“Surrounded by Idiots” by Thomas Erikson is a communication and behavior guide that explains why people think and act so differently, and how to adapt your approach to work better with them.
Core Concept
Erikson categorizes personalities into four color types, based on behavior patterns and communication preferences:
- Red – Dominant & Direct
- Action-oriented, decisive, competitive.
- Strength: Gets things done quickly.
- Weakness: Can be impatient or blunt.
- Yellow – Social & Optimistic
- Creative, talkative, inspiring.
- Strength: Brings enthusiasm and ideas.
- Weakness: Can be disorganized or unrealistic.
- Green – Calm & Reliable
- Patient, loyal, good listener.
- Strength: Stable and dependable.
- Weakness: Resistant to change, avoids conflict.
- Blue – Analytical & Cautious
- Detail-oriented, precise, logical.
- Strength: High accuracy, thorough work.
- Weakness: Overthinks, slow to decide.
Key Lessons
- People’s actions often aren’t “stupid” — they’re just different from yours.
- Understanding someone’s “color” helps you adjust your communication for better results.
- Conflicts often come from mismatched communication styles, not bad intentions.
- Adaptation is your responsibility if you want to be understood and persuasive.
Practical Use
- Identify the personality type of others through observation.
- Adjust your tone, pace, and level of detail based on their style.
- Balance teams with different colors for stronger results.
- Avoid stress triggers specific to each color to maintain good relationships.