- Joined
- Jan 19, 2003
- Messages
- 3,021
- Location
- 5,800 feet above sea level
- Corvette
- 2006 'Evil Stealth Black' Roadster
Okay folks, this is officially the "synthesis" thread. We've had Tammy start a thread for Banana Repub- er, Millennium Yellow owners to sign in. We have a thread for Magnetic Red owners to show off their Vettes. And we have a thread for Millennium Yellow vs. Quicksilver- and it seems the votes are running pretty close.
But what does it all mean? After all, a color is, scientifically, a certain frequency of light that hits our eyes and registers in our brains as "Yellow," or "Red," or "Silver." Scientifically, color is nothing more than our interpretations of reflected light waves.
Ah, but there is that branch of science called Psychology. And here, color has a deeper meaning than just the length of light waves. Here, color has a meaning, an insight into what the beholder of the color thinks about the color. And this is the substance of this thread. Based upon color theory, are you, my fellow Corvette owners, truly what you drive? Did you get the color Corvette you own because it's your favorite color (an insight into who you are), or do you secretly wish it were another color? Are you, based on the psychology of color, at odds with your Corvette, or do the two of you live in complete subconscious harmony?
Let's get this started with the actual color wheel, and what popular psychology claims about these colors.
White:
White the assemblage of all colors. White symbolized purity, even sterility (hence, the fact that doctors and nurses wear white when they work. White symbolizes completeness, balance and finish.
The purity of white can lead, in extreme cases, to people who have a superiority complex. The downside to white is that it shows in start contrast, any other color- nothing is hidden with white. Far from being bland, people who like white as a color are typically iconoclasts- they enjoy being at the center of noisy attention and showing off their purity.
Red:
The color of blood, the color of life. Red is an energy color. After all, when you see a red light ahead, how do you react? Red is also a warm color, an emotional color. People who like red enjoy conflict and tension.
Red gets noticed, perhaps more than any other color. Owners of red cars, for instance, will be more likely to get traffic tickets from the police than any other color of car. People who like red like to be noticed. They like attention, energy and activity. Psychological theory states that people who have red as a preference in color are "the lives of the party." Fun to be around, extroverted and (in some cases) exhibitionist. Red is the ultimate power color.
Yellow:
Another energy color, given its warmth. Yellow is the color of the sun, which provides light and heat. Although an "happy" color, yellow has its drawbacks: babies placed in predominantly yellow rooms will tend to cry more. It is the most difficult color for the eye to take in, and that difficulty can cause 'irritation.' Whereas Red can be a strengthening color, yellow can be an angry color, because of its ambience heat. Yellow can be a focusing color (hence it's frequent use in legal note pads), but can easily be an overpowering color because of its energy.
Yellow does not get attention like Red, but it does have impact. Yellow is perhaps the most feminine color in the spectrum, in part because of its warmth. People who like yellow are not restful sorts- they like activity and action. They don't necessarily like to be the center of attention, but they do like to be part of "the chorus." While they get noticed, that isn't why devotees of yellow do what they do: yellow fans are in it to be near the heat, not because they crave the attention.
Green:
The color of nature, green is the most relaxing color in the spectrum. It is said in color theory that green enhances vision, because it is one of the easiest colors for the eye to perceive. In darker colors, green is a masculine color which symbolizes wealth.
A feminine color, people who prefer green tend to be at peace with themselves and others. They don't like to "rock the boat." Live and let live is the motto of green fans. They can be at home anywhere, and yet they find no need to seek attention to themselves. And green has another attribute: Red may be the color of life, but green is the color of fertility, which means it can be perceived in a "sexy" context.
Blue:
One of the most frequent colors in nature (sky and sea), blue is one of the most popular among "favorite" colors. Blue, in psychological contexts, causes exactly the opposite reaction of Red: it is peaceful, tranquil, and reposed. In the extreme, Blue can be perceived as cold and depressing.
Blue symbolizes loyalty and faith. It represents longevity (again, the sky and the sea and the visions of "endlessness" they represent). People who like Blue are "true blue" friends, ones who can be counted on in crises to keep their wits about them. The strength of Blue is for the long term, not the immediate "here and now" impression. A conservative, confident, cool color, devotees of Blue are often low key, not wanting to draw attention to themselves or their attributes. People who like Blue are the most trustworthy of any color in the spectrum.
