In primary school many of us were introduced to the seven colors of the rainbow as good old ROYGBIV (in case you need a friendly reminder – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet). It’s debatable how many shades of these seven basic colors the human eye actually can see, but according to colormatters.com, we can see seven million colors.
Seven million is such an overwhelming number of different hues. But what on Earth do these different colors mean? Does each color have a special significance? Why does this pertain to my life?
Most people have probably been asked the dumb icebreaker question, “what’s your favorite color?” numerous times. Typically, I don’t give my response much thought and blurt out the first color that sounds appealing at that moment in time. However, at that very moment when I decided to tell everyone in my G.E. course that my favorite color was macaroni and cheese orange, some studies agree that my odd choice was a reflection of my mood at the time.
In Suzy Chiazzari’s “The Complete Book of Color,” colors can play a role in creating our mood and we often pick colors based upon the mood we are in or want to be in. A 2010 study published in “The BMC Medical Research Methodology” also suggests that people tend to select colors to describe their certain moods.
According to the study, happy people preferred the color yellow while depressed or anxious ones associated their mood with the color gray. At Pepperdine, whenever the sun is shining and we experience summer-like forecasts in the middle of winter, faculty and students generally seem to be cheerful and joyous. Everyone talks about how “blessed” they are to enjoy the beautiful and colorful conditions and smiles beam from many faces. However, when the sun goes away and everything is gray, moods tend to be a little drearier, and it isn’t uncommon to hear many complaints around campus.
If it is a drearier day outside, you don’t have to dress the part by covering up in gray, black and dark blue. Lift your mood and the moods around you by adding some bright colorful accents to your wardrobe.
Bright colors, such as orange, represent life, vitality, energy and happiness. According to Freshome.com, some ancient cultures used the color orange to increase energy levels. If you are feeling a little low on the energy, use it as an excuse to represent the Pepperdine color and add some orange to your apparel.
In addition to colors having an effect on different moods, Catherine Ponder’s book, “The Secret Healing of the Ages,” suggests that different colors have different meanings according to ancient color symbology. According to Ponder, light and bright colors tend to please the subconscious mind.
In ancient color symbology, the color blue is appealing to the subconscious mind because it represents intellectual or other mental accomplishments. Other studies have shown that it conveys productivity and reliability.
The next time you pick out school supplies, opt for the blue binder and notebook to stimulate your intellectual mind. Or wear blue on a test day, when you need to be productive, or even to a job interview.
Also in Ponder’s section about ancient color symbology, the colors pink or rose convey harmony and love in one’s life, while bright pink can aid in awakening your emotional nature to the possibilities of love. With Valentine’s Day spirit still lingering in the air, it’s no wonder why rosy pinks are the signature colors of the lovey-dovey holiday. If your subconscious has been snoozing and inattentive to the possibilities of love, give it a wake up call by adding some bright pink and other shades of the hue to your life.
Although certain colors may have different meanings or affect people’s moods differently, colors and brightness definitely can play an active role in representing one’s emotional state. So the next time you pick out your wardrobe for the day, let the color reflect your mood or change your mood to reflect the color. Or, the next time someone asks you, “what’s your favorite color” answer with the first color the pops into your mind. Don’t choose the color, let the color choose you and see if it represents your current state.
