Black Color Psychology and Meaning

Black can have a different symbolic meaning for everyone and every individual can have a different reaction to the color. In Feng Shui black has a way of harmonizing your home, office, and other environments. It can be associated with the water elements and evokes power, mystery, and calm. It even can have a grounding effect when it is used sparingly.

The color black has some powerful effects and can be associated with a sophisticated lifestyle, just think of a person wearing a little black dress or a formal dinner suit. Black is also associated with depression because it can close in on use and take the positive aspects out of life, pushing us towards disappointment and the black or negative aspects of out life.

The positive traits of black include protection and comfort, as well as, strong, contained, formal, sophisticated, seductive, mysterious, endings and beginnings. With negative traits being aloof, depressing, pessimistic, secretive, and withholding.

black color psychology and meaning

If black is your favorite color it could mean the following:

  • You may be looking for protection from any negativity that surrounds you.
  • You may wish to create an aura of mystery and intrigue, as in a sexy black dress.
  • You may be going through a stage of self-denial, not allowing pleasure and joy into your life.
  • You hold things inside and are not good at sharing yourself with others, possibly out of fear.
  • You are methodical in your work, making sure everything is completed as required.

If you tend to dislike the color black, then it can mean the following:

  • You are a light-hearted and easy-going person, not so serious, conservative, and formal.
  • You may feel that it is a depressing color, especially if you have a happy, extroverted, and optimistic outlook on life.
  • You are not into power and control, you have a gentle disposition and black is too intimidating for you.
  • You are practical and down-to-earth and don’t wish to be overly sophisticated.
  • You may have a fear of the dark from your childhood that you can’t let go of.

When you look at some of the biggest words associated with black you get mystery, power, elegance, evil, and mourning. Let’s break those down a little.

Black is mystery

The first association black has is with mystery, the unknown and the hidden. Black is a color linked to secret knowledge and even has a lot of association with magic or esoteric ideas. On a more practical scale, black is the color that hides. It can be used to hide feelings, to separate oneself from the world, even to hide weight, as it is a slimming color.

Black is power

Black is linked to power. It’s an intimidating color that shows that the person wearing is setting themselves apart from others and it’s a color that indicates strength and discipline. Black doesn’t usually express many emotions, rather, it conceals them, giving the person in black an air of superiority.

Black is elegance

Black is a color that is quite elegant and simple at the same time. A black outfit be elegant compared to a colorful one. It’s a color used for special occasions or when a person is trying to look a little more appealing to the eye.

Black is evil

Black is certainly a color linked with evil. It is often used to show that someone is the villain in shows and films, and it is the stereotypical color that people who are lonely or antisocial wear.

Also related to mourning

In the Western culture, black is the color related to death and mourning. Black is seen as a grim color that reflects the severity of loss and the pain people are feeling. It’s a very serious color that can help express grief.

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33 Comments

  1. This is ridiculous. Black is a very calming, peaceful color. It is happy, it is beautiful. It is the color of night, the sky around the stars,the sweetness of sleep. It is a slimming color. It is the color of our shadows, that are with us when no one else is. It is a cooling color. It is more pure than white. It isn’t as bland as white. It is the color of wonderful, dark roasted coffee. It is good. Many, many cultures and ideas have black as good and white as evil.

    • Stupid comment, black is not more pure than white. It absorbs every colors, that is not really pure.

  2. Alright cant we all just be nice boys and girls. Why cant we all just get along and be good people and love each other. so please next time some one needs help be nice and i’ll give you a kiss on the cheek.

  3. My interpretation of Black: Black
    Very strong
    With big value and power
    At times freighting, symbolized as dark
    King Solomon quoted, “I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem,”
    There is black diamond with high price in value
    Darkness in you
    Teaching the seriousness of life
    Struggling to get out of blackout
    A challenging venue of life

  4. black means darkness looking for comfort in the dark where everything is hidden and not seen, anything could be hiding in the dark . black is the meaning of death for which only is the meaning of re-birth. Darkness or black has more to a meaning then anyone knows of.

  5. black is the color to which I torn when I want to
    shut down
    shut off
    shut out
    hear the silence.
    want to lie in a canyon looking up, seeing
    no wires, no planes, just sky; hearing
    no shouts, no engines, just wind.
    look at the black and see only stars.

  6. Black is my Favorite, but i am not like the character in the theory.Character can be defined only by actions and conscience not by color. Black is more positive and beautiful.I feel a black should not be associated to negativity.

  7. Right, my wifes favourite colors black and she ain’t a depressed bird, she just quietly sucking, so do one. Any more to say then email me yeah. Just remember I’m from Milwall. ALPHA out.

  8. To me, black is a peaceful color. What I feel: when I see black, I feel like I’m sinking into an endless void. Nonexistence. Silence. Dark, yes, but peaceful. Black is also the first color, when there is simply nothing. I must also say that black may or may not represent pessimism, depending on what each individual thinks. I myself disagree on that statement. It is because I believe there is a balance in life. Where there is brightness, there is darkness. Day and night. Dawn and dusk. Both are equal and inter-dependent towards each other. When one falls, the other falls. Both as important. People should not simply become prejudiced, judgmental or stereotypical just because of what people used to say. We must not self-define or be defined by other people just because of assumptions from other people. We are all the same at birth, but what and who we truly are is from our acts and conscience. Therefore, I think the website should not write a firm character of black, since there are many people in this world who love the color but may not be what you think.

  9. I guess not that depressive things talking about black.
    It’s too stereotypical talking black as evil or villain side.

    Well I like black no matter what I’m happy or I’m in instability, not only because self-denial stage. If it’s about sophisticated, not really, I still like simplicity as white lover.

    And then I have black cats ‘D

    • I love the color black. Black is all colors mixed together. Black is soothing, black is mystery. If you think negativity over black it’s your own guilt. Black is for people who are confident and self reliant.

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