A World of Black and White

Chapter 9- Perceiving Color

Post 2 Maria Capelli

      Recently I drew my friend a picture. It was the name of one of his band’s songs written inside of a mosaic type drawing. When I handed it to him he said, “Woah this is cool! What is it?” He couldn’t see the words inside the picture because he is completely color blind. All he saw were various shapes of different shades. He has monchromatism which is a rare form of color blindness. (p. 212) He can only see white, black, and shades of gray.

     Colors are known to induce and enhance moods. Hospitals are painted calming colors such as blue or green to keep a relaxing setting for patients. Red draws attention and increases alertness, which is why stop signs are colored red. There are many feeling and mood associations for all the the colors of the rainbow. Since colors are so often associated with moods, could the inability to perceive color cause a lack of mood? Could being color blind lead to depression? I cannot imagine living in a world without color. I love all colors and I feel that they do have an impact on my mood. As for my color blind friend, I feel that he is suffering because he is not able to perceive color. I think it has a negative impact on his attitude sometimes. It definitely impairs his physical ability because he has trouble recognizing certain signs or lights because of his disability. It even prevents him from flying an airplane if he wanted. It must also have a negative psychological impact on him. I believe that colors are play a key role in balancing our moods and operating daily functions. They help us physically and psychologically. Below is a color chart that states which colors are associated with moods and feelings.