Surrounded by Idiots is a 2014 book by Swedish author Thomas Erikson. Erikson initially self-published this work, which has since sold over three million copies and been translated into dozens of languages. A self-described “behavioral expert,” Erikson has delivered presentations to companies across Europe on personality and workplace behavior. In his work, Erikson argues that understanding the personalities of colleagues, friends, and family members helps to avoid miscommunication and conflict. According to Erikson, the best way to develop self-awareness and an accurate perception of others is to use the DISC method of personality assessments, which was first invented by American psychologist William Marston and expanded on by American consultant Bill Bonnstetter. This method categorizes people into four broad groups: Red or “Dominant,” Yellow or “Inspiring,” Green or “Stable,” and Blue or “Compliant.”

This study guide refers to the 2018 St. Martin’s Kindle edition of the book, which uses locations rather than page numbers.

Plot Summary

In his first chapter, Erikson explains that the way a speaker’s message is received depends on the listener’s frame of reference, understanding and biases. As such, learning about people’s personalities and becoming more aware of how others perceive you can help build effective communication skills and avoid misinterpretation. Erikson maintains that the broad categories used by the DISC system help us understand others’ behavior and to recognize the habitual patterns that they tend to follow.

In Chapter 2, Erikson discusses how childhood experiences and one’s environment combine with inherited traits to produce people’s personalities, attitudes, and core values. The author argues that by becoming more perceptive about oneself and others, people can tailor their communication style to different individuals or situations to help them achieve their goals. In the following chapter he introduces the reader to the basic labels of the DISC system: “Green” or “Stable,” meaning people who are introverted, calm, supportive, and avoid conflict. “Blue” or “Compliant” people react slowly, prioritize organization, are risk-averse, and avoid collaboration. “Red” or “Dominant” people react quickly, exert their control, are action-oriented, and think in the moment. Lastly, “Yellow” or “Inspiring” people react quickly, are spontaneous and collaborative, and tend to project into the future.

In Chapter 4, Erikson describes Red personality types as “task-oriented extroverts” who enjoy taking on ambitious tasks, competing with others, and proving themselves. A challenge for Reds is to temper their competitive streak and confident behavior to ensure they do not alienate people or act inappropriately. In Chapter 5 he analyzes the Yellow personality, which he describes as talkative, engaging, and positive. As such, he feels that Yellows are the most popular personality.

In Chapter 6, Erikson focuses on Greens, arguing that they have an easy-going and cooperative nature and often prioritize others’ needs above their own. They tend to be cautious about risk and change, and value routine and stability. In Chapter 7 the author analyzes the Blue personality, which he characterizes as the most introverted of the four types. This perfectionistic type excels at research, fact-checking, and analysis, and tends to be very organized and good at planning.

In Chapter 8 the author explores the weaknesses of each type, focusing on how their behaviors may irritate others who see things differently. For instance, Reds are naturally dominant and talkative and often ignore the rules, all of which can be offensive to the other types. Yellows’ outgoing nature can become self-centered, and other types may find them to be poor listeners. Meanwhile, Greens can be so scared of conflict they may hide their true opinions and let resentments fester. Lastly, Blues may become paralyzed by their obsessive approach to research and analysis of every decision. In Chapter 9, Erikson encourages the reader to consider how they could apply their new knowledge about personality differences in their personal and professional life, advising them to think about how to transform their theoretical understanding into action in their relationships.

In Chapter 10 the author analyzes how each type expresses themselves with body language, noting that Reds tend to walk and gesture confidently, whereas Greens are discrete and feel uncomfortable being the center of attention. While Yellows rely on their engaging body language to communicate, Blues are generally not expressive and have very subtle body language and facial expressions. In Chapter 11, Erikson provides an anecdote which demonstrates a typical workplace dynamic: Yellow personalities enthusiastically propose a social event, a Red boss approves it spontaneously, Green colleagues provide the necessary help to make it happen, and Blues critique the logistics of the idea. At the party everyone’s personality changes as people are under the influence of alcohol, with the different types temporarily adopting the others’ personality traits.

In Chapters 13 and 14 Erikson explains how people should adapt their behavior to most effectively communicate with the different types, including how to give constructive criticism on which each type can act. He also makes recommendations on how to encourage these types to become more well-rounded. Erikson ponders the best and worst combinations of personalities, arguing that opposites such as Green and Red or Yellow and Blue are likely to work poorly together. Meanwhile, Blues and Reds, and Greens and Yellows, tend to be complementary combinations, each balancing out the weaknesses of the other. In Chapter 15 Erikson coaches the reader on how to discern someone’s personality from their written communication, and suggests that adopting some of the other person’s style or tone will help solidify the relationship.

In Chapters 16 and 17 Erikson examines the personality types’ triggers and stressors, emphasizing that the same thing that makes one personality comfortable may make another anxious or upset. He encourages the reader to use moments of stress to gain insight into other people’s needs and preferences. In Chapter 18, the author draws parallels between his own personality system and historical understandings of human behavior, such as Hippocrates’ four humors or the Aztecs’ grouping of people according to the four elements.

In Chapter 19 the author includes real-life reflections on his work from people he knows personally. These interviews provide insight into how some professionals apply their knowledge about personality in their workplaces, and people’s personal perspectives on other types. Erikson includes a quiz for the reader to test themselves on their knowledge from the book. In the final chapter, he reminisces about a workshop he led at a conference. In this experiment, Erikson arranged the employees into homogeneous groups based on their personality types and asked them to complete a timed task. In the end, each group was unsuccessful in creating a meaningful, complete presentation according to the task instructions. Erikson uses this example to demonstrate that diversity of personality is essential for creating productive and harmonious teams.