What does the color green mean? Its symbolism and associated emotions
Let’s look at a garden, a park full of green or a forest in broad daylight, in spring. The green of the leaves of the trees, of the grass, of the moss and the lichens… It is something that has always inspired us and that we link with life. The colour green has almost always been present in the world of human beings, being one of the most common colours in the natural environment and one that has accompanied us the most in our evolution.
This fact has caused it to acquire a series of connotations and symbolisms throughout history, to the point that this colour has come to acquire a symbolism and to provoke a series of responses. This is fundamentally due to the psychological meaning we have given to this colour and its symbolism. It is about this meaning of the colour green that we are going to talk in this article.
Green as a color
Although we generally speak of green and the rest of the colors as something palpable, which is there and forms part of the nature of objects, the truth is that color is nothing more than the perception of the refraction and absorption of light by these, being therefore the product of our perception,
In the case of green, we see this color when our eyes catch wavelengths between 496 and 570 nm . Between these wavelengths we perceive different shades of this colour, and there are different types of green. Together with red and blue, green is a colour for which our eyes have a specific type of cone.
Despite the fact that biologically and also according to the model of the additive synthesis of the colour, green is one of the primary colours, with yellow being secondary and the product of the mixture of green and red, traditionally the model of subtractive synthesis has been followed in which this colour is considered to be secondary and the product of the mixture of blue and yellow (which is why most children have been taught this way).
What does the color green mean?
As with the other colors, green has its own symbolism acquired through its association with elements of the same color and based on this it has also generated a psychological meaning that is studied by the psychology of color. Specifically, it is related to nature and vegetation, from which multiple symbolisms are extracted.
In this sense, green usually has in the human psyche a series of tremendously positive connotations . Firstly, it is linked to birth, life, strength and energy. It is a colour deeply associated with spring and linked to fertility and growth, something that makes it related to the idea of youth. In this sense it is also a symbol of innocence. Another element related to its link with growth is found in the economic field: it is a symbol of wealth.
The color associated with nature is also associated with healing and curing, with freshness. Moreover, as tradition says, green is also the colour of hope, optimism and good luck . Also with naturalness, the search for pleasure and vigour. Finally, it is one of the colours most linked to the idea of balance, serenity and calm, as well as to the spiritual.
Nature, which is usually symbolized by green, is seen as beautiful and full of life. But it also has its dark side: it is also full of death, blood, persecution and cruelty. And in this sense, the symbolism of green also incorporates these negative elements. Among them are the association with poison and toxicity, probably derived from the colouring of many plants and animals (e.g. snakes and frogs) and the use of green dyes made of copper that turned out to be poisonous. It is also related, and probably its best known negative association, to envy .
Death, horror and manipulation are concepts linked to this colour, especially in the darker shades and when associated with black. The same is true of betrayal, including concepts such as infidelity. Light green also is associated with immaturity and naivety , as counterparts to the aforementioned link with youth, and the excess of pleasure seeking. Also to vanity and to both strength/authority and weakness. Socially, it has also been identified as the colour of the bourgeoisie.
Psychologically speaking, this colour has been associated with characteristics such as calm and affection, as well as with moral demands, hedonism and joviality. It is usually associated with sociability and balance.
On the other hand, adaptability (in extreme cases, indecision and conformity) and inner peace are linked. However, it is also associated with possessiveness, resentful rumination and the aforementioned envy. It is also associated with cunning, which in a negative sense can also be linked to manipulation. The colour green also tends to generate calm and relief , allowing one to calm down, which in turn improves emotional stability and favours the use of reason and logic. It is also often linked to optimism and vitality, improving energy levels and motivation and helping to maintain hope. It is also linked with a sensitive and open-minded personality.
How is it used in society?
The properties and symbolism of green make it an ideal colour for certain practical uses. Its links with nature and recovery make it suitable for environments where a search for balance and comfort is required, as well as for healing and recovery of the state of mind.
Related to healing, among the meanings of green is also the increase of defenses and the preservation of motivation . It is also useful in meditation. In addition, its association and relaxing effect has led to the clothing of doctors and surgeons being green in colour.
Its link with tolerance and flexibility means that it can be used in painting rooms where harmony is desired and levels of anxiety and stress are lowered, both in homes and offices. In marketing and advertising, it has been seen that green favours action, and furthermore is associated both with recycling and respect for the environment, and with the idea of freedom and stability. This is why it is used in the design of a large number of products. In the case of food products it is used because of the link between natural and healthy.
Cultural Variations
In addition to the previously mentioned associations, the color green has received different considerations in different cultures or even through various historical ones.
In most of Europe, green is a symbol of good luck, energy, rebirth and nature . It is associated with Christmas and in countries like Ireland with the Catholic religion. It was considered to be the colour of the bourgeoisie, due to the difficulty in obtaining this pigment. In the past, however, evil was often represented with this colour. It is also often associated with envy and jealousy, as well as weakness.
For Muslims, green is a sacred color, associated with the prophet Mohammed. It is also a symbol of strength, luck and prestige. In China and the rest of the East it implies hope and fertility, as well as virtue and good intentions. Traditionally, jade was used to make gifts and offerings). However, it has also sometimes been associated with shame and infidelity.
The life-and-death duality linked to nature and the colour green has been observed by many cultures and societies. For example in ancient Egypt the god Osiris had skin of this color , being a deity linked to the judgment of souls and rebirth. For the pre-Columbian peoples it symbolized immortality, fertility and power and they used jade to make funeral masks. In some South American countries where the jungle is abundant, however, green is much more associated with death.