The  SOMAGRAPHICS_tm  Approach To Self-Knowledge.

Copyright  1998

If you grasp the significance of the information in this WEB-PAPER I guarantee that you will finally understand the biological basis for personality differences.  I know a statement like that is a great big red flag warning skeptics that there is pseudo science lurking 'round the bend. However, let me assure you that I, too,  am a skeptic.  That's why I 'm turning this information loose in the wild world of the internet.  If there is merit to these ideas they will surive.  If these ideas are worthless they will simply die off.   I would never dream of getting this information published by an esteemed psychological journal.  At the same time I feel this information is too valuable to let it die with me.

Don't prejudge this theory.  Read the background information and then get involved by testing it out yourself.  This is your invitation to participate in a very important experiment.  The experiment is explained in APPENDIX A.  It is an experiment with the potential to change your life.

WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT

Physics has quantum mechanics.  Chemistry has a periodic table of the elements.  Biology has DNA.  But, psychology, and especially its sub-field of personality still hasn't established its basic units.  The purpose of this paper is to define the basic units for the field of psychology.  Once we establish these basic units, the pass is blown open to make substantial social progress based on a technology of human behavior.  How is that for an ambitious agenda?  Don't you expect that kind of rash boasting on the internet?

PATTERNS OF FOUR

You have to start somewhere.  So you go with a hunch.  My intuition pulls me toward an ancient pattern that has persisted and can be found in numerous models of temperament and personality.

 Galen/Hippocrates described four temperaments.

A few more patterns of four are listed in this table.

This list is by no means exhaustive and there is an even longer list of those who have noted this recurring pattern.  This pattern appears often enough to require an explanation other than mere coincidence.  It is my hunch that if you are going to explain human nature, personality, temperament, behavior or whatever you want to call it, then you're going to have to explain the patterns of four.

EXPLAINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PATTERNS OF FOUR

I am not going to explain in detail the similarity of these patterns of four since that has been done by many writers. What I intend to do is explain the basis for these patterns of four. I will have succeeded in this if it becomes evident why there are four and  only four  elements and not five or perhaps three. To reach that goal we must step away from psychology into the domain of physics.  We want to get down to some basic categories that will give us some objectivity.

Let's consider an inanimate object.  What can we say about an inanimate object without relying on qualitative terms?  By qualitative terms I mean those words that describe an object according to the judgment of an organism.  For example this would eliminate words such as blue, smooth, large, round etc.  Taste, texture, color, good and bad, are all categories that imply the intervention of an organism and its individual sense organs.  The type of objectivity required   here  leaves us with just those things we can say relating to the motion of an object.

Get ready because I'm going to claim that there are four things you can say about the motion of any inanimate object.  First, you can say that the beginning or origin of an object occurs when it is set in motion.  This is what may be called  "the chip off the old block" explanation.  One obect collides with another object breaking off a chunk and sending it on its own trajectory. An inanimate object's origin and direction is defined by the inertia of  its founding event when all the particles of its mass share the effects of the force of impact.  Second, the fact that it is moving means it can do "work" by transferring it's energy to another object. Third, the object is moving in a single direction. If an object were to start moving in several directions at once it would cease to be one object. It would lose it's integrity. The movement of an object in one direction preserves the object's integrity. Fourth,  the object is not everywhere but is moving in a space relative to other objects.

Let's see what we can use from this description of the motion of inanimate objects that will help us understand the motion/behavior of living organisms? Are there equivalents of these four basic things? You can make the same claims about living organisms by simply adding the word "self." Organisms are (1.) Self-causing /forming. This refers to the fact that organisms are constantly forming themselves by means of cyclical metabolic processes. The existence of biological organisms depends on its maintaining a unique structure by an exchange of materials with its environment. Organisms are (2.) Self-moving. This means that their movement is not the simple result of an external force and inertia. Organisms are (3.) Self-directing. To maintain integrity organisms react for self-preservation. Their trajectory is mediated by choice/selection  rather than the direct result of external forces. Organisms are (4.) self-orienting. They determine where they are in relation to other objects in space.

THE FOUR ORGANISMIC SYSTEMS

It shouldn't be a surprise to find that there are systems in living organisms that carry out these essential functions. I prefer the word "system" to the word "organ" because organs have complex structures and may be involved to some degree in more than one function. "System" is a word that is applicable whether an organism is simple or complex. It would be great to say that new ground is being broken here but this is old stuff. Aristotle had a lot to say on this subject. In his treatise on the soul Aristotle says "For the present let it suffice to say that soul is the principle of the capacities we have named and is delimited by them - the nutritive, the sensitive, the ratiocinative, and movement." Did you notice that Aristotle listed "four" capacities? These capacities or functions are represented by the visceral system, sensory system, nervous system and muscular system. (1.) The digestive or visceral system is basic to the self-forming that goes on with a living organism. (2.) The muscular system moves the organism toward food and warmth and away from danger. (3.) The nervous system speeds up and coordinates motion to deal with emergencies. (4.) Finally, the sensory system orients the organism to its environment so that it can become aware of its relation to food and danger.

The main idea you should get from this discussion so far is that the list of organismic systems is not arbitrarily selected but arises from some reasonable ideas about how philosophical & scientific concepts intersect in biology.

EMOTIONS AND THE FOUR SYSTEMS

There are thousands of emotive words suggesting that humans have a complex view of emotion. But don't let the complexity fool you. It is the context in which emotion is expressed that is manifold not the basic source of the emotion. So let's consider the connection these four systems have with our basic emotions.

