Colours and Human Behaviour 11

The Colour Gray

The colour of detachment, indecision and compromise

The colour gray is an unemotional colour. It is detached, neutral, impartial and indecisive - the fence-sitter.

From a colour psychology perspective, gray is the colour of compromise - being neither black nor white, it is the transition between two non-colours. The closer gray gets to black, the more dramatic and mysterious it becomes. The closer it gets to silver or white, the more illuminating and lively it becomes.

Being both motionless and emotionless, gray is solid and stable, creating a sense of calm and composure, relief from a chaotic world.

The colour gray is subdued, quiet and reserved. It does not stimulate, energize, rejuvenate or excite.

In the meaning of colours, gray is conservative, boring, drab and depressing on the one hand and elegant and formal on the other, yet never glamorous.

Gray conforms - it is conventional, dependable and practical. It is a colour of maturity and responsibility, associated with the gray hair of old age. It will never be the centre of attention, the dynamic leader or the director - it is too safe and toned down.

Gray can stifle and depress energy but it is also the stable base from which the new and positive can come.

Gray is controlled. It has a steadying effect on other colours with which it comes into contact, toning down the stronger and brighter colours and illuminating the softer colours. Rarely is gray a perfect mix of black and white - it often has elements of other colours such as blue, green, pink, mauve or yellow within it which lift it and energize it.

Too much gray creates sadness and depression and a tendency to loneliness and isolation. Add some colour to change this.

Most people are indifferent to gray- it relates to the corporate worker in the gray suit - conservative, reliable, formal and independent and maybe boring.

Positive and Negative Traits of Gray

Positive keywords include: reliable, conservative, dignified, neutral, impartial, professional, mature, intelligent, classic, solid, stable, calming, reserved, elegant, formal and dependable

Negative keywords include: indecisive, non-emotional, indifferent, boring, sad, depressed, lifeless, lonely, isolated

Gray Represents:

Neutrality: gray is impartial and dispassionate, it doesn't take sides.

Compromise: it is the transition between two non-colours, neither black nor white. It takes the middle ground, neither one way nor the other.

Control: gray is reserved, quiet and conservative. It has a steadying effect on other colours around it.

Effects of Gray:

Indecision: Gray prefers to sit in the middle, not making a decision either way, sitting on the fence.

Detached: being non-emotional, gray can appear indifferent, uncaring, cold and aloof.

Depression: gray can stifle and depress energy but it is also the stable base from which the new and positive can come.

Unemotional: gray can appear neutral, disinterested, objective or impartial.

Variations of Gray

Light gray is soothing and calming. It enlightens saves and rescues those in difficult life situations.

Dark gray is conventional and constrained. It is serious and solemn, inflexible and strict. It relates to self-denial and self-discipline.

Colours and Human Behavior Part 10

The Colour Brown

The colour of security, protection and material wealth

The colour brown is a serious, down-to-earth colour signifying stability, structure and support.

Relating to the protection and support of the family unit, with a keen sense of duty and responsibility, brown takes its obligations seriously. It encourages a strong need for security and a sense of belonging, with family and friends being of utmost importance.

In the meaning of colours, brown is the colour of material security and the accumulation of material possessions.

The colour brown relates to quality in everything - a comfortable home, the best food and drink and loyal companionship. It is a colour of physical comfort, simplicity and quality. From a negative perspective it can also give the impression of cheapness and stinginess in certain circumstances.

Brown is friendly and approachable. It is loyal and trustworthy and dependable in a practical and realistic way.

In colour psychology, brown is honest, genuine and sincere. It relates to the hardworking, the industrious and reliable, with both feet planted firmly on the ground.

It is sensual, sensitive and warm, engulfing one in a feeling of calmness and comfort.

It is a practical and sensible colour which implies common sense. It hides the dirt!

The colour brown is associated with wholesome, natural and organic produce and anything related to the great outdoors, agriculture and farming.

Brown is a frugal colour - it is not associated with frivolity, excess or waste in any form. While it is materialistic, it values quality above all else, and everything in moderation.

Some browns can show a degree of sophistication or elegance, depending on other colours associated with the brown. For example, brown with a soft white or ivory can appear stylish and classy, although more casual than black with soft white or ivory.

Brown suppresses the emotions, creating a safe haven from the stresses of the outside world within which problems can be contemplated and solved.

Brown is a colour of structure, although by no means does it encourage perfectionism - rather it encourages orderliness and organization.

The colour brown gives reassurance. It is quietly confident but never the life of the party! Brown does not seek attention - it prefers to stay in the background, allowing other colours around it to shine.

