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Couldn't help but check that it is rated 4.6/5 (113 reviews) in Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Surrounded-Idiots-Behavior-Effectively-Communicate/dp/1250179947

by achow 7y ago

Couldn't help but check that it is rated 4.6/5 (113 reviews) in Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Surrounded-Idiots-Behavior-Effectively-Communicate/dp/1250179947/ https://www.amazon.com/Surrounded-Idiots-Behavior-Effectivel... Excerpt from one of the top review.. The book really helps you to understand why 'blues' ask 100 questions, want to problem solve all the time, always ask for more information, and can be cold and distant instead of being emotional creatures. Yellows on the other hand are always day dreaming, coming up with broad ideas, trying to plan social gatherings and always seemingly have their 'head in the clouds' (this is totally me). Reds can seem really aggressive, very dominant, demanding, and short with those around you, and frankly they can't help it, and greens are very amiable. They agree to everything, but are often afraid to speak their mind. Looks like it is not only Sweden but other places as well. Seems like easily relatable and digestible like those on Sun Signs and Personality and hence a 'good seller', if not a best seller.

netsharc 7y ago
AKA confirmation bias: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-confirmation-bias-2795024 https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-confirmation-bias-279... Fascinating how it's the same thing "mediums" use to say there's some person speaking to them from beyond the grave, with a message for someone whose name begin with M...
- coliveira 7y ago
  This is also very similar to the horoscope.
  - ajscanlan 7y ago
    I believe that's the Barnum effect. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnum_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnum_effect
    - n4r9 7y ago
      The UK mentalist Derren Brown has a brilliant example passage of this in his 2007 book "Tricks of the Mind". It was all about what you felt like as a child and your relationship to your parents. Very clever. I remember showing it to a friend at university who became extremely emotional and couldn't believe it wasn't tailored to them.
dkdklk 7y ago
> Looks like it is not only Sweden but other places as well. As an American it’s a little reassuring to know that despite some economic advantages, the Swedes are also just a bunch of easily impressionable idiots.
- martindbp 7y ago
  What economic advantages?
  - rusk 7y ago
    not being ruled by a kleptocracy
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
- type0 7y ago
  It has to be true then, the book author did state that he was surrounded by such.
  - qnsi 7y ago
    Yeah, I dont understand the title. Does he think green people are idiots? Because I agree
raverbashing 7y ago
Doesn't look too different from most "self-help" books out there.
oefrha 7y ago
Hah, this reminds me of zodiac signs, which every single non-scientist female friend of mine seems to take very seriously (not sure about male friends since this topic seems to never come up). No wonder it sells.
- atheistnsingle 7y ago
  I have no idea how many of my male friends are into this but as a man I check "don't believe in astrology" or similar in Ok Cupid as a search filter and 4 people out of how ever many thousands of people should be out there appear. It's super depressing.
- epx 7y ago
  And the zodiac signs are also divided in 4 groups (air, fire, earth, water) so it seems the idea of dividing people in 4 quadrants is pretty old.
  - type0 7y ago
    What idiot-colors do you think it would corresponds to? fire - red water - blue earth - green air - yellow pretty sure it's "scientific"
    - epx 7y ago
      I don't know, the only thing I remember is water ~= Pisces ~= melancholic ~= <some color>
  - SuoDuanDao 7y ago
    I've seen an analysis of the phenomenon where the four elements correspond to 4 major neurotransmitters, with the traits associated with having a lot of one element being pretty close to having a lot of the corresponding neurotransmitter. Maybe there really is a potentially useful means of categorizing people there.
- flingo 7y ago
  Have you tried to be a scientist yourself and getting some numbers to test your hypothesis?
achow 7y ago
Really bizarre that I now only see 26 ratings in the Amazon page, as opposed to 113 that I saw earlier. https://www.amazon.com/Surrounded-Idiots-Behaviour-Understand-Understood/dp/1785042181/ https://www.amazon.com/Surrounded-Idiots-Behaviour-Understan... Anyone know what is happening? Is that the sudden burst of traffic from HN triggered some kind of Amazon's fake review analysis and they took down bunch of reviews?
- polynomial 7y ago
  I see 115.
- DonaldFisk 7y ago
  For me, I get 117 ratings on amazon.co.uk and 26 ratings on amazon.com
  - tim333 7y ago
    I get 117 on .co.uk and 115 on com. I think I'm logged in on both so maybe that's the thing. Going incognito its 117 and 26.
- RubberMullet 7y ago
  115 when logged in, 25 when logged out.

