50 pages • 1 hour read
Thomas EriksonSurrounded By Idiots
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2014A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 1-3Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 1 Summary
Thomas Erikson claims that “communication happens on the listener’s terms,” since information is always filtered through someone’s existing understanding and biases (Location 134). As such, the speaker only has so much control over how the listener receives their message. Erikson argues that to communicate effectively, people must adjust their behavior and speaking style to the preferences of the listener. He questions the conventional wisdom to “treat others as you want to be treated,” since everyone is an individual with their own unique preferences; Erikson advises the reader to consider learning about others’ preferences and how one’s own actions are regarded by others (Location 176).
According to the author, categorizing people into broad personality categories can help others decide how to best communicate with them. Erikson asserts that everyone should be able to observe and understand others’ behavior and recognize the habitual patterns that they tend to follow. He encourages the reader to consider why others act the way that they do and develop their patience when dealing with others.
Chapter 2 Summary
Everyone’s personality is influenced by inherited traits and their environment. Once people reach adulthood they generally have a set of core values and attitudes which inform their behavior.
Erikson claims that perceptive people with strong self-understanding are more flexible about how they tailor their communication to different individuals and situations. He maintains that everyone has a “mask” of how they present themselves in different circumstances, for example, at home or at work. Erikson claims that it is the combination of people’s personality and surrounding factors which produce people’s behavior. To ensure that communication is clear and positive, speakers can try to understand the listener’s personality and influence their surrounding factors as well.
Chapter 3 Summary
Erikson introduces the DISC system, which categorizes people into four broad categories with color names: Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow. “Green” or “Stable” people 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, try to 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. Erikson claims that most people exhibit a combination of two colors or types. He encourages the reader to take notes about their insights into themselves and others as they explore these personality types in more detail.
Chapters 1-3 Analysis
In Erikson’s first chapters he introduces The Importance of Adaptability and The Role of Self-Awareness in Communication, arguing that personal experiences and preferences inform how people communicate.
While Erikson’s work is based on psychological concepts, he admits that it is not a “comprehensive” picture and that people’s behavior cannot be easily explained by any simple system since “people are not Excel spreadsheets” (Location 153). Erikson explains that all individuals’ behavior, attitudes, and values are informed by both their genetic traits and lived experiences in different environments. These personal preferences and personalities always inform how people listen to and interpret others’ messages. The author writes:
Everything you say to a person is filtered through his frames of references, biases, and preconceived ideas […] What is understood will, naturally, vary depending on who you are speaking to, but it is very rare that the entire message gets through exactly as you conceived it in your mind (Location 134).
Erikson asserts that strong communicators always consider the personal traits and preferences of who they are speaking to so they can tailor their message to the listener, reflecting The Importance of Adaptability. The author explains why some people excel at communicating. According to Erikson, “Flexibility and the ability to interpret other people’s needs is what characterizes a good communicator” (Location 146). He argues that “[k]nowing and understanding another person’s style of behavior and method of communication [...] will dramatically increase your ability to get through to the person in question” (Location 146).
He contrasts the image of a “flexible” and “perceptive” person with someone who fails to notice others’ preferences and acts according to their own instincts. He writes, “Some don’t care. They are always themselves because they’ve never reflected on how they are perceived” (Location 252). The author insists that to communicate effectively, people must be willing to adapt their behavior according to the situation, as people can only be completely themselves when alone or “when all other people in the room are exactly like you” (Location 176). These passages highlight The Role of Self-Awareness in Communication by urging readers to consider how others perceive them and how they may have to adapt their usual style to communicate more effectively. By sharing his ideas about strong versus weak communicators and contrasting them, Erikson presents an ideal to strive for.
Erikson also uses comparisons and examples to make his work more accessible. For instance, he compares words and actions to tools to explain that there are constructive or destructive words for each situation, writing, “Behavior patterns are like a toolbox. All types are needed. Depending on the occasion, a tool can be sometimes right and sometimes wrong” (Location 184). People must choose their words and communication style carefully in different contexts, just as they would select the right tool for a particular task (Location 192). To demonstrate how personal experiences can shape one’s attitudes, Erikson points to a relative who was distrustful of salespeople after being tricked in the past.
