Discover the Meaning of Colours

A human being can register over 2,000 different shades and colours which are visible to the naked eye. Everything that we see at home, at work, and beyond is an image created by the interaction of the colour spectrum. According to research, up to 87% of all impressions are influenced by colours. If you think about it, why would the existence of so many colours be of any significance if they didn’t affect us in any way? That would seem like kind of a waste!

The concept of colour psychology is well-known, and examines how our brain perceives what we see. According to this line of thinking, colours can affect our emotions and mind. They can improve our mood, calm us down, stimulate us or create either pleasant or negative feelings. The influence of colours on our brain is constantly being used in the world of marketing, for example. Whether in an effort to attract our interest, to influence our decisions or in extreme cases colour can be used for the purposes of sub-conscious manipulation. How exactly can individual colours affect us?

Do colours affect our lives?

Experts have differing opinions when it comes to the importance of colours in our lives. Many psychologists believe that the colours have an impact on subliminal senses which affect our thinking and reason. They also coexist with universal symbolic meanings that may differ somewhat between cultures and countries.

According to some psychologists, colour perception is closely related to personal taste and preferences. Consequently, according to these experts, no colour can be interpreted as having universal symbolic meanings. Still, people who do believe in the psychology of colours includes not only esoteric thinkers, but also successful businessmen and marketers who have based their marketing campaigns on positive colours. Research into the subject would certainly seem to show a link between colours and what products we choose to consume.

According to some, each colour has its own vibration and this affects the psyche, moods and emotions of people. Choosing colours helps us get to know our own and other people's personality. Some colours can increase our concentration, with warm colours stimulating body and spirit, while cold colours soothe both the body and the mind.

The influence and importance of individual colours

All colours are based on the three primary colours of red, yellow and blue. Other colours, such as orange, green or purple, are formed by mixing these primary colours. In addition, there are hundreds to thousands of other colours and shades, which are called tertiary colours and which are the result of a combination of primary and secondary colours.

Black and white are in a separate category, and some scientists, psychologists and artists do not even see them as being true ‘colours’. However, within the colour spectrum they have both an irreplaceable role and are used to mix and create new colours and shades.

Let's look at what psychologists say about the most popular and most commonly used colours. Find out more about the meanings of colours, and what your favourite colour says about you.

MEANING OF THE COLOUR RED

Out of all the colours red attracts the most attention, and as such it is often used in warning signs or alarms. Red is associated with energy, passion, love, lust, sexual energy and desire, as well as with war, danger, strength, power, and determination. It enlivens life and friendship and is often used on flags to represent the pride and strength of a given country. 

According to research, it strengthens our metabolism, accelerates breathing and increases blood pressure.

+ courage, strength, energy, struggle, excitement, love, passion

- aggression, war, danger, defiance

Personality Type: Red is the favourite colour of selfish, energetic and creative people. These people have a highly-strung temperament, they are explosive and they can fly off the handle at times. 

MEANING OF THE COLOUR YELLOW

The colour yellow is associated with youthfulness, joy, happiness, intellect and energy. The brightest colour to the human eye, it produces a feeling of warmth, arouses cheerfulness, stimulates mental activity and generates muscle energy. Yellow is a colour which attracts a lot of attention, which is why it’s a popular colour for taxi cabs and hi-vis jackets.

Yellow means honour and fidelity, although in darker, less pure shades it can be associated with fear and cowardice, which is why we can refer to someone as “yellow” to mean cowardly. According to many psychologists, it is the colour which evokes the strongest emotions. The right, pure shade of yellow lifts the spirit, the dirtier and darker shades are anxiety-making, causing fear and grief. Too much yellow can even make something repellent to humans, and it has been demonstrated that young children cry much more intensely in yellow-painted rooms. 

+ optimism, self-confidence, trust, extrovert, emotional strength, happiness, cordiality, honour, glory

- irrationality, fear, depression, anxiety, emotional frailty

Personality Type: Yellow is the colour of natural, purposeful and energetic people with a certain amount of eccentricity.

MEANING OF THE COLOUR BLUE

Blue is the colour of the sea and of the sky, which associates it with depth, stability and intellect. Blue is the colour of our mind, symbolizing resilience, trust, loyalty, wisdom, certainty, faith and truth. Pale hues have a soothing effect on our psyche. Unlike red it affects us mentally, and dark blue stimulates clear thoughts.

Lighter and paler shades will soothe the mind and improve our concentration. Blue is a symbol of clear, direct and clean communication. Conversely, some shades can be very cold, insensitive or hostile. According to various surveys and questionnaires, blue is regularly chosen as people's most popular colour.

+ intelligence, communication, trust, peace, harmony, security, faith, respect, glamour, empathy

- coldness, lack of emotion, indifference, complexity

Personality Type: Blue is mostly the favourite colour of romantic souls whose beliefs are founded on family bonds and spiritual awareness. A ‘blue’ person can be slightly conservative, but on the other hand reliable and trustworthy.

MEANING OF THE COLOUR ORANGE

Orange is a combination of the energy of the colour red and the happiness of yellow. red It's the colour of youth and fun; a radiant and warm colour that combines with joy, representing fire, the sun, entertainment and the tropics. It symbolizes enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, and success. Orange is considered to be the colour of friendship and family.

