color

Psychological Properties of Colors

 

"Color has power. It can stimulate or sedate, excite or calm,

feel hot or cold, irritate or bring pleasure, generate feelings

of passion or uplift us spiritually. Understanding color

opens a newdimension to our awareness.

Color Your LIfe, Howard & Dorothy Sun

 

 

The power of color

Color has subtle power, and is capable of powerful messages. It is an intrinsic part of our lives: it surrounds us, and has a proven, profound influence on us. It affects us physically, mentally and emotionally. It affects our moods and is an expression of our psyches.

 

Color expresses our emotions – we might see red, be green with envy, or feel blue. We see some people through rose colored glasses. Color affects our bodies: green is healing, certain pinks make us crave sweets. And we all know that black is powerful, sexy, mysterious – and a ‘safe’ color. The colors you choose to wear, to surround you, or to represent you (personally or as a business), express something essential about you, ranging from a profound truth to a momentary mood.

 

Colors can also affect us internally. For instance, studies show that within minutes of looking at the color red, adrenalin is released into your bloodstream, which in turn increases your blood pressure. Red is quite literally, an exciting color! The reverse is true of blue: it has a calming effect on us.

 

Color Symbolism

Over the centuries, the physical effects of color have been incorporated into our traditions and cultural symbolism. Although there are some geographical variations, each color of the rainbow has essentially similar meanings and qualities that transcend cultural and racial barriers. Using red as an example again, this physically exciting color represents blood and life energy, as well as the passionate extremes of love (Valentines) and hate (‘seeing red’, the devil). Think about someone you know whose favorite color is red. Wouldn’t you say she or he tends to be energetic, passionate, and extroverted, as well as impulsive and aggressive? Now consider a person who loves blue. She or he is probably quiet different, tending to be more introspective, intellectual and logical.

 

People love a particular color because they identify with it, with its symbolic meaning. Your strengths are also the strengths and characteristics of your favorite color, and when you use the strengths and talents represented by this color, you feel most fulfilled. This color contains characteristics that you most admire in yourself and others. On the other hand, your least favorite color points to your own challenges, vulnerabilities and blind spots in communication with others. It represents characteristics that you admire neither in yourself nor in others.

 

This makes color a wonderful starting point from which to begin exploring one’s true Self. We can use the subtle language of color to help us recognize our own worth, as well as to communicate our inner state to those around us. Keep in mind, too, when wearing any color in the spectrum, that if it is in a tint or shade belonging to your own archetypal harmonious color palette, the positive associations with that color will more likely shine through. If the color is in a tint or shade not harmonious with your own archetypal color personality, the negative attributes are much more likely to subtly come forth.

 

Here is a brief description of the personality of each color in rainbow/color spectrum order:

 

RED

Positive associations: physical courage, strength, warmth, energy, basic survival, 'fight or flight', stimulation, masculinity, excitement, lively, friendly.

Negative attributes: Defiant, aggressive, straining, demanding.

 

Red is the color of greatest warmth, as well as the most exciting and personal color in the spectrum. It is the most basic, physical color, relating to the masculine principle, to our ‘fight or flight’ instinct. It therefore represents the life force and the survival instinct, as well as vitality, excitement, strength and happiness.

 

People who are drawn to red as their favorite color are outgoing, assertive, vigorous, passionate (with a strong sex drive), optimistic, and have a strong sense of duty, as well as sympathy to their fellow man. But, when carried too far, the strengths of red give way to uncontrolled passion, excessive anger, competitiveness and impulsiveness.

 

People wearing red are perceived as dramatic, energetic, powerful and self-assured. They stand out in a crowd. However, too much red can be perceived as aggressive or overbearing. Perceptions of red clothing will also vary with the garment it is cut into: a red suit is dramatic, powerful and self assured; a clingy evening dress is dramatic and sexy.

 

PINK

Positive associations: physical tranquillity, nurturing, warmth, femininity, love, sexuality, survival of the species.

Negative attributes: inhibition, emotional claustrophobia, emasculation, physical weakness.

 

Pink is a tint of red (when white is added to red, pink is created) and the only tint to have its own name. Pink is the most feminine of colors, for it represents femininity in its purest form: the feminine principle, and with it, the survival of species.

