Colours and Human Behaviours 15

The Colour Black

The meaning of the colour black is mystery and protection

Black is the colour of the hidden, the secretive and the unknown, creating an air of mystery. It keeps things bottled up inside, hidden from the world.

In colour psychology the meaning of the colour black is protection from external emotional stress. It creates a barrier between itself and the outside world, providing comfort while protecting its emotions and feelings, and hiding its vulnerabilities, insecurities and lack of self-confidence.

Black is the absorption of all colour and the absence of light. Black hides, while white brings to light. What black covers, white uncovers. We all use black at various times to hide from the world around us in one way or another. Some of us use it to hide our weight; others among us use it to hide our feelings, our fears or our insecurities.

In colour psychology, black means power and control, hanging on to information and things rather than giving out to others.

Black is intimidating, unfriendly and unapproachable because of the power it exudes. It can prevent two-way communication because of its intimidation. The salesman wearing all black will make a lot of sales, but no friends! It radiates authority, but creates fear in the process.

Black implies self-control and discipline, independence and a strong will, and giving an impression of authority and power.

Black absorbs negative energy. It is useful to carry something black with you to protect you from harm and negativity when traveling or when going about your usual daily activities outside your home.

People who like black may be conventional, conservative and serious, or they may think of themselves as being sophisticated or very dignified.

The colour black is often seen as a colour of sophistication, as in 'the little black dress', or 'the black tie event'. Affluent and success orientated women often choose black as it can give an impression of elegance, sophistication and confidence.

Black is often associated with sexiness and seduction, as in the temptress in sexy black lingerie creating an air of mystery and intrigue. It can also imply submission to another (including a sexual partner), similar to the priest wearing black robes in submission to God.

Black is the end, but the end always implies a new beginning. When the light appears, black becomes white, the colour of new beginnings.

Teenagers often have a psychological need to wear black during the stage of transition from the innocence of childhood to the sophistication of adulthood. It signifies the ending of one part of their life and the beginning of another, allowing them to hide from the world while they discover their own unique identity. It is important they go through this stage but a worry when it continues on into adult years if they continue to wear black to the exclusion of other colours.

Too much black can cause depression and mood swings and create a negative environment. Combined with white only, it can create an argumentative atmosphere. It is best to use some colour with black to lighten and brighten its energy.

Positive and Negative Traits

Positive keywords include protection and comfort, strong, contained, formal, sophisticated, seductive, mysterious, endings & beginnings.

Negative keywords include aloof, depressing and pessimistic, secretive and withholding, conservative and serious, power & control, sadness and negativity.

The Colour Black Represents

Mystery: Black is the unknown. It is secretive, keeping a lot buried inside, unwilling to show its real feelings.

Power and Control: Black is power and control of the self and others. It creates fear and intimidation.

Effects of the Colour Black

Formal, dignified and sophisticated: As in the little black dress and the formal dinner suit.

Aloof: Black sets itself aside from others with its heavy and intense energy. It keeps others at arm's length.

Depressing: Black can close us to the positive aspects of life, forcing us to look at our disappointments and the black or negative aspects of our life. It can create a fear of the future.

Pessimistic: Too much black encourages us to look at the negative side of life.

Colours and Human Behaviours 14

The Colour White

The meaning of the colour white is purity, innocence, wholeness and completion

White is colour at its most complete and pure, the colour of perfection. The colour meaning of white is purity, innocence, wholeness and completion.

In colour psychology white is the colour of new beginnings, wiping the slate clean, so to speak. It is the blank canvas waiting to be written upon. While white isn't stimulating to the senses, it opens the way for the creation of anything the mind can conceive.

White contains an equal balance of all the colours of the spectrum, representing both the positive and negative aspects of all colours. Its basic feature is equality, implying fairness and impartiality, neutrality and independence. It is interesting to note that babies come into the world with a perfect balance of white, ready to imprint their lives with all the colours of the spectrum (hopefully!) from all their life experiences.

