White holds several meanings depending on the cultural context and situation. Many people regard white as both a color and non-color. Regardless of how you see the color, there’s no denying that it’s a powerful symbol. We universally use and accept this color. In most cases, it represents purity, innocence, and simplicity. It also represents freshness and cleanliness. Here, we’ll present white quotes exploring their meaning and place in areas like nature, fashion, the arts, and literature.
We often use white as a blank canvas or blank state, especially in design. White gives off the feeling of simplicity and freshness. It’s clean yet powerful in its own way. It also depicts openness, and we can use it to symbolize new beginnings. This is why you'll find many technology companies and neutral-color enthusiasts embracing this color.
Anyone looking to create a fresh start in their lives can pull inspiration from white. If you’re ready to explore the possibilities available to you, the white’s openness can motivate you.
Here are some of our favorite quotes about the color white.
"I call white the most powerful non-color; it's clean, optimistic, powerful."
"I feel safe in white because deep down inside, I'm an angel."
"God paints in many colors; but he never paints so gorgeously, I had almost said so gaudily, as when he paints in white."
"I have said that black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute. It is the perfect harmony."
"The white light streams down to be broken up by those human prisms into all the colors of the rainbow. Take your own color in the pattern and be just that."
White can significantly affect our feelings when we surround ourselves with color. Check out some white color quotes about living.
"I used to be Snow White, but I drifted."
"The middle of the road is where the white line is - and that's the worst place to drive."
"A man's reputation has been very aptly compared to a sheet of white paper; if it be once blotted, it can hardly ever be made to look as white as before."
"It is not white hair that engenders wisdom."
"Isn't that what love means, to fill ordinary, commonplace, conventional things with magic and significance, not to need the moon and white scent-heavy flowers at night?"
"I'm actually not a big coffee fan, so I don't drink it that much. I'd rather have a green tea. But I do love to get a white mocha sometimes - it is just a strong order."
We have an abundance of white foods as humans, from grains like rice to dairy products like milk and yogurt. Even the inner part of a coconut is white.
Although this doesn’t always apply, many white foods are also processed foods. However, we can always enjoy the health benefits of those organic ones. Think about your favorite white food, and then check out what some people say about theirs.
"Life is not living in the suburbs with a white picket fence. That's not life. Somehow our American culture has made it out that that's what life needs to be - and that if it's not that, it's all screwed up. It's not."
White is the most wonderful color because within it you can see all the colors of the rainbow. For me, in fact, it is the color which in natural light, reflects and intensifies the perception of all of the shades of the rainbow, the colors which are constantly changing in nature, for the whiteness of white is never just white; it is almost always transformed by light and that which is changing; the sky, the clouds, the sun and the moon.
~ Richard Meier
Black is the absence of all color. White is the presence of all colors. I suppose life must be one or the other.
~ Mary Balogh
Life starts from a white hole and ends in a black hole.
~ Santosh Kalwar
White is associated with purity because the entire spectrum is functioning in unity. White is a healing color. White is appropriate for weddings because the unity of male and female symbolizes the unity of allness.
~ Tae Yun Kim
"I am a big fan of white sheets, hotel bedding and white towels!"
"If you have white walls, human beings look better in a room than if you have red walls."
"Never underestimate the power of a fresh coat of white paint."
"He was white and shaken, like a dry martini."
"I don't enjoy living in a white box flooded with light. I like shadows, small spaces, old furniture."
"I don't think there is anything wrong with white space. I don't think it's a problem to have a blank wall."
When you glaze on a bright white ground it is like looking through color rather than at it – like looking through stained glass.
~ Fred Machetanz
Thinking about white’s place in nature? Here, we feature some white quotes about white in the natural environment.
Related: Click on for more nature quotes and sayings about our natural world.
We may not immediately associate white with our natural world. However, whenever we experience this color in nature, it introduces feelings of serenity, newness, and peace.
Many natural elements are white - from the clouds and rocks to plants and even animals. White in nature can make us think about our natural world's innocence, simplicity, and pureness.
"At the entrance, my bare feet on the dirt floor, Here, gusts of heat; at my back, white clouds. I stare and stare. It seems I was called for this: To glorify things just because they are."
"I personally think that a bouquet of white roses is simple, chic, and surprisingly long-lasting."
"I'm not a monster; I'm a white rabbit."
