I knew a person in secondary school who was an absolute moron.
I didn’t understand him at all. He had the most outrageous opinions, and never understood anyone else’s side of the story. He was the type of person that could argue the Earth is flat and win the argument, not because he’s right (spoiler: the Earth is not flat), but because he believes he’s right.
We all know people whom we just don’t understand. They’re different to us in every regard. Their priorities, values and general behaviour is worlds apart from ours. Then there are those who just click. You feel comfortable around them, and you understand them. But why?
Why do we perceive some people as absolute idiots, while others as people we ‘get’? Why are some people wired the way they are? In Thomas Erickson’s book, ‘Surrounded by idiots’ (thus the title of the article), he presents the solution of this exact dilemma. And the answer is quite simple.
Every person on this planet, including you, reader, can be identified using a particular colour which represents your ‘unique’ characteristics. These colours have different meanings, and they flawlessly describe you as a person. And shockingly, in this personality type system, there are only 4 colours: Red, Blue, Green and Yellow. Everyone is some combination of these colours; you aren’t that unique after all.
Before I proceed to explaining these colours, and changing the way you interact with people forever, I want to tell you why this is worthwhile. People are open books. They are extremely straightforward whether it seems like that or not. If you don’t understand someone, it’s because you’re not reading carefully. I urge you to read this article inspired by the book ‘Surrounded by Idiots’, and read the book too. This will change your relationships for the better. And above all else, this will change the way you perceive people and interact with them.
Let’s revolutionize your understanding of people…
Red behaviour:
The person from my secondary school I mentioned at the beginning is a red. Classic red.
Reds are the fiery type. They are determined, strong-willed and extremely argumentative individuals. Reds have no problem with conflict, in fact conflict is what drives them. The desire to be the best is what makes them wake up in the morning.
Their list of positive attributes is a long one. Here are some: reds are ambitious, born-leaders, committed, competitive, risk-takers, argumentative etc. They love productivity and a fast-paced life. And they love winning.
Reds really are great, but they have many noticeable (to everyone but themselves) flaws. Reds can be narrow-minded and too opinionated. They can come off as cold and arrogant and someone who lacks emotions.
How to deal with a red?
A red’s ego can be quite exhausting. And if a red believes something, changing his opinion can be difficult. So, when dealing with reds, you either need to approach them full-steam, or completely laid-back.
The first option is valid only if you really need to prove a point, or need to convince a red to do something. Changing a red’s opinions is like moving a brick wall, if you want to do it, you need to come prepared with a bulldozer. Reds respect people with a backbone, so don’t be afraid of conflict with them, because they certainly won’t hold back.
The second option is valid almost all the other times. Arguing with a red has no likely end, because she will very rarely admit she’s wrong. So don’t even bother trying unless you really need to.
So, do you know any reds? Think of the people who like taking charge, are full of opinions, and come off as ‘slightly’ stubborn.
Green behaviour:
If I had to take one guess of what your personality colour is, reader, I would guess green. That’s because most of the population has green characteristics.
Greens are the laid-back, calm and friendly type. They are lovely individuals that are quite pleasant to talk to. For a green, it is empathy before anything else. You will very rarely see a green being rude. But that doesn’t mean they never get angry. They just keep it in. Greens DO NOT like conflict. Another key fact, a pure green is introverted (remember most people have combination of colours, mostly 2, and some have just one colour)
Some of the positive qualities of a green include: they are calm, reliable, loyal, understanding etc.
But they also have negatives. Greens are quite indecisive, easy to manipulate, naïve, pushovers, procrastinators, bitchy etc. The last one is unexpected, but true. Greens let loose around their family and friends and a lot comes out.
How to deal with a green?
Greens believe the world runs on feelings. Reds, and as you will see blues too, disagree with this. The way to deal with greens is to talk with empathy. Also, note that greens are laid-back, so they don’t like living at fast-pace like reds do. So, give greens the time and space they need.
Also, greens are indecisive, so help them in this front every now and then. A green always appreciates help, but may never ask for for it.
Note too that a green will hold a grudge. So don’t tick him the wrong way. Treat them with respect and kindness, and they will be your most loyal companion.
Can you pinpoint any greens in your life? Perhaps you have some of the qualities described above. Greens are the most common, but they are also the most subtle.
Yellow behaviour:
Finding yellows is the easiest. And if you know a yellow (or are one), you will immediately recognise these traits.
Yellows are the life of the party. They somehow always become the centre of attention, wherever they go. Is there someone in your friend group that does the most talking and always seems excited about everything? Well, that’s a yellow. Yellows love everyone and everyone (tends) to love them.
A pure yellow will get offended easily, but they will forget it immediately too. They just love themselves and (most) people around them.
Positive traits: friendly, creative, imaginative, constantly excited, decisive etc. As you can see, on paper, yellows get along with most people. And they do. However, ironically, yellows don’t tend to get along with other yellows. You can’t have two centres of attention now can you?
Yellows do have downsides too: they can be narrow-minded, too talkative, inefficient, unproductive, poor at time-management etc.
How to deal with yellows?
A pure yellow loves talking so much that it can be difficult to bear. And that’s why some yellows can become intolerable. If you want to maintain a relationship with a yellow, you need to nudge them every now and then to prevent them from taking over the conversation. Like I said, yellows get offended easily so be careful.
Also note, they are extremely forgetful, and tend to always be late. If you want to make plans with a yellow, remind her about it repeatedly (that may not work too).
Blue behaviour:
Details, details and more details. Blues are by far the most logical and detail-oriented type. If something isn’t perfect then it’s completely wrong. If you think like that, or know someone who does, you know a blue. Blues would either do something right, or not do it all.
Blues are introverted. They like keeping to themselves, but they have no problem speaking up, when asked to do so. The thing with a blue is, she may know the answer but will not share it unless asked to.
Similar to reds, blues can also come off as quite cold. It’s logic before emotions for them. It may not be their intention, but that’s just the way they’re wired.
Some of the positive traits of blues include, logical, calm, conscientious, perfectionist, methodical etc.
Some of the negative traits are blues can lack feeling, cold, slow (in order to be absolutely right), distant etc.
How to deal with a blue?
No matter what you do, DO NOT brush past details with a blue. That’s important to them. If you’re a lousy, careless type, trust me when I say they will not respect you.
When talking to a yellow, you would want to use colourful and descriptive language. When talking to a blue, you need to be the complete opposite, otherwise you will lose them immediately.
Like I mentioned, blues can come off as cold. He may seem like he has no interest in you as a person, which can be hurtful. But remember, that’s just how he his. Don’t push a blue to open up or let out their deepest emotions (you don’t know what may come out!).
You now have a basic understanding of the 4 colour types. Everyone, and I mean everyone is some combination of these colours. Like I said, people aren’t that complicated.
So, what can you do with this knowledge? Well, for starters, knowing the different perks of each individual allows you to tailor a seamless relationship with them. It allows you to understand their intentions, and read between the hidden lines.
This also allows you to help the people around you. For example, you can help greens by supporting them in their decision making, instead of being frustrated. You can help yellows by reminding them about important due dates. You can help reds by letting them feel like they’ve won at some capacity, just to calm them down. And you can help blues by not boring them with your definition of fun (assuming you aren’t a blue yourself).
I’m not telling you stop being YOU. I’m advocating for becoming a person who understands others around them. Someone who knows how to read the room. And most importantly, someone who knows how to read themselves.
If you found this interesting, I do urge you to read the book ‘Surrounded by Idiots’. It covers this system in great-depth.
