Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business (and in Life)

by Thomas Erikson

By adjusting yourself to how other people want to be treated, you become more effective in your communication.

Flexibility and the ability to interpret other people’s needs is what characterizes a good communicator.

The stronger your self-understanding is, the greater your probability of adapting to the people around you.

We continually affect one another in some form or other.

Rhetoric isn’t the art of talking but rather the art of getting others to listen.

“Body language” refers to all forms of nonverbal communication, conscious as well as unconscious. Differences in body language vary both between individuals and between different groups of people. Our body language also functions as a social and cultural marker, even if there are common biological foundations. The modern English language contains about one hundred and seventy thousand words, of which five thousand are used regularly. In comparison, according to certain scholars, body language contains almost seven hundred thousand signals. Yes, we can debate the exact numbers, but that’s not the point. Just understand that there are an immense number of signals, more than we may be aware of.

Holding your hands clasped behind your back often expresses power and security.

Keep in mind that we all like people in whom we can recognize ourselves.

Beware the Fury of a Patient Man. Beware Indeed.