Purple:
One of the most infrequent colors in nature, Purple symbolizes royalty, wealth and sophistication. But this has it's drawbacks: given the inter-marrying of royalty in Europe from the middle ages on, purple also symbolizes madness, dysfunction and the moment just before collapse of structure. There's a reason "Purple Haze" is considered a song for the counter culture.
While fans of Purple can be seen as romantic, given that this is such an unusual color in nature, Purple can appear "artificial." Fans of Purple can be uncomfortable to be around- a lack of balance and natural appeal makes them impulsive in (sometimes) unhealthy ways. Beware of Purple- it is the most unbalanced of colors in nature.
Brown:
What do you think of when you think of Brown? Dirt, Earth, Wood, Leather? Brown is the most natural color in the spectrum. In contrast to Purple, there's a genuine-ness to Brown, a stability. From light shades of Brown to dark, it is apt to be perceived as masculine, and thus, it bears a similarity to Orange.
But too much of anything, even Brown, is not necessarily a good thing. Brown can be wistful and sad. It can be grounded to the point of depression- where is the life, where is the green? People who like Brown (and to a lesser degree, Orange), are resourceful, confident folks, but may be lacking in the sort of ambission that characterizes colors like Yellow or Red.
Black:
Think about it: blackmail, blacklist, blackhearted, black-ops. Black is a secretive, power color. It is the absence of light, which lends to a perception of evil. To a lesser degree, this is true of shades of Black, like Silver or Grey, as well. But in that power symbolisism, there is also a perception of wealth: "in the black," "black tie affair," "little black dress."
Is it the aloofness of this color? People who prefer black are often mysterious, enigmatic and bold. After all, nothing contrasts like Black (except perhaps, White.) White may be percieved as wholesome, but Black is murky, hard to discern. What are you devotees of Black hiding? Why shun the light? Are you evil, or do you just want to keep people guessing? People who like Black like to keep their secrets.
So how about it, Corvette owners? How like the color of your Vette are you? For those of you who have hybrid colors, like Aqua, Teal, or "Medium Sunset," think about the name of the color that first comes to mind when you see it- do you perceive it as more blue, or green or red? How like your color are you, and if you have nothing in common with the color of your Vette, why do you think that is?
-Patrick
But what does it all mean? After all, a color is, scientifically, a certain frequency of light that hits our eyes and registers in our brains as "Yellow," or "Red," or "Silver." Scientifically, color is nothing more than our interpretations of reflected light waves.
Ah, but there is that branch of science called Psychology. And here, color has a deeper meaning than just the length of light waves. Here, color has a meaning, an insight into what the beholder of the color thinks about the color. And this is the substance of this thread. Based upon color theory, are you, my fellow Corvette owners, truly what you drive? Did you get the color Corvette you own because it's your favorite color (an insight into who you are), or do you secretly wish it were another color? Are you, based on the psychology of color, at odds with your Corvette, or do the two of you live in complete subconscious harmony?
Let's get this started with the actual color wheel, and what popular psychology claims about these colors.
White:
White the assemblage of all colors. White symbolized purity, even sterility (hence, the fact that doctors and nurses wear white when they work. White symbolizes completeness, balance and finish.
The purity of white can lead, in extreme cases, to people who have a superiority complex. The downside to white is that it shows in start contrast, any other color- nothing is hidden with white. Far from being bland, people who like white as a color are typically iconoclasts- they enjoy being at the center of noisy attention and showing off their purity.
Red:
The color of blood, the color of life. Red is an energy color. After all, when you see a red light ahead, how do you react? Red is also a warm color, an emotional color. People who like red enjoy conflict and tension.
Red gets noticed, perhaps more than any other color. Owners of red cars, for instance, will be more likely to get traffic tickets from the police than any other color of car. People who like red like to be noticed. They like attention, energy and activity. Psychological theory states that people who have red as a preference in color are "the lives of the party." Fun to be around, extroverted and (in some cases) exhibitionist. Red is the ultimate power color.
