COLOR ME CURIOUS
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A remarkable number of references to color are expressed in our language using slang, metaphors and colloquial expression. Some of them, such as feeling blue, seeing red, or green with envy, associate colors with specific human emotions. Others, such as blue blood, white cockade, and red carpet originated in the Middle Ages. And still others, among them yellow journalism, the Red guard, Purple Heart, Black Market and the yearly favorite among sports fans the Orange Bowl, all have an interesting, although more recent history.
The foundation for color symbolism has been built upon many centuries of history, religion, tradition and superstition. Practically every race and culture has used color symbolically assigning a variety of qualities and even specific objects to certain colors. The reason is probably that the sensation of color is a primitive one. Reaction to it, recognition of it, requires little effort of intellect or imagination. Color conveys moods that affix themselves quite automatically to human feeling.
RED has been part of the
English language since about A.D. 900. It is the primary color at the lower or
least deflected end of the visible spectrum. Its name is used for shades
ranging from very bright, bold red, to reddish yellow or reddish brown. Found
not only in the lore of ancient medicine but in the superstitions of modern
times, red has been viewed as the vigorous color of health. Red wool was
applied to relieve sprains in
YELLOW lies between green and orange on the visible spectrum and is, along with red and blue, one of the primary colors. Since about A.D. 900 the color yellow has been integrated into the English language, stemming from closely related words in the Latin and various Germanic languages. In heraldry, where it is called or (for gold) the color yellow stands for the positive virtues of faith, constancy, wisdom, and glory. It also has been thought of as being a color that represents playfulness, light, creativity, warmth and an easy going attitude about life. The color yellow also has many negative associations as well. Among them are jealousy, treachery, cowardice, aging, and illness.
GREEN is the color of freshness and renewal, and has been in Western culture since the earliest of times. The word "green" comes from the Old English grιne, in turn from grκne in Old Frisian and various related Germanic languages. Reappearing in springtime, after the dull, seemingly colorless winter, it became a symbol of fertility and growth, of abundance and external life. The color green represents harmony, nature and radiates a feeling of fullness. When thoughts of nature come to mind, green, being the color of grass, trees and plants, 99% of the time is the dominant color of one's mental images. On the visible spectrum green lies sandwiched in between blue and yellow. http://www.online.ru/people/kost/
Traditionally BLUE is the color of constancy and faith, the color painters used for the Virgin Mary's robe, the color of the heavens and the oceans. The soothing color blue stands for sensitivity, peace, loyalty and ones desire to nurture. The word "blue", from Middle English blew and Old English Blaw, has been used since about 1300 to describe a color of the spectrum. In the symbolism of heraldry blue is called azure and signifies piety and sincerity. Around the twentieth century it became a symbolic representation of the male gender. PINK being the color representative of the female gender. Young children are usually dressed using these two colors to distinguish the "boys" from the "girls".
COMBINATION of RED and BLUE, PURPLE is a color that has been associated with royalty since ancient Roman times. The color purple is symbolic of power, leadership, respect and wealth and has been worn by emperors, military commanders, and other high ranking officials. The word "purple" comes from the Greek porphura, a species of shellfish that yielded, through an elaborate process, the dye called Tyrian Purple. Very expensive to produce, it was reserved for special cloth and garments, such as those of kings.
Literally, BLACK means absorbing all light, without reflecting any of its rays. Yet long before the physics of light was understood, the word black was in common use. In Old English it was blaec, closely related to its equivalents in Old High German (blah, blach) and Old Norse (blakkr). In many languages and cultures, black was associated with evil (and white with good). In both the art and religion of Western culture, black signified despair, sin and mourning whereas white is associated with grief and death in many Eastern cultures. The Western association of black with mourning is very old; it probably comes from the ancient Semitic custom of blackening the face with dirt or ashes to make it unrecognizable to the malignant dead, as well as a mark of grief and submission. Our funerary tradition still uses black garments to indicate mourning the loss of a family member, relative, or close friend. Despite the color's many negative associations, in heraldry black, called sable, also stands for virtues of constancy, prudence and wisdom.
