44 White Quotes that Reflect the Many Cultural Shades of the Color

When some of us hear the word 'white,' we may picture a day full of snow while others may picture a graceful swan. This color means different things to many people; find out about these many interpretations by reading the 44 white quotes below.

We associate different colors with different ideas, symbols, and emotions. Though not strictly a color, white has come to represent cleanliness, purity, spirituality, simplicity, style, and elegance.

From these ideas and symbols, a lot of discourse on different aspects of our lives has evolved over the years. Read the following 44 quotes below to find out more.

Ridley Scott’s quote: "Life isn't black and white. It's a million gray areas, don't you find?" | Image: AmoDays

Black and White Quotes

"In the beginning, it was all black and white." — Maureen O'Hara

"There's so much grey to every story—nothing is so black and white." — Lisa Ling

"Television isn't black and white anymore, and neither are people." ― William Todd

"Black and white creates a strange dreamscape that color never can." — Jack Antonoff

"Life isn't black and white. It's a million gray areas, don't you find?" — Ridley Scott

Greg Rusedski’s quote: "It's about you. If you win, it's you; if you lose, it's you. Black and white. Nowhere to hide." | Image: AmoDays

"Everybody has a little bit of the sun and moon in them. Everybody has a little bit of man, woman, and animal in them. Darks and lights in them. Everyone is part of a connected cosmic system. Part earth and sea, wind and fire, with some salt and dust swimming in them. We have a universe within ourselves that mimics the universe outside. None of us are black or white or always wrong and always right. No one. No one exists without polarities. Everybody has good and bad forces working with them, against them, and within them." ― Suzy Kassem

"Neither is there black nor white in human creation. This colors only show diversity of forms of arts." ― Lailah Gifty Akita

"It's about you. If you win, it's you; if you lose, it's you. Black and white. Nowhere to hide." — Greg Rusedski

Quotes about Shades of White Social Issues

"On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron." ― H. L. Mencken

"There is not a liberal America and a conservative America―there is the United States of America. There is not a black America and a white America and Latino America and Asian America―there's the United States of America." ― Barack Obama

Aretha Franklin’s quote: "We all require and want respect, man or woman, black or white. It's our basic human right." | Image: AmoDays

"If physical death is the price that I must pay to free my white brothers and sisters from a permanent death of the spirit, then nothing can be more redemptive." ― Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Patiently educating a clueless white person about race is draining. It takes all your powers of persuasion. Because it's more than a chat about race, it's ontological. It's like explaining to a person why you exist, or why you feel pain, or why your reality is distinct from their reality. Except it's even trickier than that. Because the person has all of Western history, politics, literature, and mass culture on their side, proving that you don't exist." ― Cathy Park Hong

"We all require and want respect, man or woman, black or white. It's our basic human right." — Aretha Franklin

Insightful Shades of White Quotes

"Painting a black thing white won't make you stronger. Nothing false can ever last longer." — Munia Khan

Richard De Bury’s quote: "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." | Image: AmoDays

"The world is like a little marsh filled with mint and white hawthorn." ― Mary MacLane

"Confidence is everything. Confidence is what makes that simple white tee and jeans look good." ― Ciara

"The middle of the road is where the white line is―and that's the worst place to drive." ― Robert Frost

"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." ― Charles R. Brown

"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." — Richard De Bury

Menander’s quote: "It is not white hair that engenders wisdom." | Image: AmoDays

"Although humans see reality in color, for me, black and white has always been connected to the image's deeper truth, to its most hidden meaning." ― Peter Lindbergh

"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

The Beauty and Power of Shades of White

"Women think of all colors except the absence of color. I have said that black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute. It is the perfect harmony." ― Coco Chanel

"I call white the most powerful non-color; it's clean, optimistic, powerful." ― Jason Wu

"When I see a white piece of paper, I feel I've got to draw. And drawing, for me, is the beginning of everything." ― Ellsworth Kelly

Coco Chanel's quote: "Women think of all colors except the absence of color. I have said that black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute. It is the perfect harmony." | Image: AmoDays

"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." ― Vannetta Chapman, "A Perfect Square"

"I love white walls because white reflects the light and is a great backdrop for art." ― John Rocha

"The snow fell and fell, dancing and curling like sparkling spindrifts, the white fresh and clean against the brown and grey of the world. And despite myself, despite my numb limbs, I quieted the relentless, vicious part of my mind to take in the snow-veiled woods." ― Sarah J. Maas, "A Court of Thorns and Roses"

"The white T-shirt is like a blank canvas―eternally versatile." ― Edward Enninful

Vannetta Chapman’s quote from “A Perfect Square”: "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." | Image: AmoDays

"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?" ― Elizabeth Bibesco

"I personally think that a bouquet of white roses is simple, chic, and surprisingly long-lasting." ― Jeremiah Brent

More Shades of White, More Quotes

"Life starts from a white hole and ends in a black hole." ― Santosh Kalwar

"It felt as though the whole globe was dressed in snow. Like it has pulled it on, the way you pull on a sweater. Next to the train line, footprints were sunken to their shins. Trees wore blankets of ice. As you may expect, someone has died." ― Markus Zusak, "The Book Thief"

"I feel safe in white because deep down inside, I'm an angel." — Sean Combs

Santosh Kalwar’s quote: "Life starts from a white hole and ends in a black hole." | Image: AmoDays

"It is not white hair that engenders wisdom." — Menander

Bonus: Betty White Quotes

"My mother always used to say, "The older you get, the better you get. Unless you're a banana." — Betty White

"I've always liked older men. They're just more attractive to me. Of course, at my age, there aren't many left!" — Betty White

Betty White’s quote: "I may be a senior, but so what? I’m still hot." | Image: AmoDays

"I have no regrets at all. None. I consider myself to be the luckiest old broad on two feet." — Betty White

"I love children; the only problem with children: they grow up to be people, and I just like animals better than people. It's that simple." — Betty White

"Everybody needs a passion. That's what keeps life interesting. If you live without passion, you can go through life without leaving any footprints." — Betty White

"I'm a teenager trapped in an old body." — Betty White

Betty White’s quote: "I have no regrets at all. None. I consider myself to be the luckiest old broad on two feet." | Image: AmoDays

With all these many different interpretations of nothing but a shade, it makes one wonder how many complex perspectives individuals can have of more complicated issues in the world.

What's great about being a human being is that we can create meaning out of anything, but when our meanings clash, this can cause conflict, read these 31 wrongly judged quotes to learn how to accept many different views of the world.