White is totally reflective, awakening openness, growth and creativity. You can't hide behind it as it amplifies everything in its way.

The color white is cleanliness personified, the ultimate in purity!! This is why it is traditionally worn by western brides, and the reason why doctors wear white jackets.

White is a color of protection and encouragement, offering a sense of peace and calm, comfort and hope, helping alleviate emotional upsets. It creates a sense of order and efficiency, a great help if you need to declutter your life.

White offers an inner cleansing and purifying of your thoughts, emotions and, ultimately, your spirit, refreshing and strengthening your entire energy system.

While there are very few negative connotations to white, particularly in western culture, too much white can be cold, isolating and empty. It implies a feeling of sterility, detachment and disinterest, providing little stimulation for the senses.

In other cultures it is traditionally related to death and mourning. In these cultures death usually means the end of one life and the beginning of another, moving forward to a new life, so the colour psychology meaning of new beginnings still holds.

White may indicate the completion of a cycle in your life - you may find you have a desire for white clothing or white in your surroundings at a time when you are moving in a new direction in your life - for example, planning an overseas trip for the first time, or moving house after a long time in one place, or in seeking a new relationship or a new career direction.

Many people use white as a recall of their youth and innocence. It reminds them of a time when their lives were easier and less complicated.

White is used in many medical practices such as dental surgeries and doctors' rooms as an indication of cleanliness and efficiency; however it also can give the feeling of sterility and coldness of emotions and may lead patients to think the doctor or dentist won't relate to them on an emotional and personal level. It can be too clinical and sterile.

Too much white can cause feelings of isolation and emptiness; it can be too pristine and immaculate, making you feel as though you can't make a move for fear of upsetting it or creating a mess.

Positive and Negative Traits of the Colour White

Positive keywords include: innocence, purity, cleanliness, equality, complete and whole, simplicity, immaculate and neat, self-sufficient, pristine and open, new beginnings.

Negative keywords include: sterile, stark, fastidious, empty, isolated, cautious, critical and boring.

The Colour White Represents:

Innocence and purity: White is the beginning of everything, before anything is muddied or thinking is 'coloured'.

New beginnings: White represents the clean slate, helping us through times of stress, and allowing us put the past behind us and preparing us to move on.

Equality and unity: White represents the positive as well as the negative aspects of all colours. It contains an equal balance of all the colours of the spectrum.

Effects of White:

Impartial: White suggests fairness and neutrality because of the balance and equality of all the colours contained within it.

Rescuer: White rescues us from the dark. It is the white knight, rescuing the damsel in distress.

Futuristic: Symbolizing a clean slate, we can envisage anything with white.

Efficient: White is clean and clinical, giving an impression of efficiency and organization.

Colours and Human behaviours 13

The colour gold

The colour gold is the colour of success, achievement and triumph. Associated with abundance and prosperity, luxury and quality, prestige and sophistication, value and elegance, the psychology of the colour gold implies affluence, material wealth and extravagance.

Gold in its physical state, by its very nature, denotes wealth and prestige in every country, culture and market in the world today - it is probably the most valuable and easily traded commodity available in the global market place.

This colour is linked to masculine energy and the power of the sun, compared to silver which is associated with feminine energy and the sensitivity of the moon.

Optimistic and positive, gold adds richness and warmth to everything with which it is associated - it illuminates and enhances other things around it.

At the uppermost level, the colour gold is associated with higher ideals, wisdom, understanding and enlightenment. It inspires knowledge, spirituality and a deep understanding of the self and the soul.

In the meaning of colours, gold is generous and giving, compassionate and loving, the benefactor or patron, sharing its wisdom, knowledge and wealth with others.

Gold is the colour of the winner - first place medals are always in gold, silver is second place.

Confident, passionate and eye-catching, gold draws attention to itself.

Gold is a warm colour that can be shiny, glistening and happy as well as dull, muted and traditional. The brighter shades of gold catch the eye with their brilliance while the darker muted shades are deep, warm and intense.