(1.) Visceral System. (Gut) An organism needs various things from its environment. These needs are experienced as cravings, appetite, hunger and longing. Basically we're talking about "love." We love the things our body needs. We want to narrow the distance between our bodies and the things we crave. This craving is the "motive" force for most of what we eventually do. The movement of the viscera is minimal. Peristalsis is usually a slow wave like motion that keeps the slurry of food flowing past the absorbing surface of villi.

(2.) Muscular System. When an organism is agitated enough by its needs, the shift is made to the muscular system. The muscular system is specialized to move the organism closer to what it needs. The muscular system moves toward the food and is equipped to de-structure an object so that it can facilitate contact with the viscera. Chasing down prey, clawing, tearing, biting, chewing, sucking & swallowing are all aggressive acts aimed at fulfilling the need for contact. It is with the Muscular system that we can associate the emotion of "rage." The strong association "rage" has with devouring prey in preparation for ingestion is seen by the fact that blood rushes to the stomach when you get angry.

(3.) Nervous System. The ability to coordinate a timely response to danger or a food source is advantageous for survival. Unexpected dangers lurk everywhere. It is this sort of coordination of movement that defines what a nervous system does. What emotion would most likely be associated with the nervous system? The simplest cell has a membrane that protects the inner organism from the outside environment. The membrane "separates" or "demarcates" the organism and its environment. This membrane defines the organism and is usually more sensitive than the rest of the protoplasm contained within the cell. It decides what it will allow to enter and what it will expel. As an inanimate object maintains its integrity by moving in one direction an organism is self-directing/selecting to avoid dis-integration. The dominant emotion associated with the act of retraction or flight is "fear." When someone says they are "nervous" they may be referring to the discomfort associated with fear.

4. Sensory system. For an organism to become familiar with its environment it needs to have a certain degree of freedom. Change is essential for growth. When an environment loses its stimulation, complex organisms will experience boredom. Change can only come about by acquiring new information. This random searching is the playful and joyous feeling associated with wonder and curiosity.

SUMMARY

I have outlined four basic categories that arise from an objective description of physical objects. I have used these four categories to describe living organisms. I  have shown how there are four corresponding systems in an organism that facilitate their existence as self-forming, self-moving, self- selecting and self-orienting "beings." Finally, I have related four basic emotions to these systems. Now we are ready to enter the world of personality or preferably, "temperament."

THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTS

The concept of temperament is based on nature not nurture. If you want to talk about environmental influences then you are not just talking about temperament. Temperament is what an organism brings to a situation. By definition it is something that arises inside the organism not in the environment.

Hippocrates and Galen usually get the credit for describing temperament according to the four basic patterns: Choleric, Melancholic, Phlegmatic and Sanguine. As physicians they were concerned with physiological and naturalistic explanations for these patterns. It is in keeping with this tradition that temperament is discussed from an organismic viewpoint. The nature/nurture controversy continues. Most researchers would split the influence on behavior evenly between an organism and its environment. My intuition and the orientation of this presentation presumes a situation where the influence is in the direction of the Organism = 80% and the Environment = 20%  These are not exact figures but illustrative of the emphasis on the organism.

Philosophers can argue all they want about nature versus nurture. Meanwhile, every day there are front-page stories about the latest unraveling of the genetic code that explains a disease, psychological trait, or developmental tendency. True, there are scientific disclaimers with these discoveries such as "there ARE environmental factors." These nice statements about the environment are only made out of good scientific habit. In most cases they can  hardly guess what the environmental influence is. Because there are only two contestants - nature & nurture, nurture is given the respect of a runner-up though it is a very distant second. In their heart they proceed with research into genetic causes because they have been rewarded by looking at the genetic causes. Politically, the environment is paid some respect because it's important to calm the fears of those who don't know how to deal with inequality. After all, most countries claim to be democratic and democracies like to think everyone is equal.

Mothers have known for thousands of years that one child differs from another right from birth. Animal breeders also know that there are temperamental as well as physical considerations to a pedigree. Recent surveys of twins reared apart have yielded strange similarities that indicate the range of genetic influence is greater than could have been imagined. The field of education is the final retreat of those in society who ignore these facts. Many teachers have a vested interest in believing that they play the decisive role in the success of their students. This illusion cannot be afforded by anyone who is on the hiring end of talent.

Hippocrates/Galen attributed an emotional tone to each of the four temperaments. The Choleric person has a short temper and is often full of rage. Melancholic persons are withdrawn, full of worry, and fearful of consequences. Phlegmatics are sluggish and self-contained. The sanguine temperament is hopeful and optimistic. You should be able to deduce the systems that I would suggest would be connected with each temperament.

At the present rate at which DNA is being decoded we can expect in the near future that a significant breakthrough will be made enabling a clear understanding of the connection between genetics and temperament. At that point we can hope that by sampling a person's DNA we might be able to objectively determine a persons inherited behavior pattern. Until that brighter day what are we to do? We are now coming to the purpose of this Web Paper.

Most likely you can't wait until all of the data is in. You need to make decisions now. What can you find out about yourself right now that will help you manage your life?

If you wait until information is certified scientific "truth" you may miss valuable insights that could be of extraordinary benefit to you. There are many old people today who have excellent health because they exercised regularly, stayed away from refined sugars & starches, & fatty meats. They were called health faddists. Today these "health faddists" miss their friends who used to make fun of the "rabbit food" they carried in their lunch bags. The main preventive prescription made by doctors today is exercise, a high-fibre, low sugar, vegetarian diet. I really wish I could say that this Web Paper is scientific. I can say it definitely is not pseudo-science. Perhaps it is proto-science. At the same time my intuition tells me that there is too much fact here to be ignored.

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