Why do we have a favorite color?

Did you know that science long ago demonstrated that the color yellow awakens our appetite? This is the reason why food industries use it for their advertising or logos. It is a kind of subliminal message for our brain. After all, it is he who experiences an endless number of physiological and psychological processes every time he is exposed to those light rays that impact our retina.

What’s more, science suspects that even our preference for one color or another is not a purely voluntary act. People respond emotionally and evolutionarily to color. Each shade generates a feeling, a sensation, a physiological activation, even a series of specific impulses, as in the case of the color yellow.

In addition, Nor can we leave aside the cultural impregnation that we have given to certain tones. The color black, for example, has long been associated with the grieving process. It was the tone of clothing worn by those who had lost a loved one. Nowadays, black is associated with elegance.

On the other hand, a frequent occurrence also occurs. We have been clinging to our fetish colors for a while and, suddenly, we feel weakness for that delicate lavender, for that vibrant vermilion, for ocher, turquoise or olive green. Why do our preferences vary? Is there any explanation? We analyze it.

People usually give colors a meaning and therefore, we have some that we like the most.

Why do we have a favorite color (and why is it probably blue)?

What are your three favorite colors? It is very likely that in that small list you have included one in particular. The color blue has been, on average, the population’s favorite color for centuries.. If this is so, it is due, in part, to the fact that humans have evolved associating this color with survival, calm and health.

Living in settings close to aquatic environments made it easier for us to have resources to feed ourselves and survive. They were also places of great beauty (rivers, seas, lakes) endowed with luminosity that generated well-being in our ancestors. That past imprint is still present in us. So much so that a study from the University of Texas included a striking experiment carried out in Japan.

The fact of installing blue LED light on subway and train platforms prevents suicides. Although this pilot test was done only on one railway line, the data was revealing. They were reduced by 84%. In some way, the color blue has an impact on the brain, inviting introspection and calm. This explains why it attracts us the way it does.

However, and beyond blue… Why do we have a favorite color? Why do we already show one preference or another from a very young age?

Behind a color there is a story (the theory of ecological valence)

The theory of valence was coined by Dr. Karen Schloss in a study published in the journal PNAS. Apparently, In our mental record, no color is neutral: we give each of them a specific meaning.. It is likely that a 5-year-old girl feels a preference for pink due to the cultural load with which she is raised.

Our personal stories and subjective experiences condition us when it comes to feeling a preference for one color or another. The media and advertising also have great weight here. But sometimes, It is enough to have an experience of great emotional intensity for our mind to feel a preference for a color..

For example, if the person we fell in love with was wearing a green shirt the day we met them, chances are that is our favorite color now. This also explains why, over time, this predilection for one color “jumps” to another.

The color yellow, for cultural reasons, is associated with bad luck. However, our brain experiences hunger when exposed to this color.

Colors and human personality

We all have a favorite favor color, and it’s very likely not brown. This color raises a series of uncomfortable sensations in our brain. It is associated with dirt, waste and decomposition. However, Beyond these instinctive and cultural responses, there is the personality factor.

The color red, for example, is among those preferred by dynamic, extroverted and passionate people. This tone is the most striking to the human eye; It never goes unnoticed. The most introverted, patient and introspective personality, on the other hand, has a predilection for green.

Those who are optimistic, good communicators and with a great sense of humor may have the color orange among their preferences. Our personality is another variable that could explain our inclination towards certain tones and not others.

Colors are made of stories

Our life experiences, culture, personality and even our instincts play a decisive role in our fascination with a specific color or colors. We could say that Both cultural and biological roots are combined and this makes it even more interesting.

If we want to delve deeper into why we have a favorite color, let’s ask ourselves the following questions: What feeling does this tone give me? What do I associate with this color, what memories or what images does it bring to me? Perhaps, by reflecting on these questions we will find the answer.

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