That Tom Erikson, I tell ya, I heard some folks talkin’ ’bout him the other day. Seems like he knows a thing or two ’bout why people act the way they do. He’s a big shot writer, this Tom fella, writin’ all them books ’bout how folks get along. Or don’t get along, I reckon.
They say he’s got this whole idea ’bout how everybody fits into different groups. Like, some folks are bossy, some are chatty, some are quiet, and some just wanna keep the peace. He’s got fancy names for ’em, but that’s the gist of it. This Tom Erikson, he calls it DISC, I heard. D, I, S, C. Don’t ask me what it all means, it’s all mumbo jumbo to me. But it’s all ’bout how we act, ya see?
- D is for them bossy types, always wantin’ to be in charge.
- I is for the ones who talk a mile a minute, always the life of the party.
- S is for the steady ones, don’t like no fuss, just want things to be calm.
- And C, well, that’s for the ones who like things just so, everything in its place.
Now, this other fella, they also call him Erik Erikson, not the same one, mind you. This one, he was born a long time ago, in Germany. 1902, I think it was. This Erik Erikson, he talked ’bout how people change as they get older. Says we all go through different things at different times in our lives. Like when we’re babies, we gotta learn to trust folks. And when we get older, we gotta figure out who we are and what we’re gonna do with ourselves. He’s got eight of these things, these… stages, he calls ’em. Erik Erikson’s stages are somethin’ else, I tell ya.
This Tom Erikson, the one with the books, his most famous one, I reckon, is that one called “Surrounded by Idiots.” Sounds a bit harsh, don’t it? But I heard it’s all ’bout understandin’ different types of people. He wrote another one, too, called “Surrounded by Setbacks,” how to deal with things not going your way. He wants us all to learn from our mistakes, that Tom fella. Says we should see those bad times as chances to grow, like a plant needin’ some rain to get bigger, ya know?
The CEO fella said he was surrounded by idiots, ain’t that somethin’? He didn’t think he had any part in it. But Tom Erikson’s books, they teach ya that everyone’s different. And maybe, just maybe, if we try to understand each other a little better, we wouldn’t be so quick to call someone an idiot. It is all about understanding people.
This whole personality thing, it’s a head-scratcher, ain’t it? But I guess there’s somethin’ to it. We all know folks who are different from us. Some folks drive ya up the wall, and some folks you get along with just fine. Maybe this Tom Erikson is onto somethin’ with his ideas ’bout different types of people. If it helps folks get along better, I reckon it’s a good thing.
This Erik Erikson, the one who talked about the stages, he said somethin’ ’bout the “ego.” Not sure what that is exactly, but it sounds important. He said it’s more important than the… the “id.” Another one of them fancy words. But I guess it’s all part of how we see ourselves and how we fit into the world. It’s all connected, somehow.
These books by Tom Erikson, they’re supposed to be easy to read. Not like them thick books full of big words. He writes ’em so regular folks like you and me can understand. That’s a good thing, I reckon. ‘Cause all this talk ’bout psychology and whatnot can be mighty confusin’.
So, if you’re lookin’ to figure out why people act the way they do, or why you act the way you do, maybe you oughta check out these Tom Erikson books. Or maybe that Erik Erikson fella’s ideas. Might learn somethin’, ya never know. Might even learn somethin’ ’bout yourself. This psychology thing is interestin’, after all.
I remember my old grandma used to say, “It takes all kinds to make a world.” And I reckon she was right. We’re all different, and that’s okay. Maybe these Tom Erikson and Erik Erikson fellas can help us understand that a little better. The stages of life, the different personalities. It is all a big puzzle.
Anyway, that’s all I heard ’bout that Tom Erikson and that other Erikson fella. Just thought I’d share. Might be somethin’ to it, might not. But it’s somethin’ to think about, ain’t it? You know, understand people better and such.
