Red
Foto by Free-Photos from Pixabay
Just as blood can be associated either with its life-giving properties or with violence, red is also paradoxically affiliated with notions of violence, danger, and anger. Matadors use red capes not to attract the attention of the bulls they fight, since bulls are colorblind, but rather to hide the bloodstains of their gory sport. Red can indicate anger beyond what reason can contain – “seeing red” – and red flags indicate, or should indicate, when something is wrong with a person or a situation. Red is assertive, daring, determined, energetic, powerful, enthusiastic, impulsive, exciting, and aggressive. Red represents physical energy, lust, passion, and desire. It symbolizes action, confidence, and courage. The color red is linked to the most primitive physical, emotional, and financial needs of survival and self-preservation.
Red stands for many things, all of them potent. Red is romantic love, and its physical passion. Red is violence, anger, and aggression, and it frequently indicates danger. Paradoxically for a color associated with action and energy, red is universally used as the color that means “stop.” Red is used professionally to capture attention, elicit emotion, and convey confidence. We think of vitality, the life-giving power of blood, and helping people in need. We give red roses when we’re in love, and call simply outstanding experiences “red letter days.” Red calls us to action, gets us motivated, and wearing red lets people know we feel confident and ready to take on the world. Red is also associated with luxury, it has a strong masculine energy and represents power and courage. They say that red is the first color that the human eye can perceive upon birth, next to black and white.