People differ in how they engage with the world. A gregarious person thrives in company and becomes the life of every gathering, while a phlegmatic one remains calm, cool, and unemotional even under pressure. Equanimity describes the steady composure that allows some individuals to face crises without panic, whereas irascible people flare into anger at the smallest provocation. The ambivalent person holds mixed or contradictory feelings about the same thing, and the diffident hesitate to share ideas, held back by a lack of self-confidence. Together these words describe the inner weather that shapes our behavior. Each personality also carries its own preferences: she has a penchant for collecting antique clocks, and his own idiosyncrasies shape his days in small, particular ways.
Other traits involve how firmly a person holds a position. The magnanimous forgive rivals and praise their opponents, even in victory. Capricious moods swing unpredictably, and obstreperous individuals are noisy and difficult to control. Recalcitrant, intransigent, and obdurate people refuse to yield, while sanguine individuals stay optimistic despite setbacks. Morose and lugubrious temperaments lean toward gloom, sometimes excessively so, and querulous people complain in a petulant, whining way. Wistful feelings add a different note, a vague, regretful longing for what has been lost. Each of these words captures a particular kind of stubbornness, mood, or quiet yearning. Imperious managers assume authority in arrogant, domineering ways, while impervious critics seem unaffected by any rebuke.
Some adjectives describe the pace and energy of a person. Ebullient people bubble over with cheerful energy, while languid, lethargic, and indolent individuals avoid exertion, dozing through hot afternoons or sleeping in the sun. Fastidious people are hard to please, attending to every detail, and assiduous people work tirelessly with great care. Audacious thinkers embrace bold risks, and effrontery is the brazen insolence required to demand a refund after breaking the item oneself. Complacency, by contrast, is the dangerous self-satisfaction of a champion who has stopped paying attention, until a weaker opponent wins. Belligerent individuals respond to disagreement with hostility, while congenial atmospheres welcome newcomers. A precocious child reading novels by age five may seem startlingly mature, yet an adult personality may still emerge only gradually. Impassive judges reveal no emotion as verdicts are read, and the alacrity with which a volunteer accepts a challenge shows the cheerful readiness that some people bring to every opportunity. Whether sociable or solitary, energetic or sluggish, every personality leaves its own signature.