Understanding People: Personality Theory in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Are we drama kings and queens, or do we find emotions extremely inconvenient? Do our stomachs rule our lives? Are mistakes really upsetting, or do we have a hard time taking our problems seriously?

We have to deal with other people. We also need to understand ourselves. Since physiology and spirituality overlap in Traditional Chinese Medicine, we can explore “personality” while gaining strategies for physical and mental health.

TCM has five main personalities, known as the Five Elements ??. Every person has all five, but the amounts vary.

• Wood likes to be busy.
• Fire likes to laugh.
• Earth likes to care for others.
• Metal likes to find faults.
• Water likes to ask questions.

And throughout our lives, our mix will change.

American acupuncturist Trina Lion has lectured at Yale University, Johns Hopkins University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and New York University in Shanghai. She was featured in a cover story of Shanghai Family magazine and as a TCM specialist on the ICS-TV show “Culture Matters.” Trina works with individuals, couples, and families at Shanghai Humanity Hospital.