What Color Is Your Personality?

What motivates you? It’s a question you’ve probably heard at job interviews or from friends and family members during pep talks, but have you ever thought about it critically? While many things may motivate you, some motivations are stronger than others. According to psychologist Dr. Taylor Hartman, what motivates you is responsible for many of your behaviors, providing the outline of your personality.

This is where the personality test, The Color Code, comes into play. If you’re interested in finding out your color, take the test here.

What Is the Color Code?

Created by psychologist, author, and former therapist Dr. Taylor Hartman, the Color Code organizes people into four colors based on their personalities. While other popular personality tests like the Myers-Briggs test focus on behavior, the Color Code focuses on what motivates someone to behave. Since behavior changes often and what motivates them rarely does, this test can be more accurate in determining someone’s true personality.

Dr. Hartman created the test back when he worked as a therapist and believes that motive shapes our personality. In an interview on the Art of Manliness podcast, he said, “[Personality] is a combination of preferences, needs, wants. What I brought to the table, which wasn’t there before, was motive. Like, why are you driven to do those behaviors? It’s really a bundle of connections that make you who you are. And for example, no two people are exactly alike, but it certainly helps understand there are preferences that each different kind of personality can share. And that’s what the essence of the color code is.”

The four colors represent what motivates each of the four main personalities. You will have a primary color/motivator and a secondary color/motivator.

Like other personality tests, the Color Code provides an outline of how each personality behaves in work, relationships, and other areas of life. Knowing your color will not only help you understand your strengths and weaknesses in these areas, but it will also help you understand those you interact with. 

Read on to find out about your personality color!

Red 

Reds are motivated by power. According to Hartman’s website, “Red are the power wielders! Power is defined as the ability to move from point A to point B. Reds are about results and productivity. They bring great gifts of vision and leadership.”

In the Art of Manliness interview, Hartman says, “They need to get things done. They’re decisive, assertive, and responsible. They’re proactive. They don’t whine a lot. They’re logical. If you’re dating a Red, I promise you they want you to look good on their arm and they’ll get things done. They’ll take care of business, very determined and efficient.”

Reds tend to be good leaders, are hardworking, and often respect (or possibly demand) respect from others. The main negative traits of reds are that they can be arrogant, argumentative, and impatient. They can also be very direct, but these traits can be used in both positive and negative ways. Some can use these traits to become good leaders and help others thrive, while others can abuse their power by taking advantage of those around them, with many falling in between the two.

Since Reds are natural leaders, they often work in leadership positions. They like to get things done as efficiently as possible, but are sometimes lacking creativity and emotions. If your boss is a Red, it’s probably best to please them by getting your work done without sweating the small stuff and by communicating with them clearly and succinctly about the facts – don’t ramble on with unnecessary details and tangents. Reds also expect you to be confident and assertive – it’s your problem if you’re not. If you show respect to a Red boss or colleague, the chances that you’ll succeed with them are high. 

Blue

Blues are motivated by intimacy. Hartman’s website states, “Blues love to give themselves to others. Intimacy, connecting, creating quality relationships, and having a purpose is what drives these people. Their natural gifts include quality and service. Blues can be counted on to be loyal, sincere, and thoughtful.”

When it comes to positive traits in blues, Hartman says, “They too love to get things done, but they don’t want to walk on people to do it. They are much more interested in a relationship at the end of the day. Their intimacy means connection. And they are compassionate, they’re very sincere. Trust me, when a Blue says they’ll do something, you can take it to the bank.” Blues are also very intuitive and tend to be accurate with their feelings.

While loyalty is a positive trait for blues, it can also be a negative trait when they are loyal to a fault and trust the wrong people. Blues are more susceptible to worrying, moodiness, and being emotional. Their strong sense of morality can be a good or bad thing – they can use it to help themselves and others get better, or use it to be unnecessarily judgmental of others. Their high standards also lead them to be skeptical. Furthermore, Blues have a tendency to fall into victimhood and to seek external sources of validation.

