Color Purple Meaning and Psychology

The purple it is between red and blue, very similar to violet. The meaning and psychology of the color purple or lilac is highly associated with nobility, luxury, magic, spirituality, creativity, dignity or even royalty. A contemporary example is the invitations that were issued to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on June 2, 1953.

Purple was an extremely difficult color to come by, so garments bearing this pigment were reserved for highly privileged individuals such as emperors or high-ranking religious figures. In the Catholic Church, purple is commonly used by bishops to symbolize piety..

Spirituality, intuition, intellectuality, independence, creativity, wisdom, royalty, nobility, wealth, sensitivity, passion, love, dignity, ingenuity, sensitivity, are some of the characteristics attributed to this color.

People who are attracted to this color have an aura of mystery. For this reason, it is often the preferred color of artists, who like to consider themselves unconventional..

Article index

• 1 The meaning of the color purple
  • 1.1 In the deep self
  • 1.2 As a cultural symbol
  • 1.3 On emotions and feelings
  • 1.4 As inspiration or support
• 2 Psychology of purple
  • 2.1 Effects of purple color
• 3 How to use purple in your life
• 4 Data of interest for companies

The meaning of the color purple

The color purple is a deep, dark bluish purple color whose name refers to the color of blackberries. It is not until the fifteenth century when this name is given in Castilian.

Currently the color can symbolize magic, spirituality, creativity, dignity or even royalty. Its variations also give difference to its representations: the lightest purples are associated with the romantic and light, while the darker ones are associated with intellectuality and dignity..

However, it also has negative connotations such as decadence, pomposity and arrogance or arrogance..

In the deep me

This color is related to imagination and spirituality. Stimulates the imagination and inspires high ideals. It is an introspective color that allows us to get in touch with our deepest thoughts..

Purple helps those seeking the meaning of life or spiritual satisfaction, expands our awareness of the environment and connects us with a higher consciousness. For this reason it is associated with the soul and philosophers are often drawn to it..

In addition, it is a liturgical color that represents spiritual preparation, therefore it is used in times like Advent and Lent. As well as represents the atonement, repentance, being used generally in all penitential acts.

As a cultural symbol

As a cultural symbol, it represents the future, imagination and dreams while spiritually calming emotions.

It inspires and expands psychic ability and intellectual enlightenment while keeping us grounded. It is related to the world of fantasies, as a need to escape the earthly of life. It is the dreamer escaping from reality.

The color purple is associated with royalty and nobility, creating the impression of luxury, wealth and extravagance. Those who like purple have power. Color has a richness that makes it demand respect. 

The cultural meaning of this color varies, for example in Catholicism it represents mourning and death, in Europe royalty, in Japan wealth, in Brazil death and mourning, in India pain and comfort, in the East wealth and in the West royalty, spirituality, wealth, fame, high positions of authority and military honor.

In emotions and feelings

Purple promotes harmony of mind and emotions, contributes to balance, mental stability, peace of mind, the link between the spiritual and physical worlds, between thought and action. Purple is a support in the practice of meditation.

The color purple inspires selfless and unconditional love, free from ego, encouraging sensitivity and compassion. It signifies loyalty, well-being, success and wisdom..

Purple stimulates brain activity that we use when solving problems. In case of being overused, it can be associated with arrogance and artificial appearance. Purple, when used with care, gives an air of mystery, wisdom and respect.

As inspiration or support

Encourage creative pursuits and inspiration and originality through creative projects.

Those who prefer purple like to be unique, individual and independent, not just one of the bunch. Artists, musicians, writers, poets and physicists have been inspired by purple, for its magic and mystery.

Suggests wealth and extravagance, fantasy and the world of dreams. Facilitates spiritual pursuits and personal enlightenment.

Purple is the color of the humanitarian, who uses his good sense to do good to others. Combining wisdom and power with sensitivity and humility.

Academic institutions often wear shades of purple or violet when seeking to inspire intellectual thought and success..

Dark purple is associated with rights and power, which is why it has been worn by kings and queens for many years. Instead, a lighter shade of purple is associated with noble, whimsical, romantic and nostalgic feelings..

Purple psychology

If purple is your favorite color, it is probably because of certain personality traits.

In turn, having this color as a preference highlights or reinforces some typical features. Next we will see a list of personality characteristics associated with the color purple. Are they familiar to you?

