Life in colours

Depending on which culture you come from, colours carry different meanings. In today’s culture, colours act like signposts — guiding how we interpret people, experiences, even ourselves. Green is usually seen as good, red as bad. These associations often feel universal, though each culture has its own symbolic system.

In Greek thought, there’s a colour theory of people: Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue. From this, I see myself as a Green person — balanced, calm, empathetic, not seeking the spotlight, and naturally drawn to harmony. Greens get on differently with others, but I’ve noticed I pair best with analytical thinkers — the Blues. I first discovered this through the book Surrounded by Idiots.

Yet I think colours are becoming more complex. As culture and personality diversify, we don’t just fit neatly into one shade. Instead, people radiate blends, gradients, and unexpected hues. Colour is no longer a fixed label; it is a spectrum of who we are becoming.

For me, colour has also become a tool of healing. I associate trauma with Red — overwhelming, destructive, chaotic. I associate Green with safety — the place of balance, calmness, and renewal. From this, I created the idea of the Red Trauma Circle, a way of visualising the journey from trauma to safety. Though I won’t explore the details here, I believe symbolism itself is essential for survival. Across cultures and histories, it is through symbols that we interpret the world, navigate hardship, and find meaning.

In many monotheistic traditions, Red is linked with danger, sin, or evil — fire, blood, temptation. Green, by contrast, is tied to goodness, renewal, and even paradise. These associations mirror what we see in daily life. In the UK, traffic lights guide us with the same symbolic code: red to stop, green to go. Our entire world is wired to respond to these signals, both practically and spiritually.

Colour is not just something we see.

It is something we live.

Always,

Zahra