Yellow:
Another energy color, given its warmth. Yellow is the color of the sun, which provides light and heat. Although an "happy" color, yellow has its drawbacks: babies placed in predominantly yellow rooms will tend to cry more. It is the most difficult color for the eye to take in, and that difficulty can cause 'irritation.' Whereas Red can be a strengthening color, yellow can be an angry color, because of its ambience heat. Yellow can be a focusing color (hence it's frequent use in legal note pads), but can easily be an overpowering color because of its energy.
Yellow does not get attention like Red, but it does have impact. Yellow is perhaps the most feminine color in the spectrum, in part because of its warmth. People who like yellow are not restful sorts- they like activity and action. They don't necessarily like to be the center of attention, but they do like to be part of "the chorus." While they get noticed, that isn't why devotees of yellow do what they do: yellow fans are in it to be near the heat, not because they crave the attention.
Green:
The color of nature, green is the most relaxing color in the spectrum. It is said in color theory that green enhances vision, because it is one of the easiest colors for the eye to perceive. In darker colors, green is a masculine color which symbolizes wealth.
A feminine color, people who prefer green tend to be at peace with themselves and others. They don't like to "rock the boat." Live and let live is the motto of green fans. They can be at home anywhere, and yet they find no need to seek attention to themselves. And green has another attribute: Red may be the color of life, but green is the color of fertility, which means it can be perceived in a "sexy" context.
Blue:
One of the most frequent colors in nature (sky and sea), blue is one of the most popular among "favorite" colors. Blue, in psychological contexts, causes exactly the opposite reaction of Red: it is peaceful, tranquil, and reposed. In the extreme, Blue can be perceived as cold and depressing.
Blue symbolizes loyalty and faith. It represents longevity (again, the sky and the sea and the visions of "endlessness" they represent). People who like Blue are "true blue" friends, ones who can be counted on in crises to keep their wits about them. The strength of Blue is for the long term, not the immediate "here and now" impression. A conservative, confident, cool color, devotees of Blue are often low key, not wanting to draw attention to themselves or their attributes. People who like Blue are the most trustworthy of any color in the spectrum.
Purple:
One of the most infrequent colors in nature, Purple symbolizes royalty, wealth and sophistication. But this has it's drawbacks: given the inter-marrying of royalty in Europe from the middle ages on, purple also symbolizes madness, dysfunction and the moment just before collapse of structure. There's a reason "Purple Haze" is considered a song for the counter culture.
While fans of Purple can be seen as romantic, given that this is such an unusual color in nature, Purple can appear "artificial." Fans of Purple can be uncomfortable to be around- a lack of balance and natural appeal makes them impulsive in (sometimes) unhealthy ways. Beware of Purple- it is the most unbalanced of colors in nature.
Brown:
What do you think of when you think of Brown? Dirt, Earth, Wood, Leather? Brown is the most natural color in the spectrum. In contrast to Purple, there's a genuine-ness to Brown, a stability. From light shades of Brown to dark, it is apt to be perceived as masculine, and thus, it bears a similarity to Orange.
But too much of anything, even Brown, is not necessarily a good thing. Brown can be wistful and sad. It can be grounded to the point of depression- where is the life, where is the green? People who like Brown (and to a lesser degree, Orange), are resourceful, confident folks, but may be lacking in the sort of ambission that characterizes colors like Yellow or Red.
Black:
Think about it: blackmail, blacklist, blackhearted, black-ops. Black is a secretive, power color. It is the absence of light, which lends to a perception of evil. To a lesser degree, this is true of shades of Black, like Silver or Grey, as well. But in that power symbolisism, there is also a perception of wealth: "in the black," "black tie affair," "little black dress."
Is it the aloofness of this color? People who prefer black are often mysterious, enigmatic and bold. After all, nothing contrasts like Black (except perhaps, White.) White may be percieved as wholesome, but Black is murky, hard to discern. What are you devotees of Black hiding? Why shun the light? Are you evil, or do you just want to keep people guessing? People who like Black like to keep their secrets.
So how about it, Corvette owners? How like the color of your Vette are you? For those of you who have hybrid colors, like Aqua, Teal, or "Medium Sunset," think about the name of the color that first comes to mind when you see it- do you perceive it as more blue, or green or red? How like your color are you, and if you have nothing in common with the color of your Vette, why do you think that is?
-Patrick
:naughty: 
