The color RED is one of the three primary colors, which means it represents the foundation upon which all other colors are based.  This is the case for most human beings, at least those who are sighted and not “color blind”, because the human retina is comprised of three types of cone cells, along with rod cells (allowing for discerning colors at varying light intensities), which avail the ability to perceive images of varying color through trichromacy — i.e., via three separate channels of color.

The Science of Color

The range of color the human eye can see is expressed in wavelength (measured in nanometers, abbreviated “nm“) and frequency (in units of terahertz, abbreviated “THz“), and yet vis-à-vis the universes of wavelength and frequency, this band is relatively small.  For instance, the below chart is NOT to scale, in that the complete wavelength range is depicted in meters , while the ranges pertaining to what is visible to the human eye is expressed in nanometers (or billionths of a meter).

In fact the range of visible color is relatively tiny in both wavelength (360 nm) and frequency (304 THz), as shown below.

That’s enough of a science lesson, but at least you now have an appreciation for how little we humans actually see and the level of precision involved in discerning one visible color from another.  And the combination of RED with the other primary colors (YELLOW and BLUE), when mixed in varying degrees, will derive ALL other colors visible to the human eye.  For example, if you add some BLUE to RED, you get CRIMSON . . . add some more and you get BURGUNDY . . . and add yet more to obtain MAROON.  Alternatively, adding YELLOW in varying degrees will result in shades of ORANGE.

The Psychology of Color

The psychological impact that color can have on a person is significant, and the color red carries with it a great deal of influence in that it is often associated with high energy, fiery passion, aggressive action, enveloping warmth, profound love, alluring seduction, wild adventure, trepidating danger, gruesome violence, exciting physicality and apoplectic anger.  Thus it is a color of extremes and great emotion.

Since the quality of one’s life is often a function of the quality of one’s decisions, most people are well served to make important decisions during times of emotional calm — for when one is in a state of high emotion, perceptions and interpretation of facts can get distorted and thus cloud otherwise lucid decision making.  And it is well-known that rash emotion-laden decisions often translate into regrettable actions.

For instance, when hopping mad, one’s anger may reach the point where . . .

And this emotion is covered well by megastar Cher in her hit song of the same name.

Don’t get mad, get even

. . . however when doing so, be sure to take the high road.  A perfect example is how the multi-talented superstar Taylor Swift has dealt with her break-ups throughout her life. She is notorious for channeling her emotional pain, and mixing it with her vast creative talent to yield a personally therapeutic elixir in the form of blockbuster songs that: (1) top the charts and broaden her already prodigious fame; (2) translate into millions of dollars from record sales, concert tickets and related franchise products and endorsements; and (3) help countless others cope with similar emotional pain.  Her magnificent multi-media extravaganza concert performance of “RED” in the below video illustrates these elements well.

And while RED is the color of high emotion, its existence in nature can be as calming as it is beautiful, as illustrated in the below time-accelerated blooming of red roses . . .