“You are what you eat, so cannibals are real people persons”
A “people person” is someone who interacts well with other people. Companies often want to hire “people persons” who like people, but cannibals also “like” people. A joke was printed in the Dilbert comic strip, by Scott Adams, in many American newspapers on May 26, 1996:
Business executive (looking over résumé): YOU WERE A CANNIBAL?
Cannibal: I’M A PEOPLE PERSON.
“Cannibals are people persons” was posted on Twitter on November 21, 2011. “You are what you eat, so cannibals are real people persons” was posted on Twitter on April 22, 2013. [Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826), in the book Physiologie du Gout (1825), wrote “Tell me what you eat, and I shall tell you what you are,” often interpreted as “you are what you eat.”]
“Cannibals take being a people person to one fucked-up level” was posted on Reddit—Oneliners on April 20, 2018.
Wiktionary: people person
Noun
people person (plural people persons or people people)
1. (idiomatic) One who interacts skilfully with other people and who receives satisfaction from such interaction.
26 May 1996, The State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL), “Dilbert” comic strip by Scott Adams, comics sec., pg. ?:
Business executive (looking over résumé): YOU WERE A CANNIBAL?
Cannibal: I’M A PEOPLE PERSON.
Google Groups: comp.emacs
Spelling for TeX mode
Joseph J. Nuspl Jr.
5/29/96
(...)
“I’m a people person”, the Cannibal from the 26-May-1996 Dilbert
Twitter
Dan Ward
@dward92
RT @laermer: RT @smurphet: What to say when someone says “I’m people person.” “So are cannibals,” a great comeback. Me:“So are morticians.”
4:11 PM - 5 May 2009
Twitter
Marcuss
@marcuss76
Are cannibals considered people person?
11:16 AM - 3 Aug 2009
Twitter
Billy Lowther
@billylowther
I have always been a people person.
Most cannibals are.
7:33 AM - 15 Nov 2011
Twitter
StarSeed
@Marthalowmew
cannibals are people persons
10:25 AM - 21 Nov 2011
Twitter
Homie The Clown
@bignas46
I’m a people person. -Cannibals.
11:11 PM - 7 Dec 2011
Twitter
Tomi Ahonen
@tomiahonen
LOL RT @AjitJaokar Next time a social media ‘expert’ asks me if am a ‘people person’ will remind them that cannibals are people persons too
9:17 AM - 29 Dec 2011
Twitter
Johann Ménage Artois
@JayStr1ng
I wonder if cannibals are just aspiring to be the ultimate People Persons and took the expression “You are what you eat” too seriously
1:52 PM - 9 Aug 2012
Twitter
Moron That
@markste71128147
You are what you eat, so cannibals are real people persons.
11:14 AM - 22 Aug 2013
Twitter
Guido Goldberg
@guido_goldberg
Cannibals are the ultimate people persons.
1:01 PM - 20 Mar 2017
Twitter
] (raig
@theDRaGnrebOrN
I would describe myself as a people person.
-Cannibals, probably
9:34 PM - 20 Mar 2018
Reddit—Oneliners
Cannibals take being a people person to one fucked up level.
submitted April 20, 2018 by andrewinthemiddle