Surrounded By Idiots

Thomas Erikson is a Swedish author who presents himself as a “behavioral expert,” drawing on years of experience as a corporate consultant and lecturer. His 2014 book Surrounded by Idiots popularizes the DISC personality framework that was originally devised by William Moulton Marston and modified by Bill Bonnstetter. The system organizes human personalities into four color-coded types: Red (Dominant), Yellow (Inspiring), Green (Stable), and Blue (Compliant). With a primary audience of company executives, managers, and administrators, Erikson has spent 20 years delivering lectures and seminars promoting the DISC framework and has worked with a wide range of corporate teams and professionals. However, it is important to note that he does not possess formal training in psychology or behavioral science. His background is grounded in real-world consultancy rather than academic research, and his interpretations of personality types are derived from anecdotal evidence, not empirical studies.

Despite the widespread success of Erikson’s writing, his lack of scientific rigor has attracted criticism. The Swedish Skeptics Society, for example, has labeled his work pseudoscientific, arguing that Erikson’s credentials do not support his self-described role as a behavioral expert. Furthermore, the DISC system itself has limited support within the field of psychology because it lacks the robust evidence that underpins more widely accepted frameworks such as the Five-Factor Model, which is based upon a varied body of analysis assembled by researchers from multiple countries and disciplines. Erikson attempts to compensate for the relatively sparse empirical support for his model by drawing historical parallels with Hippocrates and the Aztecs, arguing that his system has been observed in human behavior over different time frames and across different cultures. However, this strategy raises concerns about conflating ancient philosophical speculation with contemporary psychological understanding. While his book does offer practical tools for improving interpersonal awareness, it should be viewed as a communication aid rather than a definitive guide to personality science.