Word: phlegmatic (adjective)

Associations

The word "phlegmatic" describes a person who is calm, unemotional, and not easily excited or upset.

• A phlegmatic person stays calm during a crisis. For example, "She remained phlegmatic even when everyone else was panicking."
• It can describe someone who is slow to show emotion: "His phlegmatic nature made him a good judge of character."
• Often used in psychology or personality descriptions to mean someone steady and reliable. Synonym: calm, composed. The difference is that "phlegmatic" suggests a natural, unchanging calmness, often seen as a personality trait, while "calm" can be temporary or situational.

Substitution

You can use:

• calm: more general, can be temporary.
• composed: suggests controlled emotions.
• unemotional: more neutral, sometimes negative.
• stoic: similar, but implies enduring pain or hardship without showing feelings. Each word changes the meaning slightly, so choose based on context.

Deconstruction

"Phlegmatic" comes from the ancient Greek word "phlegma," meaning "inflammation" or "phlegm," one of the four bodily humors in old medicine. People thought that having too much phlegm made someone slow and unemotional. The suffix "-atic" turns it into an adjective describing a characteristic.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a situation where being phlegmatic is a good quality?
• Is there a time when being phlegmatic might be a disadvantage?
• How do you react in stressful situations? Would you describe yourself as phlegmatic? Why or why not?