WHITE is, literally speaking, the absence of all color, or rather, is the "color" produced by reflecting almost all kinds of light found in the visible spectrum. This is why white clothing is considered cooler than other colors on a hot summer day; since it reflects back sunlight (and heat) rather than absorbing it; as black does. The word white comes from the Old English hwνt, which in turn is related to very similar words in old Germanic languages. Symbolically white has long represented purity, goodness, light and innocence. In heraldry white is also called argent. This word comes from the Latin argentum, for silver. The color white projects feelings of calmness, relaxation and an inner peace with ones surroundings and inner soul.
The following excerpt came from http://www.saffronsoul.com/usr/colorsnyou.asp (Unfortunately, this website no longer contains this information.)
When
you favour one colour over other, you are telling a story about your
personality and behaviour. For example, a person who dislikes all colours is
also likely to hate music, children and the world as a whole. Most of all the
colour haters intensely generate negative feelings within them, which lead them
to frustrations and helplessness.
Colour preferences are innate. You are born with an attraction for particular
colour. What you feel about them will probably remain with you throughout your
life. Your colour choice is the result of your genes, early childhood memories,
education, parent's beliefs, cultural trainings, political learning's and other
aspects of life-style.
Tender children who can't speak whole sentences will often express themselves
eloquently with a set of crayons. A general delight in colours shown by an
adult is thought by psychologist to demonstrate the normal emotional tendencies
in him. Normally all children love bright colours.
A child's preference for the black crayon probably indicates repressed emotion
or strict parental domination. A love of yellow is classified as revealing a
youngster's infantile traits and a dependence on adults. Red shows carefree
feelings. Green indicates that the child is balanced, with few emotional out
bursts and having a simple and uncomplicated nature or mind structure.
Youngsters' colour representations of their mothers are always nearly with
pastel shades and that of their fathers with darker shades. And so it is with
adults. A preference for one colour over another reveals your true personality
- the characteristics of your real trait. You then feel and see within yourself
through your inner vision. Following are some of the personality traits
associated with the colour you adopt as your own.
Color Adoption Associated With Personality Traits
Red
It shows that you are outgoing. You are assertive, vigorous and prone to
impulsive actions and variable moods. You feel deep sympathy for fellow human
beings and are easily swayed. You have a strong sex drive, entertain
stimulating fantasies and would dive into extramarital affairs if a strong
sense of duty did not hold you back form acting on your secret desires. You are
an optimist, but you are also a complainer and do not desist to voice you
complaints or discomforts.
Orange
You're good natured, enjoy being with others and are swayed by outside
opinions. You do good work, have strong loyalties, feel good will and possess a
solicitous heart. However unwarranted feelings of elation often pervade your
psyche.
Yellow
You have a well functioning imagination, nervous energy; neatly formed thoughts
and an urge to help the world. You tend to be aloof and more align to theory
than to action. You are inclined to speak of lofty ideas without applying them
in practical. Secretly you are shy, long to be respected, crave admiration for
you sagacity and are a mental loner. You are a safe friend and a reliable
confident.
Green
You are a good citizen and a pillar of the community and are sensitive to
social customs and etiquette. You are frank, moral and reputable. You make
yourself a splendid teacher, have a normal sex drive and feel deep affection
for your family.
Blue
You are deliberate and introspective. You have conservative convictions and
retreat to gentler surroundings in times if stress, but are sensitive to the
feelings of other. You keep a tight rein on you p0assions and enthusiasms, are
a loyal friend and lead a sober life. You nourish preposterous dreams but do
not act on them. Stupidity in other annoys you, as does superior intelligence.
Purple
You have a good mind, a ready with and an ability to observe things that go
unnoticed by others. You are easily incensed and are verbose when witnessing
misfortune. You have a degree of vanity. Display fine-arts creativity and
relish the subtle but recognise the magnificent.
Brown
You perform you duties conscientiously, are shrewd what it comes to money,
obstinate in you habits and convictions and you are parsimonious. You are
dependable and steady, disdain impulsiveness and can bargain as that of a horse
trader.
Gray
You are cautious, try to strike a compromise in most situations. You encounter
and seek composure and peace. You try very hard to fit yourself into a mould of
your own design.
Black
You are above average, worldly, conventional, proper, polite and regal. Black
is a colour that means one thin (depression) to the clinical psychologist and
quite another (dignity) to you.
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Colours are most readily applied
to a specific dysfunctional human or animal body parts or organs in the form
of coloured lights. Various shades of each colour are employed by therapists
depending on the strength of the physiological effect. Red
Yellow
Orange
Green
Blue
Indigo
Violet
UltraViolet
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