The colour orange encourages and stimulates, increasing the supply of oxygen to the brain and stimulating mental activity. It is popular and often favoured by young people in particular. It combines with healthy food and increases the appetite, having a positive effect on our digestive system and heart. The darker shade of orange is the symbol of the autumn.

+ fun, joy, friendship, family, physical comfort, food, warmth, safety, will, victory

- deprivation, frustration, light-heartedness, immaturity

Personality Type: Orange colour is associated with innovative types of people with lofty goals and ambitions who like to try something new.

MEANING OF THE COLOUR PURPLE

Purple combines the elements of stability represented by the colour blue in tandem with energetic red. It suggests nobility, it is the colour of members of the royal family and the aristocracy dating back to Ancient Roman times. It symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, ambition, wealth and extravagance. It is linked to intelligence and wisdom, dignity, independence, and creativity.

Purple is a colour of mysticism and magic. It is used by wealthy people, kings and rulers to demonstrate their power, but also by wizards and wizards. It is also connected to deep mysteries of the universe and the galaxies. 

+ spiritual consciousness and power, authenticity, truth, quality, grandeur, creativity, clairvoyance, wisdom, truth

- introvert, decadence, suppression, subordination

Personality Type: You probably spend a lot of time lost in day-dreams, you are creative and innovative, but you are also keen and passionate. Purple people are inclined to be rather introverted as a rule.

MEANING OF THE COLOUR GREEN

Green is of course the colour of nature and health, symbolising harmony, freshness and fertility. The colour green is connected with feelings of security, and is said to have medicinal and calming properties. One possible explanation for this may be that the human eye easily perceives the colour green. Dark green is associated with money, banks, and finance, with even darker shades associated with military force.

According to the psychology of colours, green provides a balance between the heart and the head, between emotions and reason. It is the colour of spring, growth, renewal and rebirth. Green regenerates and returns lost balance and energy and has the ability to reduce stress.

+ harmony, freshness, freshness, peace, relax, health, purity, balance, restoration, independence, productivity

- boring, stagnation, materialism, ownership

Personality Type: The green-lover is a self-indulgent person who enjoys strong emotions and courage. They also have highly developed organizational skills.

MEANING OF THE COLOUR PINK

Because pink is a shade of red it affects our psyche, though it has more calming effects than stimulating red. Pink is a colour with a strong psychological influence and represents the colour of friendship and compassion and it symbolizes care and relieves pain. Too much pink can prove to be physically exhausting and can also be associated with weakness.

Pink carries some of the characteristics of red and pink, so while red leaves traces of love and passion, white softens them. Pink is cozy, intimate, intriguing, and even a little sentimental. Psychologically this colour is a sign of hope and dreams, working inspirationally and positively.

+ physical well-being, femininity, love, sexuality, care, conservation of endangered species

- emotional claustrophobia, weakening, physical weakness, restraint

Personality Type: A romantic and sensitive soul, you love everything beautiful and have a great feeling for aesthetics. You like the attention of other people and you want to be desired, but sometimes you are impractical and you can be too trusting. 

MEANING OF THE COLOUR BLACK

Black is associated with power, elegance, and formality, but also with death, evil and mystery. It is a mysterious colour that fuses with fear and the unknown and often has negative connotations. Black stands for power and authority; it is considered to be a very formal, noble colour associated with prestige.

The colour Black absorbs all others, meaning that from a psychological point of view it creates barriers because it absorbs all the energy coming to it. 

+ elegance, timelessness, sophistication, emotional security, charm, efficiency

- oppression, coldness, threat, exploitation

Personality Type: You usually need to always disagree with something. You are strong-willed and stubborn. People who love the colour black can be quite reserved, and often have an unusual hobby.

MEANING OF THE COLOUR WHITE

Where black absorbs everything and anything, white does the opposite as reflects everything, sort of like a mirror. It relates to purity, faith, light, deity, innocence, and virginity. White is considered to be the colour of perfection, symbolizing morality ​​and high ideals. It usually binds only with positives. For example, it can represent a successful beginning, as in to start with a blank page.  

White is the colour of peace and goodness, but its sense of heightened morality can cause negative feelings and barriers. White can represent sterility and coldness sometimes.  

+ purity, skin, innocence, clarity, simplicity, sophistication, hygiene, efficiency

- sterility, coldness, barriers, elite, hostility

Personality Type: You are a sincere, self-confident and balanced person. You prefer to rely on yourself rather than to lean on others. People who enjoy the colour white tend to be strong and self-sufficient.

Even advocates of colour psychology admit that it is not an exact science, and that it is impossible to categorise somebody with precision based on the colours they identify with. While people can demonstrate a number of the personality traits linked to a particular colour, it is rare that an individual will be defined precisely by the psychology of colour. Our personal preferences, experience, education, cultural differences and attitude all tend to count for more towards the make-up of our personalities. Colour perception is very subjective, meaning that none of the representations and symbols will necessarily apply universally. Having said all that, surely colours must have some impact on our psyches, otherwise the world would simply be black and white. 

Sources:

www.color-meanings.com
www.changingminds.org
www.colorpsychology.org
www.universeofymbolism.com
www.factmonster.com
www.colour-affects.uk