Surrounded by Idiots

This is a fabulous book about understanding how people function and why we often struggle to connect with each other. It is based on four personality types: Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue.

Your core values and your attitudes affect how you choose your behavior. Together they form your core behavior, the real person you want to be. Your core behavior is how you act in complete freedom, without the influence of any external factors at all. The people around you mostly see your moderated behavior, the behavior that others around you experience.

We continually affect one another in some way or other. The trick is to try to figure out what’s there, under the surface.

No matter what kind of behavior you have, most people you’re surrounded by will function differently from you. Erikson explains that you can’t base your method of communication on your own preferences. He shows that a good communicator is flexible and has the ability to interpret other people’s needs.

When we think someone is an idiot, is it really because of their faults or shortcomings or have we failed to understand them? Whatever judgment people make of you is the way they perceive you, regardless of what you meant or intended. It really is all about self-awareness.

This book is so entertaining. It made me laugh out loud many times through the real stories Erikson shares. You just can’t help that the names of people you know keep popping into your head. “She’s definitely a yellow and he’s definitely a green!” If you want to understand and influence the people around you, and if you want to ensure you aren’t the idiot, do read this book!