WARNING! This article contains minor SPOILERS for Severance season 2, episode 4!Among the most important philosophies outlined by Kier Eagan inSeveranceis the Four Tempers, a framework that Lumon Industries’ founder believed must be “tamed” to achieve a fulfilling life. Throughout season 1, many of the teachings, credos, and beliefs of Kier Eagan are introduced toSeverance’s main charactersas they work on the severed floor, with Kier being glorified and praised by his fervent believers as somewhat of a messianic figure. Lumon’s employees are expected to act in ways thatcarry out Kier’s mission long after his death, which includes working to tame the Four Tempers.
Severancecontinues tohighlight the importance of the Four Tempers across various departments in Kier propaganda. When MDR visitsLumon’s Perpetuity Wingin season 1, an audio speech from an animatronic replica of Kier outlines the Four Tempers. Additionally, Optics and Design was involved with the oil painting of Kier Taming the Four Tempers, with Dylan’s Waffle Party including a performance with dancers dressed as the Four Tempers. InSeveranceseason 2, MDR is brought to Woe’s Hollow to learn more about the Four Tempers’ basis in Kier’s life, emphasizing their importance in Lumon’s shady work on the severed floor.
Each Temper Is Associated With Different Emotions & Character Representations
According to Kier Eagan, four emotional elements make up a person’s soul, which he calls “tempers.” The tempers he outlined before he died in 1939 are as follows:Woe, Frolic, Dread, and Malice. The Four Tempers are each associated with different emotions and feelings, and are each represented by different archetypal characters in symbolic depictions of the components.
Melancholy, sadness
Joy, frivolousness
Fear, anxiety
Rage, intent to harm
Ram
Kier believed that each of these tempers must be overcome and controlled, or “tamed,” in order for a person to gain control over themselves and the world around them. Additionally, he believedeach person’s character is defined by the “precise ratio” of Woe, Frolic, Dread, and Malice within them, which is why they must be properly “controlled” – andLumon Industriesdoubtlessly has an ideal balance in mind.
Woe
The first of the four emotional frameworks within Kier Eagan’s philosophy of the Four Tempers is Woe. More straightforward,Woe is the temper associated with feelings of sadness and melancholy, which often ties into stories of grief withinSeverance. The character that represents Woe within Kier’s philosophy is the “Gaunt Bride,” a melancholy woman who is half the size of the average woman and wears a white wedding dress.
Thelocation of Woe’s Hollow inSeveranceis named after the cave where Kier encountered Woeas a young boy. InSeveranceseason 2, episode 4, Milchick and thedeputy manager Miss Huangbring Macrodata Refinement’s Innies outside the office to Woe’s Hollow to teach them about Kier’s experience taming Woe and first encountering the Gaunt Bride.
Severance: The Real Meaning Of Milchick & Natalie’s Kier Paintings Scene
Milchick and Natalie’s awkward painting scene interaction from Severance season 2’s episode 3 reveals a lot about how Lumon treats its employees.
According to Kier’s story in hisFourth Appendixbook,he conquered Woe after the tragic death of his twin brother, Dieter Eagan. While using plenty more euphemisms to describe the situation, Kier’s account suggested that his twinEagan family memberdied after masturbating in front of him, with Dieter being punished by brutally becoming the woods around him. Kier walked to the waterfall to “drown out [his] brother’s cries” and encountered “the temper Woe,” who told him that Dieter’s death was his fault because he suffered his “wantonness.”
Frolic
The second temper outlined by Kier Eagan isFrolic, which is associated with frivolousness and joy.Frolic is represented by the smiling jester in Lumon’s depictions of the Four Tempers, and seems to be Kier’s way of teaching others to avoid being too carefree or unserious, otherwise they risk becoming a fool. The concept of Frolic was tied into the story of Dylan’s Innie early inSeveranceseason 1, demonstrated by his focus on Waffle Parties, fun perks and rewards, and frequently making jokes with others in theMacrodata Refinement department.
Dread
The third of Kier Eagan’s Four Tempers isDread, which is associated with the emotions of fear and anxiety. The icon representing Dread in Kier’s philosophy is an old crone, who is depicted with a scared and nervous expression on her face. In folklore, crones often fall into the archetype of having disagreeable dispositions, but they can also represent women who are valued for their experience and wisdom. Given Lumon’s crone has a terrified expression, it seems Kier uses her to symbolize the dread of aging, change, and novelty.
Malice
The last of the Four Tempers that Kier Eagan believes must be tamed is Malice.Lumon associates the temper of Malice with rage, intentions to harm, and ill will, which the company doubtlessly uses to caution against rebellions likeSeverance’s “Macrodat Uprising.” Kier uses a ram to represent Malice, arguably the most curious choice for his symbols of the Four Tempers. The exact correlation from Kier’s perspective hasn’t been made clear yet inSeverance, but could have something to do withLumon’s mysterious goat department.
How Kier Eagan’s Four Tempers Are Used In Macrodata Refinement’s Number Sorting
MDR Unknowingly Sorts Number Clusters Into The Four Tempers
While there’s still plenty of speculation about what exactly they’re being used for, the Four Tempers are a component ofMacrodata Refinement’s number sorting task. When working on different files, the refiners must sort clusters of numbers based on the feelings that they elicit when looking at them. Early on, Mark describes an example of certain numbers seeming “scary.” Thenumbers are then sorted into one of four categories in boxes at the bottom of the screen: WO, FC, DR, or MA, each associated with different colors.
Every Confirmed Lumon Department In Severance & What They Do
Apple TV+’s Severance has many mysteries surrounding Lumon Industries, its several departments, and what the employees do in each department.
It’s implied thateach of these boxes corresponds to one of the Four Tempers. WO (represented by a green bar) corresponds to Woe, FC (the yellow bar) signifies Frolic, DR (the red bar) relates to Dread, and MA (the blue bar) corresponds to Malice. The Macrodata Refiner’s Orientation Booklet included inThe Lexington Letteralso reveals that WO numbers make a refiner feel melancholy or despair, FC elicits joe, gaiety, or ecstasy, DR evokes fear, anxiety, or apprehension, and MA prompts rage or a desire to do harm.
The Lexington Letteris a free companion book written by the creators ofSeverance, which reveals more details about Lumon and the show’s mysterious world.
Therefore,when Mark says that some of the numbers look scary, he’s unknowingly associating them with the temper Dread, though he has no idea what the numbers or their groupings actually mean. While Cobel and Milchick almost certainly know exactly what Macrodata Refinement’s numbers really represent,Severance’s Innieshave yet to explicitly put the pieces together that they’re sorted by the Four Tempers.
What’s The Real Purpose Of Macrodata Refinement Sorting Numbers Into The Four Tempers?
What Does It Mean For Lumon’s Experiments On Ms. Casey/Gemma?
Though the Four Tempers are a crucial part of Macrodata Refinement’s job, Lumon’s intentions and the real purpose of the refined data are still mysteries. Some theories speculate that MDR’s numbers are used to refine severed human beings, namely bysorting aspects of their personalities and biology (represented by clusters of numbers) into the Four Tempers until they reach a perfectly even ratio. That theory has also been connected to speculation around the real purpose ofMark’s Cold Harbor file, with some believing it’s being used inSeveranceto refine Gemma into achieving an “ideal” character in Kier’s eyes.
