Our perceptions of colors affect and influence us on scores of levels — sub-consciously, emotionally, mentally, and even in symbolism. In part 2 of our series on what colors mean to us, we cover blue, the color of our broad open skies and magnificent seas. Be sure to check out part 1 of this series if you missed it, What the Color Red Means.
Photo Muha
The Soothing Color
As the color of our sky and oceans in nature, blue is one of our most favorite colors. It causes the opposite reaction as red, being the essence peacefulness, tranquility, and calmness.
Blue waters of Maldives. Photo Nattu
Blue waters at Centrum Saar, Saarbrucken. Photo Wolfgang Staudt
Fahranleger Wittenbergen. Photo Elbfoto
Blue is often associated with depth and stability. It can mean relaxation, sadness, peace, and solitude, and symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven.
Light blue is associated with health, healing, tranquility, understanding, and softness, while dark blue represents knowledge, power, integrity, and seriousness.
The color is considered beneficial to the mind and body — it slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect. In heraldry, blue is used to symbolize piety and sincerity.
Blue can also be cold and depressing, but studies have shown that people are more productive in blue rooms.
Paradise at Maratua Island. Photo Riza
Photo Jon Lawrinson
Photo Rayced
Taquile Island (Titicaca Lake, PERÚ) Photo David and Katarina
Mono Lake. Photo Lexdenn
Blue Lake Superior. Photo Spisharam
Using Blue
Blue is frequently used to promote products and services related to cleanliness and purity — cleaning liquids and water purification filters — air and sky for airlines, airports, and air conditioners, or water and sea such as bottled waters and ocean voyages.
As opposed to emotionally warm colors like red, orange, and yellow; blue is linked to consciousness and intellect. Use blue to suggest precision when promoting high-tech products.
Blue causes the body to produce calming chemicals, so it’s often used in bedrooms.
Dark blue is associated with depth, expertise, and stability, so it’s a preferred color for corporate America.
Colors that are traditionally considered masculine colors or that appeal most strongly to or are more closely associated with men can be good choices for marketing messages, Web sites, and interior designs targeting men.
Avoid using blue when promoting food and cooking, because it suppresses the appetite.
When used together with warm colors like yellow or red, blue can create high-impact, vibrant designs, such as a blue-yellow-red color scheme for a superhero.
Blue is commonly used on internet browsers to color a link that has not been clicked on, changing to yellow, orange, or purple when it has been.
Fashion consultants recommend wearing blue to job interviews because it symbolizes loyalty.
Weightlifters do their best in blue gyms, as studies have shown they’re are able to handle heavier weights in blue gyms.
Photo FR Antunes
Blue reflections. Photo FR Antunes
Blue reflections. Photo Miyukiutada
Blue reflections on the Arctic Sea. Photo Wili Hybrid
Photo Lexdenn
Prague in blue reflection. Photo Jurek D
Blue Hole, Palau. Photo Jenny Huang
Port d’Alcudia harbor. Photo Tygerlyl
Blue morning sea in Bowa. Photo Miyukiutada
Blue boat on South Male’ Atoll. Photo Wili Hybrid
Atlantic Ocean at Morrazo, Galicia, Spain. Photo Paulo Brandao
Khezr Beach, Hormoz Island, Persian Gulf, Iran. Photo Hamed Saber
Amoreira, Portugal. Photo Gustty
Sun Moon Lake. