Let’s do a quiz.
How would a person who leans toward one of these colors take a bath after a hard day’s work?
The choices are:
Lean Red (action oriented/extroverted),
Lean Yellow (fun loving/extroverted),
Lean Green (sensitive/introverted), and
Lean Blue (thoughtful/introverted).
First, jot some notes on how each type of personality might approach taking a bath. Then see if any of the behaviors I’ve listed below, fit your own way of taking a bath.
For this exercise, our subject is Mary. She’s married to a husband she loves, and has two children: a teenage daughter and a toddler boy.
Mary One measures out exactly a capful of bubble bath, the proper amount of water softener, and makes a note to buy more as the supply dips below the acceptable level. She then trims the wick on the three candles to the exact same height before lighting them. She turns on the music, undresses and slips into the water. The door is not locked but there is a Do Not Disturb sign hanging off the doorknob. Her family know better than to disturb her when that sign’s out.
Mary Two desperately wants an undisturbed bath so she sneaks in the back door of her home. When she hears footsteps in the corridor, she ducks into a closet. Once the coast is clear, she slips upstairs, locks the bathroom door and turns on the water. Adding a perfumed bubble bath to the water, she lights a few scented candles, some of
Mary Three serves her husband a bowl of his favorite chocolate mint ice cream after dinner, helps her daughter with her homework and plays with her son until he falls asleep. Seeing her hubby is engrossed in a new reality show and her daughter is busy texting her boyfriend, she packs up everyone’s lunch for the next day, tidies up the kitchen, and finally goes upstairs. She turns on the tap for her bath and slinks down into the water, sighing with pleasure. Down the hall, her son cries and her husband calls out, “Honey, you going to check on him?”
Mary Four says to her husband, “I’m taking a bath. Would you be a doll and fix dinner?” She then orders her daughter to, “Do your homework and then sweep out the garage, Hon.” Upstairs, she sprinkles a little bubble bath in the water, tosses in some water softener, grabs her favorite book, undressed, jumps right in. Ten minutes in, her son starts to cry. She shouts to her husband, “Bob, see to him, will you? Then be a dear and shut the bathroom door.”
Scroll to the bottom for the answer key to discover which colors the above Marys likely lean into most.
For an in-depth study of this color theory, please visit Insights Discovery.
It’s important to note that all of us are capable of responding in all four color types of behaviors, though in most cases, we tend to lean more toward one shade than another.
Today, we’re going to explore the Greens shades of behavior.
GREEN
Greens are organizers, caretakers, mother hens, sometimes martyrs, always peacemakers, and often nurturers.
Those who lean toward green can be found everywhere. It’s said that 60-70% of us lean toward the emerald shades.
This is the person who values feelings over facts. Doing a good deed counts more than the cost of taking that action. They often support others without expecting anything in return. They are caring, encouraging, patient, relaxed, considerate, accommodating and love to be involved in the community. You can count on those who lean green to think before they act.
Unlike those who lean toward the Reds and Yellows (i.e. people who are quick to decide and rely on facts or instincts), those who lean green need time to consider the pros and cons of an issue. They prefer to ponder all possible repercussions, to themselves and others, before they take an action. They are also the first to wish you good morning and ask how you’re doing and truly listen to your response.
In my fantasy novel, Hidden, one character who definitely leans into this verdant shade, is Anna’s husband, Marton. He is patient, tolerant, dedicated to his blacksmith craft and loyal to his friends. In return, he expects loyalty from those to whom he has given his trust. If you dare hurt anyone he loves, you’d better watch out, because this sleeping giant might just slay you.
Here’s an excerpt from Hidden, with Marton. Play close attention to what he does and says, and then see if you can identify his green leaning behaviors.
Remember, green’s are introverted, so they don’t push themselves or their opinions on others. In addition to that, they will likely crave peace within the family and highly value the safety of their loved ones.
by Shereen Vedam
(c) 2019
“We need to decide about our next move.”
“Agreed,” Anna said.
A quick check showed the stallion, now dung colored and forgettable, contentedly nibbling grass.
“Let’s talk inside the shed,” Marton said.
In the cramped space, they sat side-by-side in a circle on the trampled soil. The air was warm and scented with fear. Marton pulled out bread, cheese and pieces of dried meat from his sack. The enticing aroma churned Gilly’s stomach with hunger.
“Why does the king want my family dead, Gilly?” Anna asked, sitting to the left of her husband.
Gilly fidgeted with a piece of dark bread. “Your Mam never said. Just that he would stop at nothing to ensure it.”
Anna’s frustration was clear on her face. “Makes no sense. There must be a reason, some sort of misunderstanding. I say that should be our first move.”
“What?” Marton asked around a mouthful of cheese and bread. “What move?”
“We should seek out His Majesty and ask for pardon for whatever crime he thinks my family has done him.”
“No!” Gilly and Marton said together.
“It’s the only thing we can do,” Anna said in earnest. “We can’t keep running for the rest of our lives.”
“Why not?” Gilly asked, panic returning to drum on her head like a battle call. “I think that’s a good plan.”
Marton wiped crumbs off his mouth. “Agree. There are lots of villages in the plains. We’ll find another one, someplace remote, and start over. Blacksmithing is a useful art anywhere.”
“Yes.” Gilly could have kissed the sensible man. “Somewhere to blend in and become part of the community.”
“No.” Arms crossed, lips pouting and brows furrowed, Anna looked like a sulky child. “I liked my life in Nadym. I won’t settle in another village only to leave when the Horsemen find us again. I was moved from home to home like second-hand clothing all my life. I’m not doing that ever again.”
Gilly opened her mouth to apologize but her sister, eyes glistening, held out her palms in a stop gesture. “That’s the past. I don’t care why or what good reason there was for it. I promised myself when I married Marton that I was done with that kind of uncertain living. I want a life where people know and respect me…us.”
“You can have that.” Gilly’s guilt churned but she resolutely ignored it. Unlike with her, people always took to Anna. “You’ll make new friends.”
“I don’t want new friends.” Anna sliced the air with her right hand, her voice vehement. “I want my old friends. I want to belong and I can’t do that if we keep running.”
“Anna,” her husband said in a reasonable tone, “going to see King Ywen won’t make any difference. Also, if we do this, life for us will become difficult.”
Thank you, Marton.
“He might hear us out.” Anna clasped his hand in return and pulled him closer. “Especially if he’s been looking for me for all these years.”
Gilly inserted, “He murdered your family.” Why couldn’t her sister understand the ramifications of that? “He’s had Vyan, the chief of Nadym, killed. Ordered Tom beaten. He has no justice in his soul.”
“That could be the act of the Horsemen.” Anna broke eye contact with her husband to turn to Gilly. “Of that one-eyed captain. This far from the king’s power, he might have taken an action that King Ywen wouldn’t approve of.”
“That’s the other problem.” Marton put his left arm around his wife and tucked her close. “What if the Horsemen follow us? If the terrain doesn’t kill us, they will.”
“Then Gilly can take care of them as she did in the village,” Anna said.
Gilly shook her head frantically at her sister.
Marton and Skye turned to her.
“How did you get away from them?” the little girl asked in a bright curious voice.
“I, um,” Gilly mumbled, her throat suddenly dry and tight, “I released some of the animals into the street and it distracted everyone enough for us to escape.”
“If the Horsemen find us in the middle of the desert with no livestock or places to hide,” Marton said, “I don’t see how that would help us.”
Anna remained silent and tight-lipped as she watched Gilly, who returned her gaze steadily. Please don’t speak of the magic.
Finally, her sister said, “I’m sure we’ll think of something. We’ll just have to be careful about covering our tracks so they don’t find us.”
“But Mama,” Skye interrupted.
“We’ll be fine.” Anna patted Skye’s knee with confidence. “I’m willing to offer King Ywen my life in exchange for any debt my family owes him. At least then the rest of you will be free.” She turned back to her husband with such a pleading look in her pretty blue eyes that even Gilly was tempted to agree. “Marton, if it would mean Skye and Bevan will be free from pursuit, it’ll be worth giving up my life. You see that, don’t you?”
“Anna, the man’s evil.” Gilly snapped the words out, hoping to stall Marton’s capitulation. “He’ll never agree to anything except your entire family’s eradication.”
“You don’t know him, you’ve never met him. Neither have I.” She turned back to her husband, and spoke with a tremble. “Marton, I can’t live without hope.”
Gilly’s fist tightened at that vile word. Hope was for fools. “Anna, if the others’ lives weren’t enough for that monster, what makes you think yours would do?”
“Courage, Gilly,” Anna replied with fervor. Her fighting stance was back and all signs of the weepy, trembling woman vanished as if she had waved a finger and cast a spell. “My mother ran. It didn’t do her any good, did it? Why shouldn’t I try something different?”
Gilly played her last desperate hand. “Because you’ll be risking your husband and children on that perilous gamble.”
“They’re already in danger. I’m trying to put a stop to that.”
Gilly turned to Marton but his heavy sigh signaled his surrender.
“She has a point, Gilly. I don’t much care for running.” He forestalled her with a raised hand when she would have argued. “I don’t agree we should seek out the king. Sorry, Anna, but that sounds dangerous.” He waved at his wife when she would have argued. “I’m never going to agree to you giving up your life for any reason. I’ve been thinking on this problem and it seems to me in a big place like the king’s city, with lots of people coming and going all the time, we might be able to hide out better than in a little village, where everyone would know we’re newly arrived. We should head for Tibor. There, we might also learn what this family feud with the king is all about and maybe find a way to end it once and for all.”
“Thank you,” Anna said and kissed his cheek.
He brought her into a hug and gave Gilly a crooked “I’m sorry” smile. “It’s said that the best place to hide is sometimes right under the nose of the one looking for you. Besides, if we must run, I’d rather run toward something than away from it.”
“You’re both wrong,” Gilly said.
“This isn’t your fight.” Anna said in a soft voice, watching her intently from within her husband’s embrace. “You don’t have to come with us.”
Gilly wanted to cry but no tears would come. The fight slipped out of her grasp. Anna going on without her was unthinkable. If her sister was determined to go to the King’s city – Gilly shuddered at such a risky move – there was only one thing to do. “Wherever you go, I go.”
Know any green leaning people in you life?
To check out people who lean into the other shades of behavior scroll to the bottom of this page and click the tab for Table of Contents (for writers):
Red
Yellow
Green
blue
Answer key
Mary One leans Blue
Mary Two leans Yellow
Mary Three leans Green
Mary Four leans Red