Brown color is one of the most complex in the spectral table. The variety of its shades allows each person to find something of their own in the palette of tones, suitable for their mood or current state of mind. What is the meaning of brown in psychology and why do some people prefer it to everyone else?
The positive value of brown in various cultures
For the ancient Greeks, brown color was closely associated with the image of the goddess of the life cycle and fertility of Hera and was considered one of the most honorable and used in everyday life. Saturated chocolate shades of the brown spectrum were revered by both the ancient Egyptians and the natives of the African continent, and in each case the color of the earth was considered a symbol of the hearth, a stable position and strong family relationships.
In Slavic life, brown was rare, and even then mainly in the form of a natural color of various labor materials, which corresponded to its symbolic meaning - mother earth. The ancestors of the Rusichs of the simple estate avoided wearing dark, brown shades - it was believed that only the animal that was the totem of the Slavs - the bear, and also the powerful of this world - princes and eminent citizens were allowed to have this color. Everything that was compared with the cult image of the forest owner: strength, perseverance, indestructible fierceness - was automatically associated with brown in our ancestors.
Negative brown values
Most modern people are cool about brown, and there are many reasons for this, given the influence on the minds of various religious and historical facts related to coffee and chocolate shades. So, from ancient times, the Islamists held the opinion that dark, earthy tones are symbols of social and moral decay, devastation, ignorance. Representatives of the Catholic Church of the Middle Ages believed in much the same way - this color, in their presentation, personified the poverty of life and spirit, moral decline, incest and lust.
Christianity interpreted the wearing of dark brown robes as a sign of worshiping the devil and serving the dark forces, but the peak of the negative attitude to this color occurred in the 1920s. This period was marked by the popularization of the fascist movement in Germany, which, thanks to the brown form of aggressive youth, remained in history under the name “brown plague”.
Brown in Psychology
Despite the conservative and respectable appearance, brown is rarely included in the list of preferences of anyone for quite some time. Even less often, he accompanies a person throughout his life. What does brown mean in psychology? Experts note that the desire to surround oneself with brown and coffee shades is observed in a person with the following changes in mental state:
- with depressive disorder and loss of self-confidence;
- if necessary, get rid of heavy thoughts or get out of a protracted conflict situation;
- with chronic fatigue, mental “burnout”.
Teenagers often choose this color, trying to get away from the sensuality that wakes up in them and to drown in themselves a protest against the usual way of life. Smooth, natural color gives a feeling of stability, serves as a guarantee that everything will turn out well and as it should.
People who do not get enough sleep, exhausted by work or often subjected to stress, instinctively seek to bring to their wardrobe or home interior a lot of details of brown color in soft tones. The abundance of such elements gives a feeling of physical liberation, peace, harmony.
Rejection, a categorical dislike of brown in psychology is characterized as a desire to rise above the primitive needs of the body. They do not accept dark shades - from coffee to clay - bright individualists, spiritual personalities, creative natures.
Zodiac preferences
Since in psychology the significance of brown color is emphasized as a factor of “grounding”, a return to nature and natural simplicity, this color suits two zodiac signs ideally - Virgo and Capricorn.
The Capricorn practitioner always seeks to remain unconvinced, but he hates complicating things and, in search of truth, will inevitably return to the roots. Capricorn has a vital need to periodically refer to the experience of his ancestors, and the brown color helps him not to lose this connection and to remain something like a keeper of family traditions and family memory.
Thoughtful and pedantic Virgo never hovers in the clouds, and in all matters prefers to use the shortest way to solve the problem. Such dark shades as “brown”, “mahogany”, “chocolate” help Virgo to concentrate and not be distracted by insignificant details.
Brown color in the lucher table
The Luscher color test defines brown as an in-depth yellow-red that looks passive enough not to seem impulsive. As a rule, a card of this color is put aside by the testee for the periphery of the key zone, which is the absolute norm. This means that a person considers his physical condition to be satisfactory and does not consider it necessary to concentrate on health issues.
The brown card, which took the place among the first in the row, is considered an alarming sign indicating the patient's subconscious fear for his life, freedom and security. People who do not have their own homes, chronic patients or lacking family ties, thus declare their priority desire to get rid of the problem, rather than acquire something new. Perhaps behind the desire to fence off is a heavy dependence on finances, a failed personal life or accumulated fatigue.
Brown clothes
Psychologists call the brown color in clothes both the choice of the strong and the preference of the unprotected. The first category of people refers to the true connoisseurs of a practical life position - it is important for them that the clothes are always impeccable, not dirty, not serve as an object of excessive attention. This color is chosen by hidden manipulators, as well as very thrifty people who live with a constant eye on their peace of mind and a sense of inner comfort.
The second category gives people emotionally depressed, seeking support on the physical level - financial stability, material wealth, marital status. In such clothes, especially if it includes 2-3 shades of brown muted tones, it is easy to hide in the crowd, after waiting for some difficult life period.
Now a few words about the psychology of women. The brown color in the lady’s wardrobe is closely associated with the joyless, baggy clothes of the Soviet era, when it was difficult to get bright fabrics and the fair floor was forced to dress almost the same. For this reason, modern women very rarely buy toilet articles of chocolate and coffee shades, although dark colors can favorably emphasize the advantages of the figure and hide the flaws.
Young people should not get involved in coloring their lives in chocolate tones, since such a choice can visually age a person, give the image a hint of withering. It is better to stay in beige shades, complementing the suit with bright, contrasting accessories.
Interior solutions
The psychology of color sees the presence of brown in the interior as a desire to strengthen the energy of stability and peace in the house, to give the housing a solid and yet discreet look. In brown, chocolate and coffee shades, floor coverings and furniture are usually performed.
Even if a person does not welcome the dark brown color, it is strongly recommended by both psychologists and bioenergy to include it in the interior of the home. It is not necessary to force rooms with furniture arrays of an annoying hue - it is enough to use it in the elements of decoration of the environment.
Feng Shui adherents give brown a special position in the house and actively use it in the eastern part of the home, which is responsible for health and family well-being. In this area it is good to relax after a working day and gain strength before any decisive event.
The effect of brown on physical condition
If a person periodically likes the brown color, psychologists advise him to pay attention to his health, since such an unexpected sympathy may indicate an unconscious desire to get rid of the problem on a physical level.
Due to the fact that all brown shades contain warm, stimulating notes of orange and red, this color will be useful for:
- circulatory disorders;
- weak immunity;
- chronic fatigue;
- interruptions in heart rate.
At the same time, color therapy with the inclusion of coffee and chocolate notes of a brown spectrum helps to reduce the activity of brain processes, regulates blood pressure, and normalizes sleep.
Effect on the psyche
Psychologists call brown color “disposable”, “credible”. During the passage of difficult life stages, people tend to return to their origins, to be closer to nature - that is, to turn to what accompanied humanity along the whole path of its formation. Having called for help the color of the earth or tree bark, a person begins to see the situation from the perspective of the shortest path to the realization of his goal.
Sometimes, in order to solve an important task, it is necessary to temporarily abstract oneself from society, concentrate on one’s feelings and set goals. In this case, a person will unconsciously strive to become invisible, to close himself with a shell, under which no one will have a desire to look. An ideal choice in order to merge with the crowd will be neutral shades of brown - taupe, clay, olive.
Brown lovers - who are they?
Psychologists divide those who love brown color into two conditional categories - these are “in need of protection” and “self-sufficient”. In the former, the sympathy for the chocolate-coffee environment flashes suddenly or intensifies in waves, and then, with a loss of need, fades away. These people, as a rule, are defenseless against difficult life circumstances and urgently need stability and constancy.
Conservatives who consciously perceive life as endless resistance to opposing forces are classified as "self-sufficient". The characteristic of people whose favorite color is brown is as follows in psychology:
- low creative ratio;
- high efficiency;
- pragmatism and discretion;
- lack of reverie and inclination to adventurism;
- sequence and logic.
Fans of dark coffee tones are not distinguished by artistry and sociability, but they are wonderful friends and wonderful leaders. The only vivid fear of these people is the need for spontaneous actions, which they will try to avoid by all means.
Color manipulation
If a person reading this article caught himself thinking that it was time to put things in order in his life, then it is better to start by adjusting the color scheme of the surrounding space and wardrobe. Surprisingly, even 1-2 accessories in clothes and a couple of additional details in the decoration of the room, made in rich chocolate or a pleasant cinnamon color, can bring harmony to the owner's mind and make it more collected.
When applying for a job in an important public office or office where a dress code is required, psychologists recommend wearing a brown jacket or good dark shoes with a thick coffee color. This will serve as a signal for the employer that he is a responsible and balanced person. But food industry workers or doctors are contraindicated in their everyday look - it will cause unpleasant associations and may cause discontent among others.