Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior or How to Understand those who Cannot be Understood

Abstract

"First published in Swedish in 2014 as Omgiven Av Idioter ... "--Title page verso. You are not alone. After a disastrous meeting with a highly successful entrepreneur, who was genuinely convinced he was surrounded by idiots, communication expert and bestselling author, Thomas Erikson dedicated himself to understanding how people function and why we often struggle to connect with certain types of people. Originally published in Swedish in 2014 as Omgiven Av Idioter, Erikons Surrounded by Idiots is already an international phenomenon, selling over 1.5 million copies worldwide, of which over 750,000 copies have been sold in Sweden alone. It offers a simple, yet ground-breaking method for assessing the personalities of people we communicate with in and out of the office based on four personality types (Red, Blue, Green and Yellow), and provides insights into how we can adjust the way(s) we speak and share information. Erikson will help you understand yourself better, hone communication and social skills, handle conflict with confidence, improve dynamics with your boss and team, and get the best out of the people you deal with and manage. He also shares simple tricks on body language, improving written communication and advice on when to back away or when to push on, and when to speak up or indeed shut up. Packed with aha! and oh no! moments, Surrounded by Idiots will help you understand and influence those around you, even people you currently think are beyond all comprehension. And with a bit of luck you can also be confident that the idiot out there isnt you!. 1. Communication happens on the listeners terms -- 2. Why are we the way we are -- 3. An introduction to the system -- 4. Red behaviour: How to recognize a real alpha and avoid getting in his way -- 5. Yellow behaviour: How to recognize someone whose head is in the clouds and get him back to reality again -- 6. Green behaviour: Why change is so difficult and how to get around it -- 7. Blue behaviour: In pursuit of perfection -- 8. No-one is completely perfect: Strengths and weaknesses -- 9. Learning new things: How to use what you've learned -- 10. Body language: Why how you move matters: How do you really look? -- 11. A real-life exmple: A company party: How to understand everyone you meet -- 12. Adaptation: How to handle idiots (i.e. everyone who isn't like you) -- 13. How to deliver really bad news: The challenge of speaking your mind -- 14. Who gets along and why it works: Group dynamics at their finest -- 15. Written communication: How to evaluate someone when you can't meet in person -- 16. What makes us mad as hell?: Temperament can reveal everything about a person -- 17. Stress factors and energy thieves: What is stress? -- 18. A short reflection through history: People have always been like this -- 19. Voices from real life -- 20. A quick quiz to see what you've learned -- 21. A final example from everyday life: Perhaps the most enlightening team project in the history of the world.