Surrounded By Idiots

While Erikson maintains that anyone can develop the self-awareness and skills of perception needed to communicate well, he concedes that some personality types are more compatible than others. He argues that some types are “opposites,” since their main traits are inherently conflicting.

For instance, Erikson claims that Yellow personality types are motivated to form relationships and are focused on interacting and exploring new ideas in a spontaneous and open-minded way. Conversely, the Blue personality type is more results-driven and is therefore focused on the logistics of productivity rather than building relationships. Blues strongly prefer to work within a known routine and value rules and structure. With a critical eye for detail, Blues excel at catching mistakes and critiquing the flaws they find in plans and systems. Having assigned these personalities opposing traits, Erikson claims that Yellows and Blues usually find it difficult to collaborate on a personal or professional level. He writes, “the greatest challenge of all is to ask a Yellow and a Blue to work together. If neither of them is aware of how their personalities work, there will be friction from the outset” (Location 2912).

Erikson uses his interviews with real-life professionals to support his claims about certain personalities’ incompatibility. For instance, his interview with Hakan, a Yellow personality and TV professional, demonstrates how many Yellows feel about working with Blues. Outgoing and intuitive Hakan accuses Blues of being “boring” and labels them “red-tape jackasses” (Location 3557). Hakan recalls how his Blue colleagues “planned and wrote lists and made calculations and messed around with details. But they didn’t actually do anything!” (Location 3557). Erikson argues that this negative view of Blue behavior stems from Yellows’ desire to embrace big-picture goals and quickly move forward to implement new, exciting changes.

Meanwhile, Erikson also solicits a Blue’s opinion of Yellows, with similar results. His Blue interviewee, Stefan, says that Yellows have a “total inability to get the facts right. I think they’re very incompetent when it comes to factual issues. They don’t take anything seriously, and that leads to a lot of mistakes” (Location 3755). Moreover, the reserved Blue balks at the talkative nature of the Yellow personality, as Stefan puts it, “They pour out their life story to whoever they like, with a total lack of discernment” (Location 3763). Erikson offers these direct quotes from professionals as evidence that Yellow and Blue types are indeed real personality categories, and that they would struggle to be productive as a working team.

While Erikson maintains that “opposite” personalities are more likely to miscommunicate or argue, he uses this claim to support his argument that people must develop an awareness of their own preferences and be able to communicate this to others. He writes, “Self-awareness, my friend, is the solution” (Location 2912).