Colours and Human nature Part 5

The Colour Red

The colour red is the colour of energy, passion and action

The colour red is a warm and positive colour associated with our most physical needs and our will to survive. It exudes a strong and powerful masculine energy.

Red is energizing. It excites the emotions and motivates us to take action.

It signifies a pioneering spirit and leadership qualities, promoting ambition and determination. It is also strong-willed and can give confidence to those who are shy or lacking in will power.

Being the colour of physical movement, the colour red awakens our physical life force. It is the colour of sexuality and can stimulate deeper and more intimate passions in us, such as love and sex on the positive side or revenge and anger on the negative. It is often used to express love, as in Valentine’s Day, however it relates more to sexuality and lust, rather than love – love is expressed with pink.

At its most positive it can create life with its sexual energy, or use its negative expression of anger and aggression to fuel war and destruction.

The colour red can stimulate the appetite, often being used in restaurants for this purpose. It also increases craving for food and other stimuli.

Being surrounded by too much of the colour red can cause us to become irritated, agitated and ultimately angry. Too little and we become cautious, manipulative and fearful.

In Eastern cultures such as China red is the colour for good luck. Although times are changing and many Chinese brides now wear white, it is traditionally the colour for weddings. In Indian culture it symbolizes purity and is often used in their wedding gowns.

Positive and Negative Traits

Positive keywords include: action, energy and speed, attention-getting, assertive and confident, energizing, stimulating, exciting, powerful, passionate, stimulating and driven, courageous and strong, spontaneous and determined.

Negative keywords include: aggressive and domineering, over-bearing, tiring, angry and quick-tempered, ruthless, fearful and intolerant, rebellious and obstinate, resentful, violent and brutal.

Red Represents:

Energy: it boosts our physical energy levels, increases our heart rate and blood pressure and prompts the release of adrenalin.

Action: it is fast moving and promotes a need for action and movement.

Desire: it relates to physical desire in all its forms- sexual, appetite, cravings.

Passion: it means a passionate belief in an issue or undertaking, including passionate love or passionate hate. Anger is negative passion.

Effects of Red:

Stimulating: to the physical senses- the sexual and physical appetite. It stimulates the deeper passions within us, such as sex, love, courage, hatred or revenge. If you have a flagging sex life and would like to introduce more passion into it, introduce some red into the bedroom – the more red, the more passion, but don’t overdo it or it will have the opposite effect.

Exciting and Motivating: it excites our emotions and inspires us to take action.

Attention-getting: it demands you to take notice, alerting you to danger. This is why we have red traffic lights and stop signs – it is the universal colour for danger.

Assertive and Aggressive: drivers of red cars should take note! A small survey I did a few years ago showed that drivers of red cars, including females, said they felt quite aggressive behind the wheel of their red car.

Variations of Red

Maroon: a dark bluish red, it denotes controlled and more thoughtful action. It is slightly softer than burgundy and not as dramatic as true red.

Burgundy: a dark purplish red, it is more sophisticated and serious and less energetic than true red. It indicates controlled power, determined ambition and dignified action and is often favoured by the wealthy.

Crimson: has a little blue in it. It indicates a determination to succeed but without upsetting anyone else. It emits sensuality rather than sexuality.

Scarlet: has a little orange mixed with it, giving it a richness and brightness. It indicates enthusiasm and a love of life. It is a little less intense and more fun-loving than true red, tempered with a degree of defiance.

The Colour Orange

The colour of adventure and social communication

The colour orange radiates warmth and happiness, combining the physical energy and stimulation of red with the cheerfulness of yellow.

Orange relates to 'gut reaction' or our gut instincts, as opposed to the physical reaction of red or the mental reaction of yellow.

Orange offers emotional strength in difficult times. It helps us to bounce back from disappointments and despair, assisting in recovery from grief.

The colour psychology of orange is optimistic and uplifting, rejuvenating our spirit. In fact orange is so optimistic and uplifting that we should all find ways to use it in our everyday life, even if it is just an orange coloured pen that we use.

Orange brings spontaneity and a positive outlook on life and is a great colour to use during tough economic times, keeping us motivated and helping us to look on the bright side of life.

With its enthusiasm for life, the colour orange relates to adventure and risk-taking, inspiring physical confidence, competition and independence. Those inspired by orange are always on the go!

In relation to the meaning of colours, orange is extroverted and uninhibited, often encouraging exhibitionism or, at the very least, showing-off!

The colour orange relates to social communication, stimulating two way conversations. A warm and inviting colour, it is both physically and mentally stimulating, so it gets people thinking and talking!

At the same time, orange is also stimulating to the appetite. If you love having people around the kitchen table, orange will keep them talking and eating for a long time. Many restaurants use pastel versions of orange, such as apricot or peach or deeper versions such as terracotta, for their décor as they are more subtle than red, yet still increase the appetite and promote conversation and social interaction, which in turn encourages patrons to have a good time and to eat and drink more.

The colour orange is obviously the worst colour to have in the kitchen if you are trying to lose weight!

Orange aids in the assimilation of new ideas and frees the spirit of its limitations, giving us the freedom to be ourselves. At the same time it encourages self-respect and respect of others.

Orange is probably the most rejected and under-used colour of our time. However, young people do respond well to it as it has a degree of youthful impulsiveness to it.

Positive and Negative Traits

Positive keywords include: sociable, optimistic, enthusiastic, cheerful, self-confident, independent, flamboyant, extroverted and uninhibited, adventurous, the risk-taker, creative flair, warm-hearted, agreeable and informal.

Negative keywords include: superficial and insincere, dependent, over-bearing, self-indulgent, the exhibitionist, pessimistic, inexpensive, unsociable, and overly proud.

Orange Represents

Adventure and risk taking: Orange promotes physical confidence and enthusiasm - sportsmen and adventure-seekers relate well to orange.

Social communication and interaction: Orange stimulates two-way conversation between people - in a dining room when entertaining it stimulates conversation as well as appetite.

Friendship: Group socializing, parties, the community - wherever people get together to have fun and socialize orange is a good choice.

Divorce: The optimism of the colour orange helps people move on - it is forward thinking and outward thinking.

Effects of Orange

Enthusiasm: Orange is optimistic and extroverted - the colour of the uninhibited.

Rejuvenation: Orange helps to restore balance to our physical energies.

Stimulation: Orange is not as passionate or as excitable as red, but it is stimulating, particularly to the appetite - the worst colour to have in the kitchen if you want to lose weight.

Courage: Orange helps us to take account of our lives, to face the consequences, to take action and make appropriate changes, and then to move onward and upward.

Vitality: Orange has a more balanced energy than red, not as passionate and aggressive, but full of vitality.

Variations of the Colour Orange

Peach: Peach encourages great communication and conversation. It inspires good manners and puts people at ease. It has all the attributes of orange but in a much softer, gentler and more cautious form.

Golden Orange: This version of orange encourages vitality and self-control.

Amber: Amber helps to inspire greater confidence and better self-esteem. It can promote a degree of arrogance.

Burnt Orange: This colour emits a negative vibration indicating pride, tension and aggressive self-assertion.

Dark Orange: Dark orange indicates over-confidence and over-ambition. It tries too hard to prove its worth and to boost its self-esteem, but when it fails, which is often, it develops a chip on its shoulder. It is the colour of the opportunist, taking selfish advantage of every situation.