Orange though they were, they differed hugely. This duo exemplifies stark differences when we consider their FIRST TWO COLORS, not just the first.

Joan Rivers was Orange-Green. Without having done years of research on this subject, I would still bet my last dollar that the majority of successful stand-up comedians are Orange-Green or Green-Orange. Such might be Louis Black, George Carlin, Eddie Murphy, and Roseanne Barr. That combination of personal freedom and raw logic supports a life philosophy best described as Machiavellian. Who more than Joan Rivers could cut to the chase more scathingly? The impact of a joke was usually more important than any kind of political correctness whatsoever. She would defend herself by saying, "It's a joke. Get over it!" In other words, she not only wanted to make you laugh, but be shocked, horrified - forcing yourself to admit what you are really feeling and thinking.  She got in your head.

Robin Williams was Orange-Blue. That mix of personal freedom and harmony-seeking empathy makes for deep personal ties with the audience. When you read the comments of the public at large after his death, you see that millions of non-family "strangers" felt they had lost a family member, a best friend, a rock in their social network. When Robin would make fun of people, he rarely had to explain that he was kidding or making a joke. You knew he had your back. You know he was striving to feel what you felt, what the universal person felt. In so many of his roles as an actor, he was equally the champion, the healer, the teacher, the counsellor, the parent, the friend - as certainly as the performer and entertainer.

Humans are complex. They are never easily explained by a Color - or two Colors, for that matter. However, as we explore the four Colors - the four classic temperaments - we can be comfortable making sound, educated guesses about a person's values, strengths, needs, joys, and stressors.