What Your Fave Color Says About Your Life Outlook

Whether is was the specific shade of pink on your middle school lunchbox or the powder blue of your bedroom, we all have preferences when it comes to color. And the ones we develop as children tend to stick with us. But "What's your favorite color?" isn't just a bad first date question, or a cry for help to keep a conversation flowing. Someone's color preference actually may tell you valuable information about their outlook on life.

Color is an important part of our daily experience, though we may not deliberately notice it. Color has power and influence over people — certain colors can make us feel different emotions and even change our mood. Color theory and psychology has become a large part of marketing and branding.

The psychology of color is the study of how different preferential colors determine our personality traits and behavior. While Sir Isaac Newton is credited with defining the color spectrum, the study of certain colors' influence dates back to the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. According to modern color psychology, your instinctual choice of color "reflects the way you operate in the world, your strengths and weaknesses, your vulnerabilities, your deepest needs and your challenges at that time in your life."

So think of color psychology like the Zodiac. It has ancient roots, and may have a larger hand in defining the course of our lives and personalities than we can imagine. And while there is little scientific data to support these beliefs and theories, that does not discount the secrets that our fave shades might tell.

America's overall color preference is blue at 35 percent, green is the second favorite at 16 percent, followed by purple at 10 percent, and red at nine percent. Yellow is far behind at a measly five percent (though that is my favorite color).

We associate upbeat people with happy colors such as yellow and orange. Negative people we assume lean more towards black and darker shades. But according to color psychology, does that mean if you painted your house a bright marigold yellow that you are truly an optimist? Check the list below and see what you favorite color says about you!

Favorite Color: Green

Life Outlook: Realist

Whether the glass is half-empty or half-full — hey, either way, you know you have a glass with some water in it in case you get thirsty later. As a realist, your eyes are wide open my friend, and you view the world through crystal-clear lenses.

Green-lovers are good listeners and observers. You cite facts and past events when weighing a decision. You are practical and down to earth — so any risk you take will be a calculated one. Some might accuse you of being a bit of a downer, but you're not going to count on a sprinkling of fairy dust or hopeful wishes to change things. You know if you want to make something happen, you gotta roll up your sleeves and get to work, which makes those who love green especially good citizens and community leaders.

Favorite Color: Blue

Life Outlook: Sentimentalist

Blue is America's favorite color, which means despite our reputation, most of us are just big softies. Those who choose blue tend to be emotional and sensitive to the moods of others. Sentimentalists love revisiting the past, and feel a certain kinship with history which encourages their thirst for knowledge.

Blue-leaning people tend to base decisions on their feelings rather than reason. They are not afraid to be vulnerable and cry during sad movies and oftentimes hold strong spiritual or religious beliefs. They make faithful romantic partners and are sensitive to the needs of others. Emotion is key with those who love blue. If you look close enough you can see the wistful glint in their eye as they watch the sunset.

Favorite Color: Purple

Life Outlook: Idealist

If purple is your fave, you are a dreamer and tend to look through rose-colored glasses (oh, the irony). You believe that good will always triumph in the end and you strive to help others. You are very giving and intuitive. Your boundless compassion wins you praise, though you are also accused of being a bit of a hippy.

As a silver-linings type of person, it's not about glass half-full or glass half-empty. What you see is an awesome glass, with room for even more fresh clean water! Let's make a world where everyone has access to clean water! Purple power!

Favorite Color: Yellow

Life Outlook: Optimist

Yellow is a happy color, and definitely reflects your emotional outlook on life. You are always looking on the bright side of things, and your sunny, positive outlook makes people happy just to be around you. There isn't a smiley emoji big enough to fit you!

You know that great things await and are totally confident that if you believe in something hard enough, you can will them into being. That's probably why you hit all the green lights on the way to work today, right? Due to your viral positivity, many of your decisions tend to be impulsive and spontaneous as well. Some may try to tether you down to earth, and say that you have your head in the clouds. And of course you do — cause that's where the sun is!

Favorite Color: Brown

Life Outlook: Pessimist

You are essentially the human embodiment of Grumpy Cat. You wake up and immediately you can sense that the day has already gone to sh*t. Bad traffic, coffee spilled on a new blouse before a meeting, forgot about free cone day! These are all to be expected as a brown-lover, but then again, life wasn't meant to be easy. You are a hard worker and prefer not to go outside your comfort-zone. You have a deep need for security and belonging, but if you have to hear somebody say, "Hey, It's not that bad" one more time you'll... probably take another nap. Who cares. Ugh!

Favorite Color: Red

Life Outlook: Sensualist

Red is an action color, and believe me, you are getting action. You tend to be a very physical person, who loves all the carnal delights that life has to offer. Tinder is a God send. It's hard to be confident, competitive, and popular at the same time, but you pull it off perfectly. Your friends drool over your gorgeous Instagrams documenting your passion for traveling and exploring, and eating exotic foods. But, you just want to live life to the fullest, experiencing all the tastes, sights, and smells that this world has to offer!

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