We all have these shades in our nature: it's a spectrum within

When Johnny Flynn said, “We all have these shades in our nature: it's a spectrum within all of us,” he gave voice to a truth as old as the human heart. He reminds us that no soul is made of pure light or pure darkness, but of countless shades that shift with time, circumstance, and choice. The human spirit is not a fixed point but a spectrum, broad and mysterious, carrying within it both tenderness and cruelty, courage and fear, wisdom and folly. In his words, we are called to humility: for no one is wholly saint or wholly sinner, but a weaving together of both.

The origin of this insight lies in the ancient struggles of mankind to understand itself. For millennia, thinkers and poets have observed that men are capable of great virtue and great evil, sometimes within the same breath. The warrior may protect his people yet sow destruction upon another; the scholar may discover truth yet fall prey to pride. Flynn, as an actor and musician, has walked the path of embodying different characters, feeling the pull of many temperaments. He has seen that the line between hero and villain is not between people, but within each person. Thus he names it: a spectrum within all of us.

The ancients bore witness to this duality. Plato spoke of the soul as a chariot drawn by two horses—one noble, one unruly—both pulling in opposite directions, yet bound together. Aristotle too taught that virtue is a balance between extremes, that in every man lives the potential for excess and deficiency. Even the Bible declares that “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak,” acknowledging the tension within. Flynn’s words echo this ancient wisdom, placing it in modern language: we are a tapestry of shades, neither wholly luminous nor wholly shadowed.

History gives us many who embodied this spectrum. Consider Abraham Lincoln, revered as a leader of justice and liberty. Yet even he wrestled with melancholy, doubt, and decisions that bore heavy costs. He was not pure light, nor pure shadow, but a man of shades—his greatness forged not in perfection but in struggle. Or take Winston Churchill, whose fiery resolve helped save a nation, yet whose flaws and errors are well-documented. In both men, as in all men, we see the truth: human nature is a spectrum, not a single color.

The meaning of Flynn’s quote is not to excuse our faults, but to awaken us to understanding and compassion. If we recognize that every person carries both darkness and light, then we will not be quick to condemn, nor quick to idolize. We will see the humanity in our enemies, and the frailty in our heroes. This vision does not weaken us; it strengthens us, for it teaches us to judge wisely and to forgive deeply.

The lesson for us is clear: acknowledge the spectrum within yourself. Do not deny your faults, nor despise your shadows, for they too are part of the human inheritance. Instead, bring them into the light, harness them, and let them teach you humility. And when you look upon others, remember: they too are a mixture of shades. Judge not too quickly, for the spectrum you see in them is the same that runs through you.

Practically, live this truth by practicing self-awareness. In moments of anger, ask: “What shade of me is acting now, and how may I guide it?” In moments of pride, remember your frailty; in moments of despair, remember your strength. Extend the same mercy to others, for their spectrum is as wide and conflicted as your own. Thus you will walk in wisdom, not expecting perfection, but striving always for balance.

So let Johnny Flynn’s words endure as a gentle but powerful teaching: within us all lies a spectrum of shades. To know this is to embrace our humanity fully—to live without illusion, to forgive without hesitation, and to strive each day to let the better shades of our nature shine more brightly than the darker. In this balance lies the true art of living.