We often ask ourselves why a person behaves or reacts the way they do. Or why we have certain reactions toward a situation. Don’t look no further, because this week’s book explains it all.

Tim Lahaye decided to find and answer to why people act they way they do. He delved into the study of temperaments and distinguished four types. In this book he looks at four different temperaments and explains how it affects the daily life of a person.

He explains how temperaments have an effect on the emotions, spiritual life and relationships. He also shows how certain traits can be improved and controlled.

Sit down, relax and enjoy this excerpt!

Chapter Nine: How to deal with Fear and Anger

“What you are emotionally is what you are!” may be too strong a statement to be true, but it’s close. We are all such emotional creatures that our emotions can influence every area of our lives—for good or bad. I have noticed that whenever our emotions conflict for a length of time with any other area of our being, they eventually triumph.

Consider the power of emotion to influence the other three most important areas of life—mind, will, and body. No matter how intelligent a person is, when he gets emotionally upset he cannot think in an orderly fashion. Emotions can break his concentration and stifle his creativity. Some people’s minds are totally dominated by their emotions. I well recall a professional scholar who had achieved world recognition at the age of twenty-seven. But his bad marriage kept him so distraught, fluctuating between anger and depression, that he squandered his potential and retired with less prestige and position than he had at twenty-seven.

Everyone has had the experience of letting their emotions impair their judgment How often have you asked, “Why did I buy that car, house, dress, etc.?” You knew better, but you did it anyway. You made an emotional decision. I wish I had a dollar for all the people who asked, “Why did I marry him? We have nothing in common.” Now you can see why I say all
emotionally made decisions are bad decisions. The good life is one in which your mind controls your emotions, never vice versa.

The same, however, is true of your will. I don’t care how strong-willed you are, if conflict between your will and your emotions lasts long enough, your emotions will win. That’s why the Bible tells us to “flee youthful lusts” and sins. Our emotions are particularly powerful between the ages of fourteen and twenty-four. That is why the devil uses society, education, drugs, friends, and amusements on our young people during those years. He knows how vulnerable they are to making bad lifetime decisions when they are most emotionally combustible.

Physically it is the same. Doctors tell us that 65-80 percent of all illnesses are emotionally induced. What do they mean by that? Very simply, most people in our country ruin or break down their health long before necessary by indulging bad emotions for long periods of time. Good emotions seem to have a healthful effect on us; bad emotions destroy us. The Bible
says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Prov. 17:22, NIV).

“Why You act the Way You do” by Tim LaHaye can be purchased here