Brown is solid with strength and maturity. It prefers to function in its own safe little world - it is not carefree and spontaneous and doesn't like surprises. It can be considered dull, boring and unexciting by many. In fact it is one of the least preferred colours in the western world, along with orange and yellow.

Brown is a predominant colour on the planet, along with green. Brown is comforting and stabilizing, while green is balancing and rejuvenating, just what we all need to help us deal with the stresses of modern life.

The psychological meaning of the colour brown can vary slightly depending on the colours which are mixed together to create the brown. Brown can be a combination of black, yellow, orange, red, grey, green, blue, pink and purple, and each of the colours in it will add a variation to the meaning.

Positive and Negative Traits of Brown

Positive keywords include: down-to-earth, wholesome, practical, approachable, friendly, stable, structured, supportive, comforting, reliable, protective, strength, quietly confident, sensual, sensitive, warm, reassured, honest, sincere, quality

Negative keywords include: dull, boring, frugal, materialistic, lack of humour, lack of sophistication, predictable, cheap and stingy

Brown Represents:

Stability: Reassuring and comforting, earthy and contained.

Structure: It encourages orderliness and organization.

Security: Safe and protective - a refuge from the chaos of the outside world and a sense of belonging.

Natural and wholesome: related to the earth, nutrition, health and goodness.

Effects of Brown:

Comforting: Sensual and warm, friendly and approachable, brown engulfs one in a feeling of calm and safety

Protective: creates a safe haven of support for family and friends

Materialistic: it encourages material security and the accumulation of possessions

Variations of Brown:

Light Brown: is friendly and approachable, sincere, honest and genuine

Dark brown: is strong yet sad and depressive, materialistic yet prudent

Tan: is ageless and timeless, straightforward, uncomplicated and natural

Ivory: is calming, yet encouraging, with a reserved style of simple sophistication

Beige: is practical and reliable, conservative, constant, unchanging and loyal

Colours and Human Behaviour Part 9

The Colour Magenta

The Colour of Universal Harmony & Emotional Balance

The colour magenta is one of universal harmony and emotional balance. It is spiritual yet practical, encouraging common sense and a balanced outlook on life.

The colour magenta helps to create harmony and balance in every aspect of life; physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

A combination of red and violet, magenta contains the passion, power and energy of red, restrained by the introspection and quiet energy of violet.

Magenta influences our whole personal and spiritual development. It strengthens our intuition and psychic ability while assisting us to rise above the everyday dramas of our daily life to experience a greater level of awareness and knowledge.

This colour is an instrument of change and transformation; it helps to release old emotional patterns that prevent personal and spiritual development and aids us in moving forward.

Magenta is uplifting to our spirits during times of unhappiness, anger or frustration.

In the meaning of colours, magenta represents universal love at its highest level. It promotes compassion, kindness and cooperation and encourages a sense of self-respect and contentment in those who use it. Gentle and caring in its approach, it generates acceptance, tolerance, support and patience.

The colour magenta is a colour of cheerfulness, happiness, contentment and appreciation for what you have acquired and achieved. Most people feel more optimistic when in the company of magenta.

Magenta is the colour of the non-conformist, the free spirit. It pushes you to take responsibility for creating your own path in life and increases dream activity while assisting you in turning your ambitions and desires into reality.

A strong and inspiring colour, magenta can appear outrageous and shocking on one hand or innovative and imaginative on the other. It is creativity inspired by beauty.

Magenta is spontaneous and impulsive, yet resourceful and organized. It is invaluable in negotiating peace and calm in those who are at odds with one another.

From a negative perspective, magenta can promote depression and despair in some, and prevent others from dealing with challenges - it may be just too relaxing for introverts and the chronically depressed.

Being surrounded by too much magenta energy can generate arrogance and bossiness making us feel overwhelmed, irritated, anxious and intolerant.

An excess of magenta energy can be balanced by introducing green into your surroundings.

Positive and Negative Traits

Positive keywords include: universal harmony and love, emotional balance, helps our spirit soar, spiritual yet practical, encourages common sense, loving, compassionate, supportive and kind, imaginative, innovative, creative and artistic, non-conformist, negotiator

Negative keywords include: impulsive, domineering, impatient and intolerant, avoids challenges, too relaxing, can be bossy and demanding

Magenta Represents:

Universal harmony: at its highest level it generates love, caring, kindness and cooperation, encouraging a balanced and harmonious outlook on life.

