Phlegmatic

/flɛgˈmætɪk/ adjective

Definition

Having a calm, sluggish temperament; unemotional and stolidly calm. A phlegmatic person shows little excitement, passion, or emotional response to situations.

Etymology

From Greek 'phlegmatikos' meaning 'made of phlegm,' one of the four bodily humors in ancient medicine. The Greeks believed excess phlegm made people sluggish and unemotional, leading to our modern meaning of emotionally unresponsive.

Kelly Says

Think 'fleg-MATIC' like a automatic flag that never waves—it just hangs there unmoved by any wind! Phlegmatic people are like human sedatives, maintaining the same emotional temperature regardless of chaos around them.

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