The Last Book I Read Actually Made Me Look At People Differently

The last book I read was Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson and honestly... the title is kind of savage 😭 I started it mostly because I was curious. Like, okay, are we really surrounded by idiots or are we just terrible at understanding people?
And that is basically what the book is about.
It explains how people communicate in very different ways and uses four colors to describe different personality styles. Red, yellow, green and blue. At first I thought it sounded a little too simple, almost like one of those online personality tests where you answer five questions and suddenly the internet knows your entire soul.
But while I was reading, I started recognising people.
That was the fun part.
I was literally thinking, okay this person is sooo red, or wow, this is exactly how someone I know reacts when they feel stressed. Then obviously I started analysing myself too, which was probably inevitable.
What I liked most is that the book made me understand something very basic, but also really important. People don’t always annoy you because they are difficult.
Sometimes they are just speaking a completely different emotional language.
Some people want fast answers. Some need time. Some talk constantly. Some stay quiet and think first. Some care about details that I would never even notice. And when you expect everyone to react like you do... that’s when everything becomes complicated.
I realised I do this more than I thought.
Sometimes if someone reacts in a way I don’t understand, my brain immediately goes to why are they being weird? instead of thinking maybe that reaction makes complete sense for them.
That was probabily my biggest takeaway.
Not everyone is supposed to think like me.
Very obvious. Apparently I still needed a whole book to properly understand it 😂
I also liked that it made communication feel almost like a little game. If someone is very direct, maybe you don’t need to explain everything for twenty minutes. If someone is quieter and more careful, maybe pushing them for an immediate answer just makes things worse.
I’ve started noticing these things in normal conversations now.
With friends.
At school.
With my family.
Even online sometimes.
I wouldn’t say the book completely changed my personality or anything dramatic like that. And I don’t think every person can be perfectly placed inside one color because humans are obviously more complicated than that.
But it did make me more curious.
Instead of immediately judging someone, I’m trying a little more to understand what kind of person I’m actually talking to.
And honestly, that already helps.
Maybe we’re not surrounded by idiots.
Maybe we’re just surrounded by people who are different from us... and we’re all slightly bad at translating each other sometimes.
Have you read this book, or another one that made you suddenly understand people differently? Tell me in the comments because I need new recommendations 🤍