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color psychology suggests that colors can have a powerful impact on our moods and even behaviors. Each color is thought to have its own effect, but the feeling that each color produces can vary based on experience and culture. purple is one color that can lead to differing feelings, emotions, and associations.
in color psychology, each color has an undeniable influence on our behavior and impressions. it is a force we simply can’t avoid. yet, the way people perceive and interpret colors is also determined by their culture and traditions. colors have different meanings in different parts of the world–this concept is called color symbolism. so what are some of the most common associations people have with the color purple? here’s how some societies interpret the color purple:
in hinduism, purple symbolizes peace and wisdom.
in catholicism, purple is closely associated with advent and lent.
in judaism, purple stands for redemption through god.
in egypt, purple symbolizes virtue and faith.
in most african countries, it is a symbol of royalty and prosperity.
in the united states, purple is the color of honor.
in brazil and thailand, purple is a mourning color when worn together with black.
what does the color purple mean?
how does the color purple make you feel? people often describe this color as mysterious, spiritual, and imaginative. purple tends to occur rarely in nature, so it is viewed as rare and intriguing. if you're wondering what colors make purple, purple is a combination of blue and red. since purple does not often occur in nature, it can sometimes appear exotic or artificial. For this reason, it tends to be quite a polarizing color. People tend to either really love purple or really hate it
purple also represents wisdom and spirituality. its rare and mysterious nature perhaps causes it to seem connected to the unknown, supernatural, and divine.
and different shades of purple have different spiritual meanings. for instance, light purples are associated with light-hearted, romantic energies while darker shades can represent sadness and frustration. in some parts of Europe, purple is associated with death and mourning.
and what does the color purple mean spiritually? the answer appears to differ based on sex. women who prefer the color purple are thought to constantly develop themselves spiritually. they seek peace, harmony, protection, and support. men who prefer purple tend to be more spiritually expressive. they live life on their own terms, sometimes to the point of appearing vain or arrogant...
the color purple is also associated with bravery. in the u.s., the purple heart is one of the highest honors for bravery in military service. the award, originally called the badge of military merit, was created in 1782 by george washington to give to soldiers for commendable action in war. the color represents courage and bravery and being wounded on the battlefield
visually, purple is one of the most difficult colors to discriminate. it also has the strongest electromagnetic wavelength, being just a few wavelengths up from x-rays and gamma rays. for this reason, it is often used in visual illusions such as the lilac chaser illusion.
when talking about purple color meaning, it's also important to recognize the role that various biological factors play in deciding what the color purple means. several factors impact how the brain perceives the color purple, some of which include vision, light, and a person's own interpretation of what the color represents...additional factors that can contribute to how a person perceives the color purple are its hue, its level of saturation or purity, and how bright or dull the color is. all of these play into the frequency, wavelength, and energy associated with the color, which also changes how the eye and, subsequently, the brain perceive it.
what does all of this mean? one person's perception and interpretation of the color purple can be different than another's. So, when trying to answer the question, "what does the color purple mean?" the answer can vary based on the individual person.
kendra cherry, ms, is an author and educational consultant focused on helping students learn about psychology.
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where do we find the meaning of purple? can we consult the regal robes of wealthy rulers of old? is purple the resplendent glory of summer revealed by the iris in full bloom? is purple the whimsical hue favored by unicorns and fairies? purple delights us in many forms.
meaning of purple: explained
"that book was nothing more than purple prose." "the purple of kings." purple is royal. it’s elaborate, replete with the trappings of majesty and ceremony. it’s the favorite color of adolescent girls, and it’s the color of fantasy and magic. it’s half-blue, half-red, and our understanding of purple lies somewhere in between the serenity of blue and the passion of red. but exactly what do we know about purple?
physical effects
purple both calms and stimulates our bodies, putting us in the right place for introspection and focused insight. it fosters creativity by awakening our senses while promoting the quiet necessary to make intuitive, insightful observations. purple creates a harmonious balance of awareness and peace.
symbolism and meaning of purple
purple has long been associated with wealth and royalty, as purple dye was precious and expensive. if green is the color of spring, then purple conjures up autumn, fading light, and shorter days. purple is insouciant–associated with creativity and irreverence (as in the purple hat groups of women who embrace aging as an excuse to flout convention.) purple also represents harmony–the balance between opposing forces.
positive associations
purple is cheerful, whimsical, and playful. it’s associated with an escape from reality and magical images. purple is often a statement of independence as it’s not a basic, primary color, and it’s often a sign of fusing the mundane with the innovative. purple is also associated with bravery, and the purple heart is awarded to members of the armed forces who are injured in the line of duty. professional uses of purple convey high value and lofty goals.