"The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. Neither need you do anything but be yourself."
"The world is like a little marsh filled with mint and white hawthorn."
White is a universal color that we can use to enhance the colors and designs of our outfits. For the longest time, people have viewed it as a delicate color. However, people who wear mostly white embrace elegance and simplicity beyond this association.
In the fashion industry, white is a timeless color. Almost everybody can agree that it communicates a modern look while remaining timeless. It’s versatile and can therefore stand as a starting point when building a wardrobe.
If you’re going for a simple, casual look, you can never go wrong with a white t-shirt. Looking for some inspiration in the words of fashion experts and enthusiasts? Here are some white fashion quotes. Regardless of your age and identity, this color provides universal, evergreen clothing.
"The white T-shirt is like a blank canvas - eternally versatile."
"A man should definitely own a couple of blue denims, white crew neck T-shirt, a versatile blazer, comfortable pair of boxers, and coloured sneakers."
"Confidence is everything. Confidence is what makes that simple white tee and jeans look good."
"I woke up one morning to find I was famous. I bought a white Rolls-Royce and drove down Sunset Boulevard, wearing dark specs and a white suit, waving like the Queen Mum."
"I've been wearing white since my college days. I like color, but if I wear colored clothes now, it would feel like I'm being false. And that's the worst thing I could be."
"I am a huge, huge fan of the plain white tee. A good-fitting, vintage plain white t-shirt, like the 'boyfriend shirt', is the sexiest thing a girl can wear. It goes with anything, fancy or casual."
"Yes, and I can sit down on a white piece of paper and work because I don't believe too much into inspiration, only I'm waiting for inspiration, work and then inspiration may come. It's a little too easy to say that."
"White is pure and simple and matches with everything."
If time were a color, I bet it would be a tasteful off-white.
~ Greg Parrish
“White lies” is a common term that people use to refer to lies they tell to avoid hurting someone’s feelings. In many cases, such lies usually stem from small matters. The way we view and appreciate white for its pureness and innocence pours into the way we use the word.
With white lies, people intend to prevent worrying another person and save them the trouble of hurting. Since white suggests pureness, innocence, and goodness in color symbolism, the “white lie” term strives to hold these words.
Through white lies, people seek to preserve the innocence (or obliviousness) and goodness of another. However, on examination, white lies can sometimes lead to hurting another if they find out. Read on to discover some quotes highlighting varying opinions on white lies.
"White lies always introduce others of a darker complexion."
"Don't tell lies, ever. No matter what - not even little white lies."
"When we tell little white lies, we become progressively color-blind. It is better to remain silent than to mislead."
"When you love someone, or when someone is special to you, there are situations where little white lies are necessary."
Many literary works feature lines that talk about white and the color's meaning. The creators behind these works share their appreciation for this vast yet straightforward color. Read on to explore some white quotes that show up in the arts and literature fields.
"White paint is my marble."
"She knew then that white was more than a color: It was a cold, pale shade of understanding that seems to take all of your hope away."
"Such a magnificent sky, and it's nothing but white paper!"
"White... is not a mere absence of colour; it is a shining and affirmative thing, as fierce as red, as definite as black... God paints in many colours; but He never paints so gorgeously, I had almost said so gaudily, as when He paints in white."
"Beauty is not just a white girl. It's so many different flavors and shades."
"Black is never as black as you're painting it and white is never as white."
"When I see a white piece of paper, I feel I've got to draw. And drawing, for me, is the beginning of everything."
"The better a work is, the more it attracts criticism; it is like the fleas who rush to jump on white linens."
"I love white walls because white reflects the light and is a great backdrop for art."
To any white body receiving the light from the sun, or the air, the shadows will be of a bluish cast.
~ Leonardo da Vinci
White covers a multitude of sins.
~ Jonathan Milne
Never use pure white; it doesn't exist in nature.
~ Aldro T. Hibbard
When you glaze on a bright white ground it is like looking through color rather than at it – like looking through stained glass.
~Fred Machetanz,
Jen’s a passionate environmentalist and sustainability expert. With a science degree from Babcock University Jen loves applying her research skills to craft editorial that connects with our global changemaker and readership audiences centered around topics including zero waste, sustainability, climate change, and biodiversity.
Elsewhere Jen’s interests include the role that future technology and data have in helping us solve some of the planet’s biggest challenges.