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Belongingness in Colours – Black, White and Grey

 


Belongingness is a psychological concept that reflects an individual’s perception of social support and acceptance. It’s recognised as an evolutionary need that fosters safety, connection and emotional well-being. In simple words, it’s the feeling of being wanted, seen and included.

 

Belongingness is the most sought after psychological need by humans. Being accepted for who we are, valued and feeling included helps us grow emotionally, socially and mentally. It helps people from isolating themselves, slipping into depression and feeling insecure. It provides a safe space, one where you aren’t required to take on a different persona to be seen or valued, where you don’t need to ask to be loved. It offers a space to express yourself in your raw form, a place where you’re confident. Where people are confident, they participate and learn more. This helps them grow as an individual.

 

Imagine your friends are talking about a movie that you haven’t watched yet, making you feel left out. Or when something is bothering you and you feel the need to share it but you’re not able to because you’ve never felt heard. Or imagine, your friend ordering a PB&J sandwich, forgetting you’re allergic to nuts. These are instances where people feel lonely and not seen. Now imagine if your friend suggests to switch the topic to something you’re aware of as well. Or, your friend comforts you and says “ I’m here for you, we’ll get through this together” when you’re feeling low. This is when people start feeling secure and included and it is important for us to offer this to our fellow people. To be loved, is to be seen and to be seen is to be remembered and valued. Whether in a relationship, or friendship, it is important to offer a safe space where people feel seen, loved, accepted and heard.

 

In this blog, I’ve expressed belongingness in colours- Black, White and Grey.

 

Black – Exclusion

 



The colour black, though has positive perceptions, is most often associated with negative aspects of life – death, evil, inauspiciousness and all things bad. It evokes strong feelings of anger, aggression, sadness and fear. The colour black is perceived differently by different people and different cultures. To keep a common ground, I’ve disregarded the cultural differences and stuck to its most common perception- negativeness. It is due to the feelings that the colour black evokes, I’ve represented Exclusion using it.

 

White – Inclusion

 


The colour white is the harmony of all colours. The Newton’s disc, which has segments of all the colours in the rainbow (VIBGYOR) when spun rapidly, blends into white due to persistence of vision. The colour white represents purity, innocence, harmony and peace. It symbolises acceptance, openness. Again, disregarding the cultural perceptions, I’ve represented inclusion with the colour White.

 

Grey – Isolation

 


People often misinterpret the word ‘Isolation’ and use it in the same sense as ‘Exclusion’. However, they’re two completely different words and must not be interchanged. It is a state of being separated from others, wantedly. This might be due to feeling inferior, being unheard, or feeling less prioritised. The colour grey can be perceived as emotionally distant or disconnected, which are feelings evoked by Isolation.





SONA S

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