“You’re not difficult. You’re just … Red.”
Let’s talk about conflict. Not the big dramatic kind, just the annoying everyday tension we all sense but can’t really see.
The teammate who always “forgets” your email. The partner who says you’re too intense. The neighbour who interprets “Can we talk?” as an intimidation.
Sometimes, we think: What’s wrong with these people?
Other times, we think: What’s wrong with me?
But often the answer is simpler: it’s not a personality clash. It’s a colour clash.
A Red person values speed, clarity, action. A Green person values harmony, calm, stability. Put them in a room together without awareness and sparks will fly. Reds interrupt. Greens retreat. Reds demand decisions. Greens dream of peace.
No one of these two is wrong. They’re just seeing the world through different lenses. You knew that already. But ow do you practice this in your daily life?
Quick tip
Before your next tricky conversation, ask yourself: What colour/colours am I dealing with here? And more importantly: Am I speaking their language – or just mine?
Even one tiny little seemingly pointless adjustment … can change the entire tone. And move an important conversation forward.
A colourful moment
A Green manager once told me his Red boss made him feel “like a disappointment just for thinking before answering.”
The boss thought silence meant uncertainty. The manager just needed a second to breathe.
Once they figured this out, the tension dropped.
It wasn’t personal. It was colour-coded.
See you next Wednesday.
//Thomas
The red profile
The dominant
Read more about Red personsThe yellow profile
The influential
Read more about Yellow personsThe green profile
The stable one
Read more about Green personsThe blue profile
The compliant
Read more about Blue personsThe passive-aggressive note writer
October 15th, 2025
When two Yellows collide… 🟡
February 11th, 2026
‘I’m fine’ – most dangerous sentence in the world
May 14th, 2025
More screens, less attention: the cost of constant multitasking
January 28th, 2026
The Surrounded by Idiots Brief
Every Wednesday, the latest issue is sent to you. Each message includes an aha-moment and possibly an oh no-moment about human interaction, and one example of behaviour for you to reflect upon.
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