 

People who choose pink as their favorite color are unassuming, approachable, gentle, loving and nurturing. Therefore, someone wearing pink is perceived as approachable and feminine. On the negative side, they may also be perceived as a bit of a pushover, shy, weak and effeminate.

 

Certain pinks are temporarily calming: a vivid shade known as Baker-Miller pink has been effectively used in ‘cooling off’ holding rooms in prisons to temporarily calm down angry prisoners.  Other pinks enhance our appreciation - and craving – of sweets (it is not by accident that bakeries often use pink boxes for your takeout cakes and pastries). Interestingly, research shows that both men and women tend to overvalue personal services rendered by someone wearing pink.

 

ORANGE

Positive associations: physical comfort, food, warmth, security, sensuality, passion, abundance, fun.

Negative attributes: deprivation, frustration, frivolity, immaturity, inconsistence, impatience, superficiality, flightiness.

 

A combination of red and yellow, orange is a stimulating, enthusiastic, friendly, outgoing, good natured – fun – color. Reaction to orange is a combination of the physical and the emotional. On the emotional level, it stimulates creativity and ambition, as well as energetic activity. On the physical level, it guides our secondary survival instincts: the need for food, warmth, shelter, security – and sensuality.

 

People who choose orange as a favorite color are friendly, very sociable, and generally good negotiators and people organizers, because they are good natured and enjoy being around people. They do good work, have strong loyalties and solicitous hearts.

 

Wearing orange indicates that you are fun loving, enthusiastic, sociable, thoughtful and considerate of others. It makes one seem open and approachable. However, because it is a declassifying color, it can convey the impression of untrustworthiness and superficiality. A declassifying color is one that appeals to the broadest segment of the population. As such, pure orange also signals ‘cheap’ (think SALE signs), and is therefore not a good color for business wear.

 

 

YELLOW

Positive associations: optimism, confidence, self-esteem, extraversion, emotional strength, friendliness, creativity.

Negative attributes: irrationality, fear, emotional fragility, depression, anxiety, suicide.

 

A joyously warm color, yellow represents wisdom, understanding and intuitive insight. It stimulates the mind outward creatively and imaginatively, and is the wellspring of all emotion. The right yellow lifts our spirits, self-esteem, confidence and optimism. However, too much yellow, or the wrong tone in a color scheme, can cause self-esteem to plummet, giving rise to fear and anxiety. Or worse, cause our ‘yellow streak’ to surface.

 

People who love yellow are creative, cheerful, bright – and love to experiment. They are imaginative, well organized and have an intrinsic need to help the world. However they  can also tend to be somewhat shy and more given to thought than action.

 

Wearing yellow in small doses gives the impression of optimism, brightness and cheerfulness. It’s the ‘let’s communicate’ color. Too much yellow, however, can be irritating because it is overstimulating to the psyche and nerves. Like orange, it is a de-classifier, and denotes ‘temporariness.’ A good compromise is pale yellow, as its brightness is toned down by white.

 

 

GREEN

Positive associations: harmony, balance, refreshment, universal love, rest, restoration, reassurance, environmental awareness, equilibrium, peace.

Negative attributes: boredom, stagnation, blandness, enervation.

 

Nature’s color, and in the very center of the color spectrum, green is the color of balance and universal healing. It is soothing and peaceful. Spring green symbolizes new life and regeneration: when the world around us is green, it indicates the presence of water, which in turn, means little danger of famine. Green is, therefore, a reassuring color on a very primitive level. Green’s challenges lie in its association with stagnation, and by extension, selfishness, jealousy, envy and laziness.

 

People who like green are nurturing, casual, helpful and friendly. They are good citizens, sensitive to social customs and etiquette. They are frank, moral and reputable.

 

Wearing green gives the impression of being friendly, casual and laid-back. It is one of the least successful colors to wear when soliciting donations, since it makes people feel tended and secure. Except in its darkest values and in blue-greens, it has not traditionally been a color taken seriously in the business world.

 

BLUE

Positive associations: Intelligence, communication, trust, efficiency, serenity, duty, logic, coolness, reflection, calm.

Negative attributes: Coldness, aloofness, lack of emotion, unfriendliness.