by achow 7y ago

netsharc 7y ago

AKA confirmation bias: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-confirmation-bias-2795024 https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-confirmation-bias-279... Fascinating how it's the same thing "mediums" use to say there's some person speaking to them from beyond the grave, with a message for someone whose name begin with M...

coliveira 7y ago
This is also very similar to the horoscope.
- ajscanlan 7y ago
  I believe that's the Barnum effect. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnum_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnum_effect
  - n4r9 7y ago
    The UK mentalist Derren Brown has a brilliant example passage of this in his 2007 book "Tricks of the Mind". It was all about what you felt like as a child and your relationship to your parents. Very clever. I remember showing it to a friend at university who became extremely emotional and couldn't believe it wasn't tailored to them.

dkdklk 7y ago

> Looks like it is not only Sweden but other places as well. As an American it’s a little reassuring to know that despite some economic advantages, the Swedes are also just a bunch of easily impressionable idiots.

martindbp 7y ago
What economic advantages?
- rusk 7y ago
  not being ruled by a kleptocracy
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
type0 7y ago
It has to be true then, the book author did state that he was surrounded by such.
- qnsi 7y ago
  Yeah, I dont understand the title. Does he think green people are idiots? Because I agree

raverbashing 7y ago

Doesn't look too different from most "self-help" books out there.

oefrha 7y ago

Hah, this reminds me of zodiac signs, which every single non-scientist female friend of mine seems to take very seriously (not sure about male friends since this topic seems to never come up). No wonder it sells.

atheistnsingle 7y ago
I have no idea how many of my male friends are into this but as a man I check "don't believe in astrology" or similar in Ok Cupid as a search filter and 4 people out of how ever many thousands of people should be out there appear. It's super depressing.
epx 7y ago
And the zodiac signs are also divided in 4 groups (air, fire, earth, water) so it seems the idea of dividing people in 4 quadrants is pretty old.
- type0 7y ago
  What idiot-colors do you think it would corresponds to? fire - red water - blue earth - green air - yellow pretty sure it's "scientific"
  - epx 7y ago
    I don't know, the only thing I remember is water ~= Pisces ~= melancholic ~= <some color>
- SuoDuanDao 7y ago
  I've seen an analysis of the phenomenon where the four elements correspond to 4 major neurotransmitters, with the traits associated with having a lot of one element being pretty close to having a lot of the corresponding neurotransmitter. Maybe there really is a potentially useful means of categorizing people there.
flingo 7y ago
Have you tried to be a scientist yourself and getting some numbers to test your hypothesis?

achow 7y ago

Really bizarre that I now only see 26 ratings in the Amazon page, as opposed to 113 that I saw earlier. https://www.amazon.com/Surrounded-Idiots-Behaviour-Understand-Understood/dp/1785042181/ https://www.amazon.com/Surrounded-Idiots-Behaviour-Understan... Anyone know what is happening? Is that the sudden burst of traffic from HN triggered some kind of Amazon's fake review analysis and they took down bunch of reviews?

polynomial 7y ago
I see 115.
DonaldFisk 7y ago
For me, I get 117 ratings on amazon.co.uk and 26 ratings on amazon.com
- tim333 7y ago
  I get 117 on .co.uk and 115 on com. I think I'm logged in on both so maybe that's the thing. Going incognito its 117 and 26.
RubberMullet 7y ago
115 when logged in, 25 when logged out.