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Rory Preddy
Rory Preddy

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Colour theory for Programmers

The origins of colour theory can be traced back to the fifth century BC, when Hippocrates identified four distinct energies exhibited by different people. The Colour Profile is built around the model of personality first identified by the Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung.

This model was published in his 1921 work “Psychological Types” and developed in subsequent writings. Jung’s work on personality and preferences has since been adopted as the seminal work in understanding personality and has been the subject of study for thousands of researchers to the present day.

Using Jung's typology, the colour profile offers a framework for self-understanding and development. Research suggests that a good understanding of self, both strengths and weaknesses, enables individuals to develop effective strategies for interaction and can help them to better respond to the demands of their environment

Fiery Red

People with a preference for Fiery Red energy are extroverted and have high energy. They are action oriented and always in motion. They will approach others in a direct, authoritative manner, radiating a desire for power and control.

Sunshine Yellow

People with a preference for Sunshine Yellow energy are strongly extroverted, radiant, and friendly. They are usually positive and concerned with good human relations. They will approach others in a persuasive, democratic manner, radiating a desire for sociability.

Earth Green

People with a preference for Earth Green energy focus on values and depth in relationships. They want others to be able to rely on them. They prefer democratic relations that value the individual and are personal in style, radiating a desire for understanding.

Cool Blue

People with a preference for Cool Blue energy are introverted and have a desire to know and understand the world around them. They prefer written communication in order to maintain clarity and precision, radiating a desire for analysis.

Colour Energy and programming:

Great Programmers have aspects of all colours

“We will encourage you to develop the three great virtues of a programmer: laziness, impatience, and hubris.”

Larry Wall, Programming Perl

  • Green/Blue - Laziness - The quality that makes you go to great effort to reduce your overall energy expenditure. It makes you write robust, modular, well-documented programs so you can reuse the code.
  • Red - Impatience -The anger you feel when the computer is being lazy, which happens when another programmer is not lazy. It makes you write programs that use minimal code so they’re fast, efficient, and anticipate what needs to be done.
  • Yellow - Hubris - The pride that makes you write and maintain programs that you and your peers will admire. If hubris is uncontrolled or undeserved, it can also get you in trouble.

Knowing your colour helps you to uncover who you are and how you interact with others. It can take you to places that you never expected. From one-to-one coaching to team development and improved sales and leadership skills, we use so many different energies.

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