Thomas Erikson > Quotes

“But the most important lesson that you can walk away with is that the idiots who surround you are, in fact, not idiots at all. Instead, they are individuals worthy of respect, understanding, and being valued.”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behaviour

“Everything you say to a person is filtered through his frames of reference, biases, and preconceived ideas.”
― Thomas Erikson

“Introverted” doesn’t mean silent; it means active in the inner world.”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business

“Communication happens on the listener's terms”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots

“It takes a strong mind to move things forward, someone who understands that risks that are part of everyday life and that everything boils down to hard work from morning to night—”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behaviour

“Quick Review of Core Behavior Patterns Reds are quick and more than happy to take command if needed. They make things happen. However, when they get going, they become control freaks and can be hopeless to deal with. And they repeatedly trample on people’s toes. Yellows can be amusing, creative, and elevate the mood regardless of who they’re with. However, when they are given unlimited space, they will consume all the oxygen in the room, they won’t allow anyone into a conversation, and their stories will reflect reality less and less. The friendly Greens are easy to hang out with because they are so pleasant and genuinely care for others. Unfortunately, they can be too wishy-washy and unclear. Anyone who never takes a stand eventually becomes difficult to handle. You don’t know where they really stand, and indecision kills the energy in other people. The analytical Blues are calm, levelheaded, and think before they speak. Their ability to keep a cool head is undoubtedly an enviable quality for all who aren’t capable of doing that. However, Blues’ critical thinking can easily turn to suspicion and questioning those around them. Everything can become suspect and sinister.”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business

“If you have nothing to say—keep quiet.”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business

“As they say: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Psychopaths: How to Stop Being Exploited by Others?from the Bestselling Author of Surrounded By Idiots

“The stronger your self-understanding is, the greater your probability of adapting to the people around you.”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business

“Dismiss personal jealousy and complaints. Learn to have tolerance and patience, both with yourself and with others.”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business

“If everyone were a driven leader, there would be no one left to be led. If everyone were an enthusiastic entertainer, there would be no one to amuse. And if everyone were a detail-oriented perfectionist, there wouldn’t be anything to keep in order.”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots, It's Not Always Depression, How Emotions Are Made The Secret Life Of The Brain

“most people are aware of and sensitive to how they want to be treated. By adjusting yourself to how other people want to be treated, you become more effective in your communication.”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business

“It’s all about the mask you wear to fit into a given situation. We all have several different masks. Having one at work and one at home isn’t that unusual. And another one for visiting the in-laws, perhaps.”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots, It's Not Always Depression, How Emotions Are Made The Secret Life Of The Brain

“What did our mothers teach us? Treat others as you want to be treated. Excellent advice and very well intentioned. And it works, too—as long as everyone is just like you.”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business

“If we don’t push ourselves to the breaking point, we haven’t tried hard enough.”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business

“Everything you say to a person is filtered through his frames of reference, biases, and preconceived ideas. What remains is ultimately the message that he understands.”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business

“Flexibility and the ability to interpret other people's needs is what characterizes a good communicator.”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots

“You are who you are, and there’s no point in wondering why. You’re fine no matter how you’re wired. No matter how you choose to behave, no matter how you are perceived, you are fine.”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business

“Children learn and develop in multiple ways, but the most common is by imitation”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business

“You can’t just base your method of communication on your own preferences. Flexibility and the ability to interpret other people’s needs is what characterizes a good communicator.”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business

“If you don’t control your mind, someone else will.”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Psychopaths: How to Protect Yourself from Being Manipulated and Exploited in Business

“People are not Excel spreadsheets.”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business

“En un mundo perfecto, tendríamos el mismo número de personas de cada color. El amarillo tiene una idea, el rojo toma la decisión, al verde le toca hacer todo el trabajo y el azul lo evalúa y se asegura de que el resultado sea inmejorable.”
― Thomas Erikson, Rodeados de idiotas: Los cuatro tipos de personalidades (o cómo entender a aquellos a quienes cuesta tanto entender) (No Ficción)

“Communication happens on the listener’s terms”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots

“Pressure, demands, and expectations create stress and can make you feel self-critical and powerless. You may find it difficult to sleep or may feel physical pain in your body.”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business

“communication usually takes place on the recipient’s terms.”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behaviour

“Nothing’s impossible the impossible just needs a little bit more time to accomplish.”
― Thomas Erikson

“Child psychologists have argued that the things we find most shocking in the behavior of our children are the things we recognize in ourselves—but wish we didn’t do.”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business

“Only Dead Fish Go with the Flow”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business

“A Simple Way to Summarize Everything We’ve Talked About What sort of boss do you want to be? What is your mission statement? How can you formulate your own aims? Remember that in order to know how to use your time, you need to know what your aims are. How much of your day should be focused on leadership? Start there. With the rest of your time, you can be as much of a specialist as you want. Study staff member X for a while. Note how he or she acts. Have your antennae active. Try to ascertain what colors you see. Think about what attracted the employee here. Why was this particular job important? Which driving forces could be showing up here? Why does the person stay on at this job? Look at a concrete work task and try to ascertain the necessary development level. There could be several analyses, depending on how many different actions the person has to carry out in a given day. The more you break it down, the more exactly you can guide the person.”
― Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Bad Bosses (And Lazy Employees): How to Stop Struggling, Start Succeeding, and Deal with Idiots at Work [The Surrounded by Idiots Series]