As we endure the mood of others for both good and bad, we also endure the mood deriving from colors for both good and bad. Colors are the visual manifestation of moods placed on objects. To bear this out, notice what Jason OConnor observed in 2005 from the article "How to Choose Your Website Colors:

Yellow:

Positive: Caution, brightness, intelligence, joy, organization, Spring time

Negative: Criticism, laziness, or cynicism

Blue:

Positive: Tranquility, love, acceptance, patience, understanding, cooperation, comfort, loyalty and security

Negative: Fear, coldness, passivity and depression

Orange:

Positive: Steadfastness, courage, confidence, friendliness, and cheerfulness, warmth, excitement and energy

Negative: Ignorance, inferiority, sluggishness and superiority

Purple:

Positive: Royalty, sophistication, religion

Negative: Bruised or foreboding

Green:

Positive: Mony, health, food, nature, hope, growth, freshness, soothing, sharing, and responsiveness

Negative: Envy, greed, constriction, guilt, jealousy and disorder

Black:

Positive: Dramatic, classy, committed, serious

Negative: Evil, death, ignorance, coldness

White:

Positive: Pure, fresh, easy, cleanliness or goodness

Negative: Blind, winter, cold, distant

From the above list of color associations, can you see how the descriptions for the colors would change according to where you live? The descriptions (associated with colors as illustrated above) are subjective to change and may differ for each culture and subculture across the world.

Even though red was not mentioned, studies have shown that it is the love-hate color. Even in the animal kingdom, studies show that bugs flash their red body parts to warn their enemies.

We react to colors and associate them to memories, objects, people, and places. In part, this may have something to do with how colors throw off wavelengths. Environmentally speaking, we can't see sound waves, but we can hear them. Normally, we can't see heat waves, but we feel them. With color waves, we don't hear or feel them, but we see them. There are other considerations we need to remember about colors too.

Colors have a voice. James Stockton, the author of Designers Guide to Color (1984) wrote: The many psychological aspects of color often seen more emotional and personal than scientific and determining agreement in reactions to colors is sometimes difficult. . . The voice of a color depends largely on the colors that are place next to it. . . The expression of the voice of colors really appeals to me, because this is what I see too.

If the colors could speak, they would. Colors are wavelengths; we just cant hear them. Again, colors do make sound and do have a voice, we just cant hear them. This is why, our color choices for our home and dcor, our cars, and clothing speak volumes about us. We are compatible with the sound waves emanating from our choice the colors that surround us.

Colors are used as non-verbal communication in every aspect of our lives whether we realize it or not. Sometimes the color expressions are so powerful that the influence of color can be louder than the spoken word. (Revised 2/16/2006)