Surrounded By Idiots ((link)) May 2026

The reality is harsh but liberating:

Psychologists have proven that humans naturally overestimate how much other people think like them. We assume that if we see the obvious solution, everyone else should too. When they don’t, we don’t assume they have different priorities or wiring; we assume they are stupid, lazy, or malicious. surrounded by idiots

If you are a Red, the Green in accounting thinks you are an idiot for screaming about a budget deadline without reading the fine print. If you are a Blue, the Yellow in sales thinks you are an idiot for needing three days to approve a one-page flyer. If you are a Yellow, the Blue in IT thinks you are an idiot for losing your password for the fifth time this month. The reality is harsh but liberating: Psychologists have

By reading this article, you have proven you are not the idiot—you are simply uninformed. But now, you are informed. You now know that the person cutting you off in traffic is likely a Red in a hurry. The coworker asking too many questions is a Blue verifying data. The boss who won't make a decision is a Green avoiding conflict. If you are a Red, the Green in

Stop looking for idiots. Start looking for colors. You will be surprised how fast the idiots disappear when you learn to speak their language. Disclaimer: "Surrounded by Idiots" is a trademarked book title by Thomas Erikson. This article is an independent analysis of the communication model presented within the text.