Surrounded by Idiots
by Thomas Erikson

  • Behaviour
  • Ashto = 5/10
  • Jonesy = 7/10
Surrounded by Idiots

What You Will Learn from Surrounded by Idiots

Surrounded by Idiots shares a groundbreaking new method of understanding the people around you. Ranging from your coworkers to your spouse, this book will change how you interact with everyone.

In Surrounded by Idiots, Thomas Erikson explains four key behaviour types that define how we interact and perceive people. Reds who are dominant and commanding, Yellows who are social and optimistic, Greens who are laid back and friendly, and Blues who are analytical and detail-oriented.

 

Red Behaviour

You might call a red person bold, ambitious, driven, and potentially hot-tempered, rash or dominant. You quickly notice a Red person because they don’t make the slightest effort to conceal their true colours.

People who have lots of red in their behaviour are task-oriented extroverts who enjoy challenges. They make quick decisions and are comfortable taking the lead and taking risks. A common perception is that reds are natural leaders.

Reds have no problem being blunt. They have opinions on most things, and they trot their thoughts out quickly and efficiently. They enjoy winning competitions that don’t even exist except in their mind. It can be passing a slow walker on the street, finding the best parking spot, or dominating the family game of monopoly. For a red, this is all-natural because they see themselves as a winner.

Reds often get annoyed with sluggishness. Reds are happy to make a quick decision to keep things moving. The advantage is obvious. As soon as the task becomes unclear or takes too long, a red will ensure that the momentum is maintained and spurt things along. If you want to adapt to a Red’s tempo, you need to speak and act more quickly.

However, some people speak about reds as a little dictatorial and oppressive. Some say belligerent, arrogant, and egotistical. A Red has no problem with conflict because, for them, it’s just another form of communication. It is important for reds to feel that they can influence what people do and how they intend to act on certain specific issues. They are interested in controlling those around them.

Reds need to understand that the road to full transparency is to adapt to others. But by realising that no one can manage everything alone, they can be prevailed upon to pause and care about others.

 

Yellow Behaviour

A yellow person is an optimistic and cheerful individual with a bright outlook.

Recognising a yellow is easy. They’re the one who talks all the time and gives answers rather than asks questions. People with lots of yellow in their behaviour focus on developing relationships. They are outgoing and can be highly persuasive. They’re enthusiastic, excited and happy to talk about their feelings.

You won’t find anyone more resourceful than a yellow. If there is anything, yellows have an aptitude for seeing solutions where others do not. A yellow dares to go beyond the usual conventions when they’re in a creative mode. However, you might not be able to use whatever idea scheme they come up with. Realism isn’t a factor for a yellow. But still, one idea can lead to another, and suddenly you find something that works.

Yellows are skilled rhetoricians. They know instinctively that their ethos, the bearer of the message, is just as important as the message itself. Therefore they are mindful of getting through to you as an individual—usually by being friendly, shaking your hand, or making personal comments that make you feel important.

On the downside, yellows can be selfish, superficial, and overly confident. Combine that with the fact that they can be distracted and careless—suddenly, the picture isn’t flattering anymore. A yellow won’t admit that they’re careless, but they have no natural way of keeping track of things. They find working in a structured way boring. If there is anything yellow would like to avoid, it’s feeling controlled by fixed systems.

To cater to a yellow person, you should strive to create a warm and friendly atmosphere. Smile a lot, have fun and laugh. Allow a yellow to devote themselves to the latest thing; they’ll like you because you’re exciting, engaging, and innovative. However, be prepared to be replaced rather quickly if they find someone else who is more knowledgeable about newer things.

 

Green Behaviour

The Green person is the most common and average category amongst other colours. But this isn’t a negative aspect. While reds are performance seekers, yellows are creative, and blues are perfectionists, greens are the most balanced. They counterbalance the other more extreme behavioural traits elegantly.

This means that greens don’t stick out the same way as others, and they often provide serenity to a situation.

Greens will not offend people if they can avoid it. They usually strive to fit in. They are naturally friendly and reliable people. If a green says they will do something, you can be confident they’ll do it. A green wants to stay on good terms with everyone, so they’ll even help people they don’t like.

For greens, it is better to be safe than sorry. They are reluctant to take a position on sensitive issues. Greens have just as many views and opinions as anyone else, but they don’t express them. They avoid taking responsibility for the matter in question by expressing themselves ambiguously.

Security will always be important to a green. He strives for stability and doesn’t even want to think about wild gambles. They want everything to be predictable. The bigger the plans, the less likely a Green will commit. All they want is peace. They live in a mindset that everything should be easy.

The majority of the population has green as their dominant quality. This is the main reason why we are often unable to accept change with open arms. The unknown always looks scary.

 

Blue Behaviour

Blues don’t make a fuss about themselves, but they keep tabs on what is happening. They analyse, classify, evaluate, and assess.

You know you’ve met a blue if you visit someone’s home and everything is organised in a particular way. They are a mix of pessimists and realists. Blues rarely take major risks to ensure a predictable life.

Sometimes a blue can refrain from starting something because they can’t assess the risks. A blue generally solves everything by creating advanced systems that can manage the possible risks that may arise. The benefits are evident. Blues won’t be taken aback by unexpected events like others would be. And in the long run, they save a lot of time.

Consider how a blue would put together a piece of furniture from IKEA. If there’s a manual, you have to read it thoroughly before starting. Reds would be confident they can easily do this. Yellows tear up everything, exclaiming that it will be fun to get the furniture in place. Blues read the instructions twice, examine everything, and confirm that the different pieces of the new cabinet match the pictures in the instructions.

But mainly, blues find it difficult to begin anything new because they want to prepare thoroughly. Blues are obsessed with the details. To them, 95% right is 100% wrong. They never finish anything because there is always more to do.

Details are essential to communicating with a blue. If you want to get through to them, you must be very exact and detail-oriented. Make sure you have the answers to absolutely everything.

 

Conclusion of Surrounded by Idiots

The purpose of Surrounded by Idiots is to highlight that no group should be composed solely of individuals of the same type. Diversity is the best way to put people together and achieve decent dynamics.

Each colour has its strengths and weaknesses to lift others. It depends on what colour you are, how strong your self-awareness is, and how willing you are to make headway with other colour personalities. For example, a blue can help a yellow become more concrete, and a yellow can help a blue be a bit more spontaneous.

Surrounded by Idiots explains precisely why groups work the way they do, and it gives you the tools to avoid similar problems in your own life. We’re all different, but you’ll pinpoint these differences and work around them if you keep your eyes open.

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