regards the love of one’s neighbor; yet as regards the love of God it may be contrary to charity in two ways.
In one way, by reason of the matter about which one glories; for instance, when one glories in something false that is opposed to the reverence we owe to God. Or again, when a man prefers to God the temporal good in which he glories: for this is forbidden. Or again, when a man prefers the testimony of man to God’s, thus, it is written in reproval of certain people [John 12:43], “For they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God.”
In another way vainglory may be contrary to charity, on the part of the one who glories, in that he refers his intention to glory as his last end; so that he directs even virtuous deeds thereto, and, in order to obtain it, forbears not from doing even that which is against God. In this way it is a mortal sin. Wherefore [St.] Augustine says (De Civ. Dei v. 14) that “this vice, namely the love of human praise, is so hostile to a godly faith, if the heart desires glory more that it fears or loves God, that Our Lord said (John 5:44): How can you believe, who receive glory one from another, and the glory which is from God alone, you do not seek?”
Summa, IIa IIae, Q.132, a.3, Respondeo (bracketed words added).