Gold has long been associated with royalty throughout the world, along with purple.

Being surrounded by too much gold can lead you to become egotistical, self-righteous and opportunistic in your quest for greater power and influence.

If living under the negative of the colour gold, you may not trust easily, have a fear of success and wealth, or even exhibit a fear of failure. You may be selfish and demanding, lacking kindness and generosity, even to the extreme of being miserly.

Positive and Negative Traits

Positive keywords include: Success, abundance, wealth, understanding, self-worth, wisdom, compassion, love, passion, charisma, winning, optimistic, positive, and masculine

Negative keywords include: Fear of success, fear of wealth, self-centred, demanding, mean spirited, lack of trust, falseness

Gold Represents:

Success: gold relates to achievement and victory, the winner.

Wealth: gold implies affluence, material wealth and extravagance.

Prestige and luxury: gold is associated with sophistication, elegance, value, quality and status.

Effects of Gold:

Enlightenment: gold, at its highest level, inspires knowledge, spirituality and a deep understanding of the self and the soul.

Compassion: caring, loving, generous and giving, gold is the benefactor or patron.

Generosity: gold loves to share its wisdom, knowledge and wealth with others.

Colours and Human Behaviours 12

The colour silver

The colour silver has a feminine energy; it is related to the moon and the ebb and flow of the tides - it is fluid, emotional, sensitive and mysterious. It is soothing, calming and purifying.

From a colour psychology viewpoint, it signals a time of reflection and a change of direction as it illuminates the way forward. It helps with the cleansing and releasing of mental, physical and emotional issues and blockages as it opens new doors and lights the way to the future.

With its reflective and sensitive qualities silver inspires intuition, clairvoyance and mental telepathy. It reflects back any energy given out, whether it is positive or negative.

In the meaning of colours, it is associated with prestige and wealth. It is seen as a glamorous, sophisticated colour related to female energy, prosperity and modernity.

Silver restores equilibrium and stability to both feminine power and spiritual energy. It protects itself from outside negativity, reflecting the energy back to where it began.

This colour is very versatile, being shiny, modern and hi-tech on one hand and alluring, sparkling and elegant on the other.

From a colour psychology perspective, silver is respectable and courteous, dignified, self-controlled, responsible, patient, determined and organized - it relates well to the corporate world and those in positions of responsibility, whether they are male or female.

In colour psychology, with a balance between black and white, silver is seen as a good critic, unbiased and compassionate with a mature sense of justice.

Traditionally silver represents the celebration of the 25th anniversary and is related to the graceful aging of those with silver coloured hair.

It is a colour that works well with most other colours - it illuminates and reflects the energy of those colours which surround it.

The colour silver has similar energy to gray but it is more light-hearted and optimistic.

From a negative aspect, silver can be indecisive and non-committal, dull and lifeless in a colourless world, neutral, cold and insincere. It can be deceptive and two-faced.

Positive and Negative Traits of Silver

Positive keywords include: illumination, reflection, feminine power, balancing, calming, soothing, dignity, glamour, self-control, responsibility, organization, insight, wisdom, modern, sleek, hi-tech and scientific

Negative keywords include: dull, melancholy, lonely, lifeless and colourless, rigid, negative, neutral, indecisive, insincere, deceptive

Silver Represents:

Illumination: silver opens the mind and lights the way forward.

Reflection: it reflects back the energy sent out, whether that energy is positive or negative.

Prestige and Wealth: silver is seen as glamorous and sophisticated, and relates to the professional and corporate market.

Feminine Power: it is related to the femininity of the moon's energy, sensitive, emotional and fluid.

Effects of Silver:

Calming and soothing: its gentle and comforting qualities relate to the sensitivity of the moon's cycle of ebb and flow.

Lifeless: the colourless energy of silver can lead to negative feelings of coldness, indecision and being non-committal.

Dignified and responsible: silver is respectable and courteous, mature and determined, wise and organized.