The fourth part of the rule-out questions moves beyond food to temperament and daily habits. As always: a questionnaire guess carries no diagnostic weight in Korean Traditional Medicine (KTM). In Eight Constitution Medicine (ECM), the constitutional pulse must be confirmed before constitutional acupuncture or herbal medicine is used. Read each item with the reminder that any constitution can show any of these traits — and strike out only what clearly doesn’t fit.
In Summary
- The parasympathetic-tense types (Wood and Earth) are more often relaxed; Cholecystonia can grow edgy when the lower belly chills, and the Earth types when they are rushed.
- Trouble sleeping away from home points toward the sympathetic-tense types (Metal and Water); constipation while travelling points toward the Water types.
- Being tone-deaf is uncommon among the Metal types, in my observation.
- Preferring warm showers even in summer argues against the Metal types and Renotonia.
- Don’t score the answers — weigh them.
Question 15. I am usually highly strung.
Bear in mind that anyone can become tense. The Wood and Earth types, who lean toward parasympathetic dominance, are more likely to be relaxed and unflappable. But Cholecystonia readily becomes edgy when the lower belly turns cold, and the Earth types often become tense through impatience. So if you feel you are usually highly strung, you are probably not Hepatonia.
Question 16. I can’t sleep anywhere but home, and when I travel my bowels stop moving.
Again, this can happen in any constitution. Poor sleep away from home is common in the sympathetic-tense types — Pulmotonia, Colonotonia, Renotonia and Vesicotonia — whose qi leans outward. Constipation in unfamiliar places is characteristic of the Water types: even when they don’t feel constipated, their usual interval between bowel movements is the longest of all the constitutions. If this fits you, you are probably not Hepatonia, Gastrotonia or Pancreotonia.
Question 17. I’m tone-deaf and not interested in music.
Singing is a way of expressing outward, which in ECM’s reading is close to the strong outward-moving lung qi of Pulmotonia and Colonotonia. Not every Metal-type person sings well, but in my observation it is rare to find one who is tone-deaf. If this fits you, you are probably not a Metal type. (Treat this as one of the weakest hints in the series — musical habits are shaped by upbringing far more than by organs.)
Question 18. Even in hot summer weather, I bathe in warm water rather than cool.
You are probably not Pulmotonia, Colonotonia or Renotonia. These constitutions find summer hard, because qi leaks outward, so they tend to shower in less-warm water to keep their energy in. Vesicotonia shares some traits with Hepatonia and often prefers warm water. Hepatonia likes warm showers even in midsummer. The Earth types don’t naturally like cold showers, but may enjoy them in hot weather.
How to Use These Questions
I don’t turn these questions into scores, because the right weight for each depends on your situation. Work through them slowly and enjoy the process. In ECM, “strong” does not mean “safe” for any constitution — and no questionnaire can replace pulse diagnosis.
Related reading: Part 3: Alcohol, Coffee and Ginseng · Music and the Eight Constitutions
