How Colors can Influence our Behavior

“Women sometimes go too far, it’s true, but it’s only when you go too far that others listen!”

We all have colors that somehow attract us to them and affect our mood…but can colors really influence our behavior?

Scientific America says that “Red is a powerful color. It’s the color of Cupid and the Devil, the color of love and hate. It brings to mind hot-blooded anger and Scarlet Lettershame. It means luck in China, where bridal wear is red, mourning in parts of Africa and sex in Amsterdam’s red-light district.”

There are also some biological reactions that showcase the color in varying shades, such as:  Getting red int he face when you are angry or embarrassed.  The color Red has also been known to cause Red car drivers to react more aggressively than drivers in another colored vehicle.

I think the most renowned example of Red used in an instinctual way is the Red cape of a matador, used to taunt a bull.  The bottom line is that Red is known as the most “powerful” of all the colors, so shouldn’t it be so that it can also evoke the most intense emotions?  Red has always been my favorite color, even at a young age I was drawn to it’s power and the frequency that it emitted.  It is the color I always turn to when I want to feel more confident, more powerful and last but not least, more sexy.

I know you have all felt things when you have worn certain colors…but my question is, have you ever used those “feelings” to your advantage?  Red can be intimidating to some people, so it is probably not a color you want to wear for an interview or as a Woman if you want to man to look at you and take you seriously as an intelligent peer.  Unfortunately we as Women still face having to manage the perceptions of Men and actually even other Women.  If you are someone that loves Red as much as I do and you want to wear it with pride, then you also have to be prepared for the reactions you are going to get.  The feelings of confidence and power that you emit when you are wearing Red is something that other people are going to feel too!

If you are looking for a cheat sheet about which colors you should and shouldn’t wear for certain times, here are few guidelines for you (remember, these are just general and definitely shouldn’t be taken too seriously, because we would never wear anything if we did!):

RED. Physical
Positive: Physical courage, strength, warmth, energy, basic survival, ‘fight or flight’, stimulation, masculinity, excitement.
Negative: Defiance, aggression, visual impact, strain.

BLUE. Intellectual.
Positive: Intelligence, communication, trust, efficiency, serenity, duty, logic, coolness, reflection, calm.
Negative: Coldness, aloofness, lack of emotion, unfriendliness.

YELLOW. Emotional
Positive: Optimism, confidence, self-esteem, extraversion, emotional strength, friendliness, creativity.
Negative: Irrationality, fear, emotional fragility, depression, anxiety, suicide.

GREEN. Balance
Positive: Harmony, balance, refreshment, universal love, rest, restoration, reassurance, environmental awareness, equilibrium, peace.
Negative: Boredom, stagnation, blandness, enervation.

VIOLET. Spiritual
Positive: Spiritual awareness, containment, vision, luxury, authenticity, truth, quality.
Negative: Introversion, decadence, suppression, inferiority.

ORANGE.
Positive: Physical comfort, food, warmth, security, sensuality, passion, abundance, fun.
Negative: Deprivation, frustration, frivolity, immaturity.

PINK.
Positive: Physical tranquillity, nurture, warmth, femininity, love, sexuality, survival of the species.
Negative: Inhibition, emotional claustrophobia, emasculation, physical weakness.

GREY.
Positive: Psychological neutrality.
Negative: Lack of confidence, dampness, depression, hibernation, lack of energy.

BLACK.
Positive: Sophistication, glamour, security, emotional safety, efficiency, substance.
Negative: Oppression, coldness, menace, heaviness.

WHITE.
Positive: Hygiene, sterility, clarity, purity, cleanness, simplicity, sophistication, efficiency.
Negative: Sterility, coldness, barriers, unfriendliness, elitism.

BROWN.
Positive: Seriousness, warmth, Nature, earthiness, reliability, support.
Negative: Lack of humor, heaviness, lack of sophistication.

Source:  Colour-effects.co.uk

My goal for this weekend, wear as much Red as possible…what colors are you going to wear?