Yellow Personality Type
Erikson describes Yellows as seeing themselves as entertaining and positive, while others may find them talkative, careless, or self-confident to excess. In his account, they may react strongly to criticism but later forget it.
THE IDEA
How Yellow People Are Perceived
Funny, entertaining, and almost divinely positive. Absolutely. Again—this is their own interpretation. If you ask other people about Yellows, you may well get a somewhat different picture. Many people will agree with what you have read up to now, but you will also hear other comments. It’s especially fun to ask the Blues. They will say that Yellows are selfish, superficial, and overly self-confident. Someone else will say that they talk too much and are bad listeners. Combine that with the observation that they can be distracted and careless. Suddenly the picture is not as flattering.
When a Yellow hears these comments, one of two things can happen. Either he gets deeply distressed and genuinely hurt, or he sets off a ferocious argument. It depends. What’s striking is that, over time, none of this criticism will really torment a Yellow very much. On the one hand, he’s a bad listener, and on the other hand, he has what some psychologists might call a selective memory. He simply forgets the difficult bits, and with his positive ethos he finds it easy to say to himself that he doesn’t have any faults or shortcomings.
When to use it
In a team meeting, understanding a Yellow's tendency to talk and be optimistic can help assign tasks that require enthusiasm and idea generation.
When giving feedback to an enthusiastic colleague, discuss a specific behavior and agree on what should change.
A Yellow manager might need to pair with a detail-oriented team member to ensure follow-through and accountability.
In conflict resolution, anticipate a Yellow's initial emotional reaction and allow time for them to reframe the situation positively.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Yellow in a Team Meeting
A Yellow team member dominates a brainstorming session with enthusiastic ideas but overlooks practical details, causing frustration among Blue colleagues who prefer structured, data-driven approaches.
Selective Memory in Action
After receiving critical feedback about being careless, a Yellow quickly forgets the comment and continues with their usual optimistic demeanor, convincing themselves they have no flaws.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
How might a Yellow's positive self-perception differ from how others, especially Blues, perceive them?
What are the potential downsides of a Yellow's selective memory and difficulty accepting criticism?
How can an enthusiastic, talkative team member contribute ideas while making room for others and following through?
Often confused with
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Surrounded By Idiots (Thomas Erikson)