What Does the Color White Mean in Psychology?

White is an achromatic color that is normally contrasted with black because it is exactly the opposite: it is absolute clarity, or the absence of darkness.

But it is not simply that, since beyond what white technically is, there remains the impact that it has on the human mind. An impact modulated by the culture in which one lives and by the system of symbols from which reality is experienced, of course, and that is related to a series of sensations and concepts that it evokes in us when seeing it.

In this article We will see what the color white means in different societies and cultures focusing especially on Western countries.

What does the color white mean in different cultures?

It must be taken into account that there is no universal meaning of the color white, but rather this It is always mediated by the cultural context in which we have been educated and that influences us on a daily basis. So, let’s see what concepts and sensations white evokes, distinguishing by cultural blocks.

In the West

As we will see, in Western countries, balance is associated with a series of concepts that are associated with a fragile and momentary balance, a state in which there are no antagonisms or stridencies. In some way, these place the target in a position of proximity to the spiritual, which has traditionally been seen as beyond matter and not subject to the imperfections of the earthly.

1. Purity and naivety

The paradoxical thing about white is that, despite being the combination of all the colors present in the rainbow, it represents purity. This has been the meaning of white most associated with white, meaning purity, normally, that which has not been corrupted, for which it has clear moral connotations.

Perhaps this is because the color white is seen as something of precarious existence, which can fade when any other element comes into contact with it; The immaculate becomes stained when the white is invaded by the dirt that comes from other elements.

For a similar reason, in Western countries white means innocence, since This is related to childhood, which has not had time to be corrupted. It is a fatalistic perception of the life cycle that is reflected in our way of attributing meanings to this color. In addition, the concept of naivety is also related to white.

On the other hand, since white is purity, it is also widely used in ceremonies related to the sacred, since it is said that before the divine one must present oneself without blemish. Wedding dresses are the clearest example of this.

2. I clean it

Furthermore, white represents clean, sterilized, also related to purity. Thus, It is widely used in hospitality and healthcare to reassure people and convey a feeling of calm.

3. Peace

Another meaning of white is peace, which is often symbolized by the figure of a white dove. In fact, that’s also why It is linked to the flag of surrender and those used to call for a truce.

The reason why white means peace may have to do with the fact that it is beyond the typical chromatic compositions of flags and emblems of clans that face each other in battle.

While the rest of the colors are usually present in specific figures that serve to distinguish sides, white is perceived as something with its own entity, being the union of all colors, and which is therefore beyond the frontist logic based in the division.

4. Nothingness

From what we have seen, white too represents the absence of matter, the void. This representation of nothingness allows white to be placed in the concept of what exists “by default”, independently of everything else.

A blank space is there without anything having to fill it, since white is nothing, and it will become filled when we add something to it. Perhaps this has to do with the meaning of purity, which leads us to think about this color as if it were an element to which nothing has been affected yet, and to which everything is about to be added.

In China

Curiously, in China white has traditionally symbolized death and bad luck. At weddings, instead of white, the color red has been used.

In India

In Indian culture, white symbolizes a contemplative life separated from the rest of society, something linked to the Western notion of purity, but with more social and isolation connotations. For this reason, widows usually wear white, not black.

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