Catholic Candle note: The article immediately below is part ten of the study of the Choleric temperament. The first nine parts can be found here:
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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/
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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/
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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/
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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/
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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/
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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/
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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/
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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/
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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/
Mary’s School of Sanctity
Lesson
#45 About
the Temperaments – Continuing Our Study of the Choleric Temperament
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The Choleric’s Spiritual Combat Part X
Note: When referring to a person with a choleric temperament in this article, we simply will label him as a choleric.
Previously, we have discussed anger and its link to pride in the choleric. Likewise, we have discussed at length how a choleric must acquire self-knowledge so he can master himself. He must beware of nurturing hatred, which fosters holding grudges.
In addition to all of this is another character trait which is directly linked to pride, namely, the choleric’s tendency to criticize and misjudge others.
When one thinks about the fact that with fallen human nature we are all infected with pride, one can see many results of this infection. One result is that we do not like others to see our weaknesses and failings. In fact, we tend to try to hide our faults rather than admit that we have them.
The bad-willed choleric is especially prone to this tendency to never admit that he is wrong. He does not want to see himself the way he really is. He avoids looking deeply into himself because he dreads discovering anything that he needs to improve in himself. This is a form of pride which in turn leads to blinding himself further regarding his own defects. He tries to convince himself that does not have his various defects. Likewise, he does not want others to see that he has any flaws.
One common way that this choleric attempts to deflect attention from his defects is to accuse others of flaws or supposed flaws. Thus, this choleric has a very strong tendency to criticize others as a means of keeping others from seeing him as he really is. Of course, this is directly linked to his denial of some (or all) of his defects. (A bad-willed choleric might be aware of his defects but does not want to correct them.) This form of pride is extremely strong in him.
An interesting point is that it seems that the more pride the bad-willed choleric has, the more critical he is and, therefore, the more he is unbearable he is to others. He seems to find constant fault with everyone around him. Thus, it can be that with some cholerics, nothing seems to please them.
Another important point to consider is that the proud choleric is instinctively intimidated by virtuous people around him, as if he can sense his defects more intensely in comparison to them. The intimidation he feels is so great within him that he vents his vexation by especially attacking any virtuous person associated with him.
If anyone points out to him any defect, this proud choleric can’t handle it and he lashes out at the “accuser”. He hurls insults at him and insists that the virtuous one, who was giving fraternal correction with love, is full of vice. It is ironic that oftentimes the so-called vice the choleric accuses his corrector of having, is the very vice he himself is full of. Instead of the choleric showing gratitude to the one giving charitable fraternal correction, the proud choleric displays his defects even more prominently by his haughty reaction to the correction.
Unfortunately,
this pattern of behavior in a proud choleric is usually a vicious
circle. His relatives and acquaintances become overwhelmed with the
situation and do not know how to try to help him. However, since
pride is blind, the choleric tends not to see any problem, so the
problem becomes worse.
What can a choleric do to avoid turning into an unjust criticizer? (Below is a short list of suggestions. Of course, more can be found.)
1) Be aware of the tendency of cholerics to be proud.
2) Work very hard at acquiring the virtue of humility.
3) Saying ejaculations such as, “Jesus Meek and Humble of Heart make my heart like unto Thine,” is extremely helpful. Likewise, saying the Litany of Humility1 often, even twice a day, is a powerful means to fight pride.
4) When a critical comment/thought about another person comes into his mind, he could tell himself that he himself possesses that problem and he should not say or think of criticizing others, because doing so would be like the “pot calling the kettle black.”
5) He should pray to Our Lord and Our Lady to help him acquire more and more self-knowledge so he can see himself more in the Divine Light and work on improving his character.
6) He must tell himself to not be afraid of seeing his flaws because God intends him to continually convert and become more Christ-like— for our life on earth is to be an imitation of Christ and so we Catholics should want with all our hearts to go to heaven and to be divine friends with Our Lord.
7) He should remind himself that everyone has a form of pride and other defects to work on, and being aware of his is a great blessing. Knowing oneself is half the battle, so to speak; then all he needs to do is to get to work and improvements and peace of soul will come.
8)
He should also remind himself that others will find him easier to
bear if he has begun in earnest to change his attitude to a humble
one.
A Preview…
In our next lesson we will examine the very core of the choleric pride – a lack of mental discipline, i.e., an unwillingness to force himself to reason deeply.
This lack of mental discipline has the following consequences (which we will examine):
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Not making good choices/decisions;
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Plans are poorly formulated and poorly implemented;
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Failures leading to blaming others;
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Failures leading to making excuses and covering up problems;
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Trying to compensate for poor thinking by acting overconfident and/or bragging; and
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Trying to manipulate others and control them to avoid the problems caused by bad planning.
1
Litany of Humility
O
Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved… Deliver etc.
From the desire of being extolled …
From the desire of being honored …
From the desire of being praised …
From the desire of being preferred to others…
From the desire of being consulted …
From the desire of being approved …
From the fear of being humiliated …
From the fear of being despised…
From the fear of suffering rebukes …
From the fear of being calumniated …
From the fear of being forgotten …
From the fear of being ridiculed …
From the fear of being wronged …
From the fear of being suspected …
That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I … Jesus, grant etc.
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease …
That others may be
chosen and I set aside …
That others may be praised and I
unnoticed …
That others may be preferred to me in
everything…
That others may become holier than I, provided
that I may become as holy as I should…