The color purple represents:

• Inspiration: Original ideas are created with purple, it can be used when we are looking for inspiration during a brainstorming session.
• Imagination: Purple inspires creativity with intellect. It is stimulating in sleep activity.
• Individuality: Purple is unconventional, individual and original. Those who prefer it hate copying others and likes to do things their own way.
• Spirituality: Purple helps us during prayer and meditation to get in touch with our deep unconscious thoughts. Churches often wear purple in their buildings and clothing. 

Effects of purple color

• Empathy: Compassion, affection and love towards humanity.
• Control of emotions: Purple is passionate, like red (the latter to intimacy in intimate spaces).
• Respectable and distinguished: The darker shades of purple are particularly linked to the origins of the color when it was only accessible to royalty and the wealthy.
• Impractical: Those who prefer purple can be impractical, with their head in the clouds more than their feet on the ground. They tend to see life as they imagine it rather than as it really is..
• Immature: Color can foster fantasy and an idealism that is difficult to achieve in real life in those who have it as a favorite color.
• Dignity: Purple exudes a modest form of dignity that is attractive to others.
• Cynicism: This is a negative side of purple.

The greatest need of those who like purple is emotional security and the need to create order and perfection in all areas of their life, including spiritual.

They also have a deep need to start and participate in humanitarian projects, helping others in need..

How to use purple in your life

Now that we know all this about the color purple, we can think of some ways to use it to improve our quality of life:

If you want to stimulate your imagination when writing, we suggest that you buy a notebook with a purple cover as well as use ink of the same color. This will allow your ideas to flow more easily..

Include purple in your home, either by painting a wall or hanging a painting where that color predominates..

This will show your passion and inspire respect in your guests. The color will also provide a sense of relaxation and spirituality that will make it easier for you to practice activities such as yoga or artistic creation..

Wear purple clothes when you want to highlight your individuality or intellectuality at social events. It will help you to give an image of success.

Too much purple can promote or aggravate depression in some people. It is a color that should be used with extreme caution and in small quantities by those vulnerable to falling into depressive states..

Data of interest for companies

Studies have shown that color:

• Increase brand recognition by up to 80%
• Improve the number of readers up to 40%
• Increase understanding by 73%
• It can be up to 85% the reason why people decide to buy a product.

Other interesting facts are:

• Some brands are so closely associated with their colors that we recognize them even when company names are not visible..
• It is very important for brands to be able to project their value. Marketers generally understand the need for consistency in color and design.
• It is also vital to move beyond the standard logo and tagline to take an emotion-evoking approach among potential customers across all marketing channels..
• In business, wearing purple requires an understanding of the color's traits, qualities, and humor as well as its psychological significance. The messages that color sends to customers can have a great impact on business success..
• It is often used by businesses that are in creative fields: designers, psychics and cosmetic producers usually use it..
• In the service business, purple in marketing gives the idea of ​​a premium quality service.
• Purple is often connected to an audience between the ages of 18 and 25 as color is seen at these ages as sexy and rebellious, while innovative designers connect it to sophistication and power..
• Preteen children are drawn to purple along with other primary and secondary colors. These colors go well in products and marketing designed for this age group..
• Purple is used to relax and calm. It is frequently seen in rejuvenating and beauty products. It is often used to demonstrate high quality or a superior product such as Cadbury chocolate or some cosmetic brands..
• Physiologically, it sharpens people's sense of beauty and their reaction to the most creative ideas.
• Purple is a color that goes well with gold, turquoise, jade green, deep red, magenta, and yellow. When combined with orange it creates a unique contemporary look.
• If you are looking to promote a product for its superior quality to the competition, purple is the ideal color to carry out your task. The same if you want to promote a service related to aesthetics or personal beauty, such as cosmetic products or makeup services or facial and body care..
• When combined with gold, it will give the impression of being exclusive and high-end, so it will attract customers willing to spend more to appropriate the image that your product or service projects..
• Purple is ideal for promoting products aimed at young women or adolescents and children because of the attraction they generate between them. However, be careful not to use it too much, you can have a negative impact by showing an image of waste, extravagance or cynicism..

In general, the psychology of color tries to study how each color evokes a certain behavior in the person, behavior that may differ from one subject to another.. 

This psychology is increasingly used by architects, designers, publicists and artists. Being his predecessor Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.