Non-conformist: the colour of the free spirit, it does not like to be confined and contained.

Change and Transformation: helps to release old and outdated patterns of behaviour to inspire growth and personal development.

Effects of Magenta:

Emotional Balance: spiritual yet practical, it helps to create emotional, physical and spiritual balance.

Compassion: gentle and caring in its approach, it generates acceptance, tolerance, support and patience.

Inspiration: inspires cheerfulness and optimism, creativity and innovation, dream activity, positive change and negotiating skills.

Colours and Human Behaviour Part 8

The Colour Pink

The meaning of the colour pink is unconditional love and nurturing.

The colour pink represents compassion, nurturing and love. It relates to unconditional love and understanding, and the giving and receiving of nurturing.

A combination of red and white, pink contains the need for action of red, helping it to achieve the potential for success and insight offered by white. It is the passion and power of red softened with the purity, openness and completeness of white. The deeper the pink, the more passion and energy it exhibits.

Pink is feminine and romantic, affectionate and intimate, thoughtful and caring. It tones down the physical passion of red replacing it with a gentle loving energy.

Pink is intuitive and insightful, showing tenderness and kindness with its empathy and sensitivity.

In colour psychology, pink is a sign of hope. It is a positive colour inspiring warm and comforting feelings, a sense that everything will be okay.

Pink calms and reassures our emotional energies, alleviating feelings of anger, aggression, resentment, abandonment and neglect. Studies have confirmed that exposure to large amounts of pink can have a calming effect on the nerves and create physical weakness in people. Violent and aggressive prisoners have been successfully calmed by placing them in a pink room for a specified amount of time. Exposure for too long can have the opposite effect.

The colour pink puts people in touch with the nurturing side of themselves, through either the need to receive or the need to give, nurturing and TLC (tender loving care!). Be aware of this if you have a friend who constantly wears pink as it may indicate a need for acceptance, support and unconditional love!

Pink is a non-threatening colour seeking appreciation, respect and admiration. It doesn't like to be taken for granted and just loves to hear the words 'thank you'.

Pink can signify good health, being 'in the pink', and success as in 'everything's rosy'.

The colour pink represents the sweetness and innocence of the child in all of us. It is the colour of uncomplicated emotions, inexperience and naiveté. A constant and exclusive use of pink can often lead you to become immature, silly and girlish, abandoning your adult responsibilities.

Pink can also remind you of earlier childhood memories, associated with nurturing and comfort from your mother or a mother figure.

Pink, from a negative colour meaning, can represent a lack of will power, a lack of self-reliance and a lack of self-worth. It can indicate an overly emotional and overly cautious nature.

Combining pink with other darker colours such as dark blue, dark green, black or gray, adds strength and sophistication to pink.

Positive and Negative Traits

Positive keywords include: unconditional and romantic love, compassion and understanding, nurturing, romance, warmth, hope, calming, sweetness, naiveté, feminine and intuitive energy.

Negative keywords include: being over-emotional and over-cautious, having emotional neediness or unrealistic expectations, being immature and girlish, lack of will power and lack of self-worth.

The Colour Pink Represents:

Unconditional love: Pink relates to both unconditional love and romantic love.

Compassion: Empathy and understanding are the fuel for pink's nurturing.

Nurturing: Pink is both the giving and the receiving of love, understanding and respect.

Hope: Pink inspires the possibility of a positive outcome.

Effects of the Colour Pink:

Calming: Pink calms our emotional energies.

Non-threatening: Pink lacks any aggression or anger, although the deeper pinks can be more assertive and confident.

Affectionate: Pink offers warmth and tenderness to friends and family.

Caring: Sensitivity and tender loving care relate to pink's feminine and intuitive energies.

Immature: Pink is the colour of the sweet young girl, before life's experiences take over.

Variations of the Colour Pink

Blush: Similar to skin colour, this very pale pink has sensual and sexual connotations. It is non-threatening but lacks passion and energy.

Rose Pink: This is the pink of universal love and unity. It is mature, feminine and intuitive.

Salmon Pink: There is a touch of orange in salmon pink. It encourages the flirt, and can be a sign of the timid lover, all talk and no play.

Orchid: This is an unusual lavender-pink and relates to the unconventional and the individual doing his or her own thing. It is the non-conformist.

Fuchsia: A blend of deep pink and blue, fuchsia inspires confidence, assurance and maturity, a more responsible and controlled nurturing and love.

Hot Pink: Hot pink inspires a more passionate, playful and sensual love. It exudes warmth and happiness and a love of life.