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

by Thomas Erikson

“We see what we do, but we do not see why we do what we do. Thus, we assess and appraise each other through what we see that we do.”

Improperly used, every tool can be harmful. It’s more about the person using it than the tool itself.

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

For a Red, a realistic budget is a budget for cowards. If we don’t push ourselves to the breaking point, we haven’t tried hard enough. Reds love difficult tasks, so their level of ambition is usually boundless. The ability to manage difficult situations and challenges is the defining attribute of Red behavior.

take a course in entertaining rhetoric; then you may be able to keep your Yellow friend’s, partner’s, or colleague’s attention.

Many truly successful people in society are often better listeners than the general average. They don’t willingly talk as much as they listen. They already know what they know, and to learn more they simply have to hush up and hear what others are saying. It’s a way to absorb new knowledge.

Conflicts are indicative of poor leadership, poor communication, and discord.