Blues often work in professions that involve taking care of others, like education or healthcare, but you can find them in almost any field. They’re very detail-oriented and can be both creative and analytical, often leading them to be perfectionists. This can lead them to be very critical of those who don’t meet their standards, but it’s best to develop an emotional connection with a Blue boss or colleague since that’s what they crave at the end of the day. Hartman recommends really listening to Blues and letting them take their time when communicating with you – this lets the Blue know that you understand them. He also emphasizes the importance of being sincere, honest, and genuine with Blues. Since they value connection, those qualities that are essential to connection are also essential to Blues. 

White

Whites are motivated by peace. According to Hartman’s website, “Whites are peacekeepers! Peace, or the absence of conflict, is what motivates a White. Clarity and tolerance are White gifts. Whites are also known for their qualities of kindness, adaptability, and patience.”

Since Whites are motivated by peace, they naturally hate conflict. This can be a good thing because they are kind, patient, accepting, and open-minded, but this can quickly become a negative trait when they avoid necessary conflict. When it comes to a White and conflict, Hartman says, “They don’t show any emotion, and then they blow up. They’ll take the hits constantly, and all of a sudden, they’ll blow up over a small deal. Why’s that? Because they don’t want to have conflict. They stuff it all in, and it eventually comes out.”

Whites can also be indecisive over simple things like choosing a restaurant. This comes from their desire for peace, as they’re afraid of upsetting others by saying what they want. 

If you’re working with a White boss or colleague, be tactful and calm, kind and understanding, and you’ll get along with them well. Hartman says, “The only way to win with a White, by the way, is you have to let them grow the grass while you sit with them. They’re looking at you to see if you’re kind.”

However, Whites are not weak. They’re often stubborn, and they don’t like to be controlled; when they’re not motivated to do something, they simply won’t do it. They can also take direct feedback – as long as it’s not “emotional and judgy,” which causes them to “shut down completely.” Because they “resent being pressured to do things” and they dislike conflict, they often resort to passive-aggressive behavior. 

Yellow

Yellows are motivated by fun, with a desire for freedom as their secondary motivator. Hartman’s website describes Yellows, saying, “Yellows love to have fun. The joy of living in the moment and doing something just for the sake of doing it is the driving force for these people. Yellows offer the gifts of enthusiasm and optimism. They are generally charismatic, spontaneous, and sociable.”

Yellows tend to live in the moment and don’t like to overthink things. They’re naturally optimistic, enthusiastic, charismatic, sociable, and playful, and they tend to see the best in others. Hartman says, “They don’t worry about things at all. They just go and life figures it out. Optimistic. They’re spontaneous. Yellows don’t really like long-term planning.” 

Because of that distaste for planning, Yellows tend to be irresponsible, self-centered, disorganized, and have a hard time committing to things or caring about the consequences. They’re also “they’re impulsive and undisciplined, like doing the same thing every day bores Yellows to death, which is really kind of the essence of a quality life, if you think about it,” says Hartman, “But Yellows have a hard time with that. And they’re afraid to face facts. They don’t like being tied to ownership of what’s going on in their life. 

Since Yellows are motivated by fun, they often need structure created for them to thrive at work. They’re less likely to be bosses and less likely to be driven; therefore, their work personality is likely based on their secondary color. For example, a Yellow that also values intimacy will likely have the same work habits as a Blue.

Colors in Relationships

Hartman argues that some colors are more compatible with each other than others. Some colors that work well together are Red and White, and Blue and Yellow because they balance each other out. Blues and Whites often work well together, the same with Red and Yellow. Red and Blue will likely have a harder time together because both can be controlling, while Whites and Yellows will have a harder time because they’re both passive. Fortunately, any color combination can work out if you're dedicated to your relationship and love each other, but it’s still important to know your significant other’s color to know what motivates them.

Closing Thoughts

We all know that there are several aspects to our personalities and what shapes us as individuals. What motivates us plays a strong role in how we behave, meaning that our motivations are a good starting point in trying to get to know ourselves and others. Learning the Color Code can help you recognize your own strengths and weaknesses and improve how you interact with others.

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