What is the relation between colors and personality?

Answer 1

What is the actual relationship between color and personality/behavior?

A color helps to reveal your personality. By that not only do I mean to say that color tells me about how the individual acts it is also indicative of how a person wants to react to his surrounds. Then there are many associations, which we have that do not necessarily apply to each individual in the same way. Nor are there some kinds of standards which permanently for one person and then imply that that person cannot have another attribute and so change his color preferences.

Black and BlueCurrently I am wearing black for example, which does not mean that I am a somber individual, a person who is in mourning or a person who is evil. Black is not an actual color because it is the absorption of all the color wavelengths, yet it is seen as a color much as white is, to the average person. All these characteristics have been associated over the years as one sees death as something dark and anybody pictured in a film as representing that would be dressed in black. I am a serious person though and sometimes my humor is dark so perhaps black is representative of that. Sometimes I might even get depressed, not wanting to wear any particularly flashy color, so that may cause me to turn to dark colors but not necessarily black.

My current thoughts have been influenced by Luscher's color test but I have also formed my own ideas from experience and other readings. Luscher developed a theory describing the personality of people behind the colors that they chose and even developed a theory on the preference people have for two colors, one of which would be more desirable than the other. This allowed researchers to look more deeply into the person's personality.

Now current trends have influenced the way people see color as so many young post-yuppies wear dark suits and blue shirts, which does not mean that they are all depressed or serious. Blue by the way is supposed to be representative of calmness and a person who likes to be solitary. Again if a person is wearing black and blue this does not mean he is a loner, wishing dark thoughts, on the contrary it could be a person who is eclectic and gregarious, only perhaps he is following current trends or wanting to put a damper on his eclectic mood.

White or the Absence of ColorThis is associated with purity, no wonder that wedding gowns have been white for centuries. The bride is considered to be "pure" before her wedding or there is the association that she is, in many cultures. White has also been the color attributed to angels and counters black as being representative of the forces of good. No wonder that Princess Leah wore white when fighting Darth Vader in the film, "Star Wars". Wearing white is quite useful in hot countries wear inhabitants do want their clothes to absorb heat. That is why light colored clothes are preferred in countries that receive a lot of direct sunlight along the equator. So wearing white does not necessarily mean that the individual is pure of heart. Red, Orange, and YellowI had heard that red was supposed to be a color, which would evoke energy, courage and the desire to learn. Back as a university student I went as far as painting a red wall in a small flat to see if that would change my mood regarding my desire to learn. I think I was more hopeful than not and my desire to study more in that environment was wishful thinking but there are people who will testify that a red room for children is going to induce learning as opposed to painting the room blue. If I use the color in an expression like being "red with anger" that is because the color has also been attached to rage when the person "sees red" and even explains what angers the bull in a ring when a red cape is flashed before its eyes.

Orange and yellow and red have been associated with warmth and in some cultures like the Mexican one; painters in the modern period used a lot of these colors in their sceneries or portraits. So orange is seen to be representative of a vibrant mood, a person wanting to transmit a warm and a generous spirit. In fact, certain Central and South Americans are a generous sort of people, offering hospitality with what little they have. They, like the Brazilians of Rio de Janeiro, like to draw attention to themselves especially during carnival time where dancers wear bright colors including orange.

Yellow although linked to brightness of spirit especially among sun worshipers, is also related to people who are fearful. That explains why there are expressions using the color as someone being "yellow with fear". By that token, green has been used to represent envy and the expression there incorporates "green with envy". This does not mean that individuals wearing yellow shirts and green sweaters are fearful with streaks of envy.

GreenGreen is also used in expressions of someone having a "green thumb" and therefore someone who has the ability to nurture growth. They may be people who are colorful, have a positive outlook on life with a sense of tranquility.

It has been said that the use of plants in a room adds a sense of calm and that would help to improve learning indirectly since educationalists know that nervousness tends to reduce the absorption of new material. Since green is a major color in nature, no wonder it is also associated with fertility. That may be extended to someone who is desirous of having a family or is family conscious.

VioletViolet is a combination of blue and red in different degrees. Does this mean that violet is seen to be a moody color, alternating between the expressiveness of red and the sadness of blue? Perhaps it does but it also means bad luck in certain cultures especially the theater population in Italy where wearing violet is seen as taboo among the superstitious. Here it is associated with bad luck. Perhaps it makes sense then that it is seen as representative of bad luck before a theater performance, especially when the actor does not want to appear moody on stage. Silver and GoldAs far as silver and gold are concerned they were not considered in the color test I referred too probably because they were not thought of as pure colors. Silver and gold have been associated with wealth and distinction however what can you say about a peasant who inherits a gold ring from his deceased uncle? It may improve the quality of his life, if he finds a buyer for the ring but that does not mean he is going to act like a wealthy person especially if the sale of the ring is only a momentary thing in his life.