The green man

If I say "the green man", what do you think of?

As I was standing by a traffic light, waiting for it to change, I was struck by how varied "the green man" can be. Not only is it a symbol for traffic, but the words also bring to mind Tom Bombadil, the Green Giant, aliens, leprechauns, and these are off the top of my head.

There is something special about this connection that does not happen with its counterpart, the red man. When you look at the light, do you call it "the red man", even? I always hear parents say 'look, it's red. We must wait for the green man.'. That's it, just red. 

I truly have to push myself to bring up connections. The red man could be the devil, perhaps. Or, of course, it used to be a term to mention First Nations in North America. I'm surprised it's never caught on to identify northern-European tourists on the beaches around the Mediterranean, though it could be rather fitting. But no, there really is no immediate flow of associations.

What is it that makes us want to connect to the green man, but not the red?

I suppose, if one things of design colour theory, green is considered soothing. It is unequivocally linked to Nature, which all souls yearn for at some level. There is the whole "Green" policies being beneficial for the world. At the same time, it is simply soothing to the eye (even though it seems it's not a real colour, but leave that for now). There are many wonderful aspects to green.

What about red? Very often, it is linked to passion, to love, but also to rage. In some cultures, it is associated to fortune and abundance. It is the juicy strawberries as opposed to bitter leafy vegetables. Humans love red! 

Yet, we look for to the green man.

We may enjoy passion, wealth, and the senses. But, it appears we love ease even more. Ease, and the freedom to move forward

So, next time you're at the traffic light, have a peek at the little men. Which are you? 

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