Red color: discover what is its psychological meaning

When you think of romance, passion, intensity... Does the color red come to mind? this is something very natural, so much so that in fact, it is one of the most symbolic colors of all. Love = red. And although it is universally recognized for this particular characteristic, have you ever wondered why it is so?

If you have that question in your mind, do not worry that the psychology of colors can explain to us what is the power that red has to enchant and enchant us. After all, each color has a particular meaning, as well as a different impact for each of us. Which is why they inspire us to create endless things or to feel in a certain way.

So you already know, If you want to find out everything related to the meaning of the color red according to psychology, then read on this article and do not take off your screen.

• It may interest you: "The meaning of colors and the emotions they express"

Color psychology and its emotional impact

One of the best areas of development to put color psychology into practice is in the marketing and advertising market, for what reason? Well, thanks to the fact that the colors have a great visual impression on us, but not only does it stay there, but they manage to stimulate our

brain so that it associates it with other things. For example, food, makeup, and even technology. And all thanks to the emotion we experience when perceiving those colors, coupled with the listening experience they offer us to finish selling the product.

In this sense, everything is based on the emotions that we can generate with colors and that is where the The psychology of color acts then, each tonality can represent a feeling and a state of cheer up. Which leads us to acquire that product, just as the marketing and branding experts have planned.

One of the clearest examples of marketing, taking the color red as a reference is that this color can stimulate the appetite and therefore you can see it in chain restaurants such as McDonald’s, Pizza Hut or KFC. While others also connect it with romance and passionTherefore, we can see a lot of red in Valentine's Day gifts and decorations.

Red color: discover what is its psychological meaning

Love, passion and appetite, that must be the whole meaning that the color red acquires in us, right? Well, not completely. You see, the color red can have one of the simplest meanings of the entire range of colors within psychology. Which is undoubtedly the intensity.

But, since it is just a color that represents intensity, it has a very wide variety of meanings in all those feelings and sensations that imply a reaction or a response intense. In this way, for psychology red dances between being a clear representation of extroversion and having a spiritual sense.

So, we can say that the meaning of the color red in general is the intensity, but that in turn it has other connotations, such as: passion, love, romance, sensuality, the forbidden, risk, success, power and aggressiveness. So it is established as a link between what is right and what is wrong in life and which have taken shape with every culture in the world and of which we will speak in depth at continuation.

What the color red transmits to us

As we already mentioned, the color red has many implications in our different cultures and therefore, we can find it in various things. As you will see now.

1. Red, the color of passion

This is perhaps the most iconic characteristic of the color red in the world and the truth is that it has a very particular and human origin. Which is due to the act of blushing and 'turning red' when we react to an event or to a person that causes us nervousness. When this happens, the body's blood pumps faster, the heart flutters, our breathing becomes short and as it travels towards the head it accumulates and becomes a visibly toned red.

In addition, since ancient times fire has been symbolized with this color and we all know that a moment of passion is as warm and scorching as fire. Including her attraction to him and the subjective feeling of 'burning' in the romantic moment with that person.

2. Hate is also red

Well they say that from hatred to love there is a step and that seems to be the same case for its meaning. As this is a fairly intense and strong emotion, it is represented with the color red. Just because of the physiological alterations that this emotion produces in us.

3. Red, red, more violence

And speaking of physiological alterations, one of the biggest that affects us the most, transforms and has negative consequences is aggressiveness and violence. Which, in psychology, are also focused under the color red. Thanks to the anger without measure that is unleashed, the accumulation of blood in our body and even by the 'thirst of blood' that we want to spill, in a subjective and literal way in certain cases.

4. Danger! Here comes more red!

Yes, the danger is also represented by the color red. That is why the warning and caution signs are drawn in red, to draw our attention and perceive the risk that we run to follow without taking any prior care.

However, did you know that this is the case since ancient times? Since, men associated natural disasters such as fires or earthquakes, which devastated their homes, with the red color that came from the explosions or the bowels of the earth. So over time it became an intuitive sign of danger.

5. Extroversion and power

At the other extreme, we have the color red as the clear manifestation of power, good luck and extraversion. Since it is a very striking and rich color before our eyes, it is a color that attracts us and causes us sensations. That is the reason why a red dress or red lips attract the attention or because people of heritage China have a preference to use this color in their buildings or ornaments, since they think that this color attracts the success.

Many associate it with the fact that red represents life, matter and warmth. That is, everything that we can not only see, but have access and rejoice.

6. Warmth in the use of red

Touching the previous point of warmth, this is a characteristic of the color red that also comes from ancient times. Where those who lived in the coldest and most inhospitable regions of the earth, had to face life and the low prosperity of their lands due to high temperatures. Therefore, fire and warmth were something sacred because, it represented the opposite of cold.

In this sense, many companies use this color for their logos, as a way of inviting the people to use their products to feel the same warmth of their homes, so they can be as in home. A clear example is that of Coca-Cola, which even has its own registered shade of red: Coca-Cola red.

7. Red and hell

Hell is believed by many to be a place where eternal blazing flames burn as punishment for sinful and repulsive acts committed in earthly life. However, the origin of why hell has this description is linked to the way people in countries with high temperatures perceived heat.

Which was a torment, since there were few moments to cool down and the food used to be sour or spicy. In addition, they were more likely to suffer a fire due to the intense heat.

8. Red as a sacred element of religion

We know that blood is red and since the times of ancient Christianity, the color red has been honored as a symbolism towards the blood of Jesus Christ shed by his sacrifice for humanity, being crucified. For this reason, we tend to see red cloaks or the inclusion of some element of that hue in representative paintings of Christ.

Other curiosities of the color red

From a young age they teach us that red is one of the primary colors and therefore, when combined with others, they create new colors (such as purple or orange). which is something extraordinary because, this means that it is one of the colors that exist in reality and that our eyes are able to perceive as really They are.

Let us remember that each color has a specific frequency (wavelengths between 654 nm and 700 nm) and we can perceive the different shades that this color has, (it is that is, see it lighter or darker) depending on the wavelengths of light that one of the cones of our eyes can capture (which are 3, one for each color primary)

So it is normal that, If you feel angry or romantic, the color red is the one that first comes to your mind to express it.