Re: The Paint Debate

I'm going to try to keep this short.

There has been a debate started over the supposed ridiculousness of painting the walls on one's home due to claims that it:

a) can establish some kind of "mood" through chosen paint colours, and
b) can indeed show a segment (however tiny or large) of a person's personality.

I argue that it seems perfectly reasonable to paint one's home, in the same way that it is perfectly reasonable to hang pictures, etc, and establish a comfortable living space. I argue that while I do think it's silly that human beings have a need to own everything, a place to rest your head is mandatory; and while a person may choose (or not choose, due to financial or other circumstances) to rest their head at different friend's homes, or in different cardboard boxes, it is actually quite necessary to own a place where a person can eat, drink, and sleep, in private. As well, I argue that the paint colour one chooses to paint one's home in (or, on the other hand, not noticing/ignoring/leaving whatever paint colour that is already on the home) does reflect that person's personality. Let's remember that personality is, as the dictionary states, the character, qualities, and identity of a person.

If someone argued that when walking into a space they are not affected by the colours and items that make up that space, the only conclusion I can come to is that that person must be blind or very unobservant. Furthermore, to walk into the living quarters of a friend and not see their personality reflected in the tidiness, decor, lack of decor, holes in their couch, cigarette smell, and, yes, the colour of paint on their walls, would also imply either a lack of senses or an unobservant mind. If a person saw an old couch sitting in an ally, it does not convey a personality of whoever sat on that couch; however, if the same couch is seen in a living room, and was bought second hand, because that person doesn't like to buy new things for the sake of waste, then their personality is showing through the choices that person has made. A home, paint colour included, reeks of the personality of the person or people living in it, as it is a loudspeaker broadcasting many different choices that person has made:

1) the size of the home
2) the neighbourhood
3) the state of the yard
4) the decor
5) items that are constantly left out
6) THE PAINT COLOUR

Money is a prime example of how personality can be shown through material things, as it can be noted if that person is responsible, charitable, frugal, wasteful, etc. When a person has the opportunity to paint their living quarters, it is similar to a person having the opportunity to buy his or her own clothing. Even though billions are made convincing us that Adidas and QuikSilver are for different types of people, whether a person has three or twenty-five t-shirts, and whether or not they bought them second-hand or brand new, and whether they care if some brand is boldly displayed on the front of it, are all choices that individual has made in the way they want to represent themselves. And while the way we wish to be known and the way we are actually known do not always meet eye to eye, and the level to which we are obsessed with these things can vary greatly, these all show the character and motivation of the person inside. While it may seem superficial that a person's style is a segment of their personality, the only way this could be avoided would be if we could all walk around in the nude. Then, perhaps the second-best way to show personality through one's exterior would be the level of cleanliness, whether or not one chooses to shave or cut their hair, and physical fitness.

Though there are certainly times when people cannot choose the size or state of their house, and cannot choose which clothes they wear, this argument applies specifically to those who are in a position to make such choices. So if a person buys a home that has mustard yellow and poop brown all over the walls, and they say to themselves "it would be a waste of my time to paint these as the paint is not very old, so I am going to leave them the way they are," it showcases their personality as much as a person who decides they want a bright and comfortable space to relax; it showcases their personality as much as whether or not they decide to wake up at 6am or 11am on their day off; it showcases their personality as much as if they decide to give away twenty dollars or spend it on gummy bears.

And that's as short as I can make it.