THE FOUR TEMPRAMENTS WHICH, DEFINES GHANIANS?

The four temperaments describe the patterns of personality and are based on the description of an individual’s behavior. It tells us the ‟why ”of our motives and sources of our psychological stress.

Knowing our temperaments tells us our core needs and values as well as the talents we are more likely to be drawn to develop. The four temperaments are sanguine, choleric, melancholic and phlegmatic.

The sanguine temperaments are sociable and charismatic. They enjoy social gatherings, making new friends and tend to be boisterous. They are quite creative, talkative, compassionate, sensitive and thoughtful .Often they pursue a new hobby and lose interest as soon as it ceases to be fun. Sanguines tend to be forgetful, sarcastic, have shameless nature and very confident.

Cholerics on the other hand have temperaments qualities like being ambitious and leader like. They have a lot of aggression, passion and energy which they try to instill in others. They love to be dominant over others. Most great charismatic military leaders are cholerics.However; cholerics tend to be highly disorganized and essentially very much prone to mood swings.

The qualities of a melancholic temperaments include being introvert and thoughtful. Melancholics are often perceived very considerate, pondering, getting rather worried when they are late for events. They can be highly creative in poetry and art and are preoccupied with the tragedy and cruelties in the world.Moreso, melancholics are self reliant and independent; one negative part of melancholics is selfishness.

People with the phlegmatic temperaments are fundamentally relaxed and quite warmly attentive to being lazily sluggish. They tend to content with themselves and kind. They are accepting and affectionate. Most phlegmatics are shy and receptive and prefer stability to uncertainty and change. They are relaxed, calm, rational, curious and observant. This makes them administrators.

Based on this description of the four temperaments, we can draw a conclusion of the patterns that defines the 24million Ghanaians .we might have shades of all the four but we are more of the phlegmatic temperaments. We are lazy and accept things as they are rather than embracing change.

It is amazing how we make noise about social, political, and economic a issue suggesting various solution yet we make no efforts to inculcate these in our way of life. Am not a prophet of doom or criticizing anybody but I can say for a fact that if we continue with these attitudes we will be left with nothing as a nation in future. Ghanaians are fond of stability to uncertainty.

Ghanaians love singing the same chorus ‟nyame b3 y3”when we encounter problems. There is no doubt of God being the ultimate solution, but if we sit with our arms between our tights will our problems be solved?

In this era of‟dumsology”and ‟tweaa”economic crises, what have done as a people than to criticize those in office. True they are to be held accountable but what have you and I as individuals done to help ourselves and the nation as a whole.

Its time we embrace change, be creative and innovative. Its time we stop being lazily sluggish and be problem solving. Now is the time we become independent of external hands as a nation and on government as individuals.

 

 

What happened to our traditional games‟ pilolo” ‟ alikoto”,” ampe”?

If any of you didn’t play this game let that person stand to be counted.‟ Pilolo” ‟ampe”, ‟ alikoto” just to mention a few were games that every Ghanaian child in the late 21^st century played

Ampe to girls though some boys tried playing this game. This game required a lot of energy since one had to jump, clap the hands and throw the legs in to the air and ensure it moves in the same direction with the opponents. If it does you become the winner and the loser had to be hit at the buttocks with the knee.

More so, ‟alikoto” in my opinion was the game that put the cherry on our cakes as kids. All you needed to play this game was a device made from the top of the tiger head dry cell or any other cell. The pen top was pushed in the whole in the top of the dry cell with the elongated out and you are ready to play this game.

In the playing of this game, all you need is a heap of sand on which the ‟alikoto” would be spine. Whiles it spins, you must ensure it turns upside down with the mouth down and the elongated part up to become the winner. If it doesn’t and that of the opponent does then hmmm you should be ready to receive some serious‟ gaa-­ing” (a knock with the‟ alikoto” at the back of your palm).

The‟ gaa-ing” thus the punishment was what made the game interesting and fun. All these games made the Ghanaian child more sociable, active and healthier.

However, it saddens me how these games have become a thing of the past due to technology. In this era known as the 21^st century, the Ghanaian child plays PSP (play station portable), soccer, zuma, temple run and the likes. These games have made our traditional games less of importance to Ghanaians us a people.

Today unlike before, most kids are obese at tender ages and diagnosed of diseases due to lack of exercise and other related issues.in most homes today especially homes that are well to do, the kids are not allowed to play with their friends rather they sit indoors  behind these computer games.

Most kids today know nothing about our customs, tradition and heritage because story telling is no more about ‟ananse” but about snow white, Cinderella, ben10, bat man, spider man etc.

Why can’t we develop these games into more attractive forms to tell our story and also to gain income for developmental projects. It’s about time we stop copying blindly and accept what we have as Ghanaians.

This blog seeks to discuss the culture of Ghanaians in general and how far we have come as people in the use of culture to better our lives negatively or positively.

Culture is the way of life of a people.it includes values, beliefs, languages and traditions .culture is also reflect in people’s history, heritage and how the people express ideas and creativity.

A people’s culture measures the quality of life, the vitality and health of the society. Through culture we develop our sense of belonging, personal and cognitive growth and the ability to emphasize and relate to each other.

Some directs benefits of our culture includes health and wellness, self-esteem, skills development, social capital and economic return.