Human Temperament: Inherited or Conditioned Response?

I think with anyone we meet, we tend to develop a certain image in our minds of what type of person they are. Over time the more we get to know these individuals the stronger and more clearly defined our perceived image of them becomes and many times we may even react emotionally at the site or mention of them. Celebrities especially seem to attract a great deal of attention and draw emotional responses from the public. While many celebrities seem to have a respected public image with complementing temperaments there are a few who elicit very clear and defined images just at the mention of their name. The celebrity’s temperament (a person’s natural disposition) is many times a major defining component of their image and sometimes it is their temperaments that receive the most attention, not their accomplishments. For example, although it has been over two decades since we first saw him play at Wimbledon all anyone has to do is mention the name John McEnroe and a very clear image of his temperament comes to mind.

Until McEnroe entered the scene in the late 1970’s, tennis was a formal and highly respected sport. The atmosphere was stately and attracted royalty and the wealthy as spectators. However, when McEnroe played, viewers watched from all over the globe to see what he would do next. Any missed shot or perceived error generally elicited an outburst. He was arrogant and angry and the type of person that makes any locker room uncomfortable. McEnroe could be seen throwing balls at the heads of his opponents, arguing with judges, and even verbally antagonizing himself.

McEnroe is considered one of the best tennis players that ever graced a tennis court, the best doubles player of all-time, and even led the U.S. to an unprecedented five world titles with a 59-10 match record in the Davis Cup tournaments. Yet his accomplishments seem to be overshadowed by his volatile temperament. Now in his 40’s, McEnroe’s temperament seems little changed at the senior’s events he now participates in and the attention seems to remain on McEnroe’s temperament, not his tennis brilliance.