negative associations
as purple lives balanced between red and blue, it can be seen as an unstable, non-traditional color. notions of royalty and ceremony can be off-putting to more democratic sensibilities, and purple can convey feelings of arrogance and condescension. purple used professionally can feel a bit unsettled and therefore uncomfortable.
violet chakra color
chakras are energy centers within the body that help to regulate all its processes. each chakra governs specific functions and is represented by one of the seven chakra colors....violet: (purple) is the color of the crown chakra, also known as sahasrara. this chakra is located at the top of the head. the crown chakra is linked to the crown of the head, nervous system, and the brain, and is representative of pure thought. this chakra connects one with the infinite consciousness. opening this chakra will help tap into a deep spiritual understanding. gemstones that will aid the crown chakra include diamond and clear quartz.
color morsels
though it’s commonly said there’s no word in english that rhymes with "purple," there are, in fact, two words (albeit obscure ones) that do: "hirple," meaning to walk with a limp, and "curple," meaning the hindquarters of a horse.
epilepsy awareness day is observed annually on March 26th. created in 2008, the day has become known as "purple day" as people are encouraged to wear the color to increase awareness of epilepsy.
the colorado rockies–based in denver–are the only professional baseball team to use purple as one of its team colors. the rockies wear purple, black, silver, and white....in the nfl, two teams wear purple: the minnesota vikings and the baltimore ravens....several teams in the nba wear purple: the los angeles lakers, the charlotte hornets, the phoenix suns, and the sacramento kings
purple dye originally came from snails boiled in lead vats. it took many thousands of snails to produce tiny amounts of the precious and expensive dye.
the purple people bridge that spans the ohio river at cincinnati is one of the few exclusively pedestrian bridges in the nation. it can be rented for special events.
the film, the color purple, based on alice walker’s novel of the same name, was nominated for eleven academy awards. both whoopi goldberg and oprah winfrey were nominated for their roles in the film, though the film didn’t take home a single award.
amethyst, the purple gemstone, takes its name from the greek "a methystos," meaning "not drunk." the gemstone was believed to protect against drunkenness if the stone was held beneath the tongue while consuming alcohol.
in the bible (acts 16:14), "and a certain woman named lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of thyatira." lydia typifies a successful business woman in a prosperous city. thyatira was conspicuous for its many guilds which were united by common pursuits and religious rites. one of these guilds was that of dyers. the water of the area was so well-adapted for dyeing, that no other place could produce the scarlet cloth out of which fezzes were so brilliantly and so permanently dyed. this unique purple dye brought the city universal renown.
kate smith is an internationally recognized color expert, consultant, and designer. she has become an exceptional colorist & business consultant sought out by companies worldwide ... https://www.sensationalcolor.com/meaning-of-purple
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SOME MORE MUSIC
another here is another tune to give a listen...its from 2004, and this song is easily one of my top five favorite songs of all time...it's one that i've always held true to my heart and soul for nearly the past twenty years. i loved to listen to it when i used to backcountry splitboard and i was climbing a mountain in deep snow and freezing cold, and needed to dig deep and persevere all the exhaustion and corresponding pain at high altitudes, to reach the top, still standing...and then ride down the north-face floating down through chutes of untouched powder and then glading across pristine snowfields (sigh) ... boulevard of broken dreams by greenday ...(just click on the blue link to listen to the song)
"i walk a lonely road, the only one that i have ever known. don't know where it goes, but it's only me, and i walk alone. i walk this empty street on the boulevard of broken dreams, where the city sleeps and i'm the only one, and i walk alone. i walk alone, i walk alone, i walk alone and i walk a...my shadow's the only one that walks beside me. my shallow heart's the only thing that's beating. sometimes i wish someone up hill will find me, until then, i walk alone....i'm walking down the line that divides me somewhere in my mind, on the border line of the edge, and where i walk alone. read between the lines, what's fucked up and every thing's all right. check my vital signs to know i'm still alive, and i walk alone...i walk alone, i walk alone, i walk alone and I walk a...my shadow's the only one that walks beside me. my shallow heart's the only thing that's beating. sometimes i wish someone out there will find me, till then, i walk alone, i walk alone, i walk a....i walk this empty street on the boulevard of broken dreams, where the city sleeps and i'm the only one, and i walk alone...my shadow's the only one that walks beside me. my shallow heart's the only thing that's beating. sometimes i wish someone out there will find me, till then i walk alone" ― greenday, boulevard of broken dreams
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