Stop Trying to Fit In: Eric Gee on Personality Types, Self-Acceptance, and Mental Health
Sh!t That Goes On In Our HeadsNovember 03, 2026
11
00:41:5838.42 MB

Stop Trying to Fit In: Eric Gee on Personality Types, Self-Acceptance, and Mental Health

Why do we spend so much of our lives trying to fit in instead of embracing who we really are? Join G-Rex and Dirty Skittles as author and life coach Eric Gee explores personality types, self-acceptance, mental health, and how understanding our unique strengths can help us overcome self-doubt, build confidence, and create healthier relationships.

After years of wondering why he felt different from everyone else, Eric Gee turned his curiosity into a way to help people better understand themselves and each other. In this episode, G-Rex and Dirty Skittles sit down with Eric to talk about personality types, self-acceptance, emotional wellness, and why trying to fit into someone else's version of normal can hold us back.

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Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads is a 2024 People’s Choice Podcast Award Winner (Best Health), 2024 Women in Podcasting Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast), 2026 Podcast Tonight Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast), and 2026 NYC Podcast Award Audience Choice Winner (Best Hosts), with over 4.5 million downloads and listened to in over 160 countries.

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Mental Health Quote

"I don't think it's always healthy to try to be like others." — Eric Gee

Episode Description

Why do we spend so much of our lives trying to become the person everyone else expects us to be? For Eric Gee, Author of The Power of Personality, that question started when he was young and felt different from the people around him. Instead of accepting that he needed to fit in, he became curious about what makes each of us unique.

In this funny, refreshingly honest conversation, Eric joins G-Rex and Dirty Skittles to explore personality types, self-acceptance, and the connection between understanding ourselves and emotional well-being. He introduces his animal-based personality framework, which groups 16 personality types into four packs: gatherers, hunters, smiths, and shamans.

But this isn't about slapping another label on yourself. It's about recognizing your natural strengths, understanding your struggles, and realizing that someone else's way of doing things might not work for you.

G-Rex shares why her butterfly personality feels ridiculously accurate, while Dirty Skittles opens up about her frustration with traditional personality assessments. Eric explains how his work with students, teachers, and parents revealed the limits of one-size-fits-all expectations.

The conversation also gets personal. Eric discusses self-doubt, confidence, the fear of not being good enough, and the advice he'd give his younger self about worrying less about other people's opinions.

Whether you've struggled with fitting in, questioned your strengths, or wondered why certain relationships feel complicated, this episode offers a different perspective on personal growth.

Because understanding who you are isn't about becoming someone better than everybody else. It's about becoming more comfortable being yourself.

Keywords: Eric Gee, The Power of Personality, personality types, self-acceptance, mental health, self-awareness, emotional wellness, self-discovery, personality assessment, confidence building, personal growth, understanding personality differences, healthy relationships, parenting and personality, overcoming self-doubt

Meet Our Guest — Eric Gee

Eric Gee is an Author, life coach, and writing coach with more than 20 years of experience in personality-based coaching. Through his education company, he developed and applied a personality typing method that has helped more than 20,000 students, parents, and teachers better understand individual differences. His book, The Power of Personality, brings together decades of research and practical experience to help people recognize their strengths, understand others, and embrace what makes them unique.

Connect with Eric:

Key Takeaways

  • Being different doesn't mean something is wrong with you. Eric's journey reminds us that personal growth starts with understanding our natural tendencies, not constantly trying to meet someone else's expectations.
  • Personality types are tools, not limitations. Eric encourages people to recognize their strengths and motivations without assuming they can only behave in one particular way.
  • Your greatest strengths can also become your biggest struggles. Eric's concept of "deviant roles" explores how our natural tendencies can work against us when they're taken too far.
  • Understanding personality differences can strengthen relationships. Parents, teachers, partners, and coworkers can communicate more thoughtfully when they stop expecting everyone to think and respond the same way.
  • Self-doubt doesn't have to define your confidence. Eric openly discusses questioning whether he's good enough and why reminding ourselves of our abilities matters.
  • Self-acceptance requires letting go of outside expectations. One of Eric's most important life lessons is learning that other people's opinions shouldn't determine how we live.

Actionable Items

  • Get curious about your personality. Explore Eric's personality framework and reflect on which descriptions resonate with you. Use the results as a starting point for self-reflection, not a permanent label or clinical assessment.
  • Question one: An expectation you're trying to meet. Think about something you do because you believe you're supposed to. Ask yourself whether it genuinely supports your goals or whether you're trying to fit someone else's definition of success.
  • Practice understanding before judging. The next time someone approaches a problem differently, ask what might motivate their perspective instead of assuming your way is the only right one.

Important Chapters

  • 00:00:36 — Meet Eric Gee: Personality, Humor, and Finding Your Own Way
  • 00:04:18 — Why Eric Became Interested in Personality Types
  • 00:07:42 — Understanding Personality Through Animal Types
  • 00:09:58 — The Four Personality Packs: Gatherers, Hunters, Smiths, and Shamans
  • 00:12:07 — Why Being Yourself Matters for Emotional Health
  • 00:15:29 — How Personality Awareness Can Help Students and Teachers
  • 00:17:47 — G-Rex Discovers Her Butterfly Personality
  • 00:19:00 — Deviant Roles: When Personality Strengths Become Weaknesses
  • 00:24:47 — Challenging Traditional Personality Tests and Labels
  • 00:26:04 — Using Personality Awareness to Understand Others
  • 00:27:52 — Eric's Baboon Personality and the Search for Self-Knowledge
  • 00:30:46 — Understanding Personality Differences Between Parents and Children
  • 00:35:14 — What Eric Would Tell His 12-Year-Old Self
  • 00:36:53 — Life's Hardest Lessons: Expectations and Disillusionment
  • 00:37:23 — Anxiety, Self-Doubt, and Learning to Feel Good Enough
  • 00:39:24 — Where to Find Eric's Personality Assessment and Book

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#MentalHealthPodcast #MentalHealthAwareness #Grex #DirtySkittles #Podmatch #EricGee #ThePowerOfPersonality #PersonalityTypes #SelfAcceptance #SelfDiscovery #EmotionalWellness #SelfAwareness #PersonalGrowth #ConfidenceBuilding #OvercomingSelfDoubt #HealthyRelationships #UnderstandingYourself #PersonalityAssessment #BeYourself

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