 

The color of heavenly consciousness, truth, harmony and hope, blue soothes and quiets the passions and mind. It is the color of honesty, clear communication and logic. It can also be cold, depressing, unemotional, and, sometimes, unfriendly. It is an intellectual color, and tends to affect us more on mental level, rather than physical: strong blues stimulate clear thought, whereas soft blues calm the mind and aid concentration.

 

Blue clothing is honest, logical and classic. People who love blue are conservative in their approach to new ideas and tend to think things through before acting because they are dedicated to high ideals. They are introspective, sensitive to other people’s feelings and keep a tight rein on their passions. Blue is by far the world’s favorite color, and navy blue is one of the top business colors. Navy is responsible, trustworthy and caring.

 

INDIGO

 

Positive associations: intuitive, disciplined, creative, inventive

Negative attributes: introverted, emotionless

 

This color is a combination of the attributes of blue and violet, bringing together reason and intuition, discipline and creativity. It represents the breakthrough point where failure is transformed into success, where mental striving leaps into higher consciousness.

 

People who like indigo are therefore inventive and intuitive. They are in search of new ideas, new causes, and new experiences.

 

VIOLET/PURPLE

Positive associations: spiritual awareness, containment, vision, luxury, authenticity, truth, quality.

Negative attributes: introversion, decadence, suppression, inferiority.

 

Violet stimulates the spiritual nature of humankind and the higher, more intuitive realms of creativity. It is therefore a highly introvertive color that encourages deep contemplation and meditation. It is regal, and is associated with prosperity, wealth, productivity and high quality. On the flip side, this means that violet can be seen as aloof, vain, patronizing and snobbish.

 

People who choose violet as their favorite color are unusual, independent, sensitive and witty. They have a good mind, are intuitive in their powers of observation, and relish subtlety while acknowledging the magnificent.

 

Violet in clothing has, until the recent past, been somewhat controversial, as it was traditionally reserved for royalty. It remains a diplomatic, creative, sensitive, exotic and spiritual color in clothing. In the wrong tone, however, it communicates ‘cheap’, or even ‘nasty,’ faster than any other color.

 

GREY

Positive associations: psychological neutrality.

Negative attributes: Lack of confidence, dampness, depression, hibernation, lack of energy.

 

Pure grey is the only color that has no direct psychological properties. It can, however, be suppressive and depressing: after all, when the world turns grey we are instinctively conditioned to draw inward in preparation for hibernation. Unless the grey tone is precisely right, grey can easily dampen any other colors used with it, and heavy use of grey may well indicate a lack of confidence or fear of exposure.

 

BLACK

Positive associations: sophisticated, glamorous, secure, emotionally safe, efficient, substantial.

Negative attributes: oppressive, cold, menacing, heavy.

 

The psychological implications of black are considerable, for it is all colors, totally absorbed and, therefore, the total absence of color.

 

On the positive side, it communicates absolute, unnuanced clarity, as well as sophistication and uncompromising excellence. It is considered worldly, conventional, proper, polite, dignified, and elegant. On the other hand, given that black is essentially an absence of light, reflecting no wavelengths, it can be menacing (many people are afraid of the dark).

 

Black is, as we all know, a ‘safe’ color: while it will not clash with any color, it is also safe in the sense that the wearer will not stand out in a crowd. In clothing, black creates protective barriers, as it absorbs all the energy coming towards you, enshrouding your personality. On the positive side this means that black provides a psychological ‘security blanket’ or protective shield for the wearer. This also means that some people wear black in order not to be noticed, while others wear it to protect themselves as they gather up courage to go forth and face the world.

 

However, it is a myth that black is slenderizing: because, in effect, black also creates a perception of weight and seriousness, it is truly slenderizing only on the very slim!

 

WHITE

Positive associations: hygiene, sterility, clarity, purity, cleanness, simplicity, sophistication, efficiency.

Negative attributes: sterility, coldness, barriers, unfriendliness, elitism.

 

The opposite of black, white is total reflection. As such, it reflects the full force of the spectrum into our eyes, which also creates barriers – though these are different from black. In effect, white communicates, "Touch me not!" White equals purity and, like black, it is uncompromising, as well as clean, hygienic, and sterile – which can be both positive and negative. When paired with warm colors, white has the effect of making them look and feel garish.