Scientists Discover Connection Between Eye Colour and Personality – What’s Yours?

You’ve heard “the eyes are the window to the soul”, but science has found a way to turn that phrase into a reality.

You know those online quizzes that ask you to choose a door and then “reveal” unknown information about your personality?

Yeah those are sort of fun, but not very accurate. Our eyes are a physical part of us, and therefore, can tell us more about ourselves.

According to a study done by scientists at Orebro University in Sweden, patterns in the iris can give an indication of whether we are warm and trusting, or neurotic and impulsive. The researchers compared the eyes of 428 subjects with their personality traits to see if these structures in the iris reflected their characters. What they found was that our eye color is affected by the same genes that form our frontal lobes, relating that there are distinctly shared behaviors in people with similarly-coloured irises.
“Our results suggest people with different iris features tend to develop along different personality lines,” said Matt Larsson, a behavioural scientist who led the study at Orebro University.”These findings support the notion that people with different iris configurations tend to develop along different trajectories in regards to personality.”

Another study from Edinburgh University, conducted by Dr. Anthony Fallone, looked at the connection between eye-colour and personality as well. Fallone says, “The eye is so closely linked neurologically to the brain that you might call it the only part of our brain you can see from the outside. It seems to hold vital clues to our brain function.”

We used to think that there was one type of a gene for light eyes and another for dark eyes, but we now know that isn’t true. Dr. Jari Louhelainen, a senior lecturer in biomolecular sciences at Liverpool John Moores University says, “What we know now is that eye colour is based on 12 to 13 individual variations in people’s genes.”

The following descriptions of personality traits based on eye-colour are fascinating, to say the least.

I have brown eyes, but they change from light brown to dark brown, depending on my mood. I found that both the explanations of dark brown eyes and brown eyes fit me perfectly. Look at the descriptions below and tell us if you think these studies have got you pegged!

Dark Brown Eyes

More than likely, you are a natural leader. If you don’t think that description is accurate, you may be surprised to know that that’s how people see you.

Those with eyes that almost appear black they are so dark, have the rarest eye colour. With that being said, they are often thought of as secretive or mysterious. However, a study in Current Psychology reported by Medical Daily found that those with darker eyes are generally thought of as agreeable.

The more melanin in your system, the darker your eyes are. Personality and Individual Differences published a study that says, “people with very dark eyes tend to drink considerably less than those with lighter eyes.” Another study, by Fort Hays State University, found that people with darker-cloloured eyes are better at sports which require hitting targets (such as tennis).

Melanin operates as an insulator for connections between brain cells. The more melanin, the quicker the brain reacts.

Brown Eyes

According to The Charles University in Prague, those with brown eyes are seen as being loyal, trustworthy, respectful, and gentle- but certainly not submissive.

And if you disagree with those descriptions, maybe you are cranky from not getting enough sleep.
Chronobiology International published a study which showed that those with brown eyes tend to sleep two hours less than those with light-coloured eyes, and they generally have poorer sleep cycles. They also found that those with brown eyes have a harder time waking up in the morning.

Personally, I am a morning person. But I think the magnesium salt baths at night help with that.

Blue Eyes

Inner strength and physical strength are two traits you posses, but many people may not see that about you. In fact, most people don’t often see the real you and might negatively judge you before getting to know you. People may see you as shy, untrustworthy, or weaker than you really are.

The Daily Mail reported, “in 2006, German psychologists found that blue-eyed children tended to be wary of new things and were considerably less open around their peers.”

Do you find that people treat you a certain way because you have blue eyes? It was reported in Medical Daily, “many people perceive people with blue eyes as being ‘competitive’ and even ‘egotistical’.”

Regardless of all these negative estimations, a pilot study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine discovered that women with lighter-colored eyes seem to tolerate pain better during childbirth than those with darker eyes. They also appear to handle the stress of childbirth better.

Dr. Inna Belfer of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine says, “In a study involving 58 pregnant women — 24 with dark-colored eyes and 24 with light-colored eyes — those with lighter eyes achieved greater reductions in postpartum anxiety, depression, and catastrophizing/rumination.”

If you are someone with blue eyes, maybe it’s possible that your curious yet cautious nature comes across as being aloof to others.

Grey Eyes

It is rare to have grey eyes. They are a variation of blue eyes- just slightly darker.
The Tech Museum of Innovation says, “dark gray eyes have more melanin in the front of the eyes, while pale, light gray eyes have considerably less.”

Having dark grey eyes means you are a very well-balanced person, or you are a “two-sided coin” type of person. Maybe there is a sort of Jekyll and Hyde thing going on inside of you. Depending on who needs what, you can be different things to different people. This can either be a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on how much control you have over your emotions.

Having light grey eyes means you might have had to work a little harder in life to get to where you wanted to be. You have to work at being taken seriously, but you also keep your defenses up. It takes a while to break through your concerned and wary shell, but you care immensely for those who are able to burst through.

Hazel Eyes

The one colour that is hard to describe- hazel. They are called this because of their resemblance to the colour of a hazelnut.

According to The Eye Doctor Guide, hazel eyes look as though they change colour from green to brown. Or, as an iris with two different colours.

Hazel eyes are uncommon, and as such, those with this shade are often told from a young age that they are unique. Even the specifics surrounding the colours of hazel eyes are different to each individual who has them.
People with hazel eyes are hard to read. This eye colour varies from person to person, as does the amount of melanin in the eyes. So it is difficult to pin down a personality type. However, one common thread seems to be that they have a balanced personality- never one to jump to extremes.

Dr. Matthew Leach of the University of South Australia says, “people with hazel eyes might have mixed colors in their eyes due to materials from the bloodstream that were broken down due to liver imbalance.” With that being said, people with hazel eyes might be more likely to experience digestive issues.

Green Eyes

Those of you with green eyes, I have to say I have been envious of you. It appears that most people see you as mysterious, alluring, and sexy.

The Impulse Corporation of Los Angeles released a study pertaining to the appeal of different eye colours. Most commonly heard when asked about green eyes was the word “sexy.” Also, when asked what eye colour the participants would like to change theirs to, the majority answered with “green.”

Those with green eyes have a balance of melanin which keeps them agreeable yet dominant (like those with brown eyes), and also strong yet cautious (like those with blue eyes).

Ophthalmologist Surgeon Doctor Hamadi Kallel has gone over many of the research studies on the topic of eye color and says that people with green eyes “have an air of mystery and a quiet self-sufficiency. [They are] often unpredictable, but slow to anger… They are original, creative and perform well under great pressure.”

Now that you have read these descriptions, do you think yours is accurate?

I think it is important to keep in mind that though these studies relate our eye colour to our personality traits, our life experiences are what really define who we are and how we react.

Every day is a learning process, and who we were yesterday is not necessarily who we are today. Let us know in the comments what you think!

Written by Raven Fon