The Giver: The Meaning Of Color

Like ageing and paying taxes, there is no escaping color. From favorite clothes and shoes to nature and outer space; colors are everywhere. The human brain produces colors by receiving signals from the outside world (Ellasos). Without color, the world would probably look like a scene from “The Giver”. Different hues influence the way people think, feel, and act, even without them knowing it. In other words, it is controlling. Color plays a part in every human being’s lives because all colors have a psychological effect and influence life choices.

Colors have been used for many years throughout history. Since people have been wearing clothes, they wanted to find ways to make their clothes more appealing and not so bland. Greek Philosophers

Many cultures have different meanings for certain colors. For example, the color white is often used in many Western countries to signify purity and innocence, but in Eastern European countries, white signifies mourning. Although there are different meanings for some colors in different cultures, there are definitions, which are similar across the world. J.L. Morton states, “Red is the color of love, anger, and adventure. Yellow is the color of happiness and optimism of enlightenment. Blue is the color of authority. Green is the symbol of ecology and signifies growth, rebirth. Purple symbolizes nobility and luxury to most people in the world. Orange symbolizes energy, excitement, and good health” (Morton). Morton’s point is many colors have numerous definitions and can send different messages by the way people use them. Most definitions today derived from the past. Also, the definition of colors comes from nature as

Certain colors have been related with increased blood pressure, increased metabolism, and eyestrain (Johnon). According to the website infoplease.com, “Orange should be worn for work. Research has found that orange increases oxygen supply to the brain and stimulates brain activity. Blue is the most stable and calm color. Men should wear blue on dates. It can relax both you and your date’s nerves. Never wear grey to work. Grey inspires people to be passive, uninvolved, and have lack of energy” (“10 ways Color Affects Your Mood”). Infoplease.com states color affects productivity. People can affect different moods with different colors just by playing around with them. For example, choosing certain colors to wear can influence people’s change of mood or