The Psychology of Colour: Red

I love the colour red. It is very energizing. It excites the emotions and motivates us to take action. It is a warm and positive color associated with our most physical needs and our will to survive. It exudes a strong and powerful masculine energy.
It signifies a pioneering spirit and leadership qualities, promoting ambition and determination. It is also strong-willed and can give confidence to those who are shy or lacking in will power.

Being the colour of physical movement, red awakens our physical life force. It is the colour of sexuality and can stimulate deeper and more intimate passions in us, such as love and sex on the positive side or revenge and anger on the negative. It is often used to express love, as in Valentine’s Day, however it relates more to sexuality and lust, rather than love.
At its most positive, it can create life with its sexual energy, or use its negative expression of anger and aggression to fuel war and destruction.
The colour red can stimulate the appetite, often being used in restaurants for this purpose. It also increases craving for food and other stimuli.

Being surrounded by too much of the colour red can cause us to become irritated, agitated and ultimately angry. Too little and we become cautious, manipulative and fearful.
In Eastern cultures such as China, red is the colour for good luck. Although times are changing and many Chinese brides now wear white, it is traditionally the colour for weddings. In Indian culture, it symbolizes purity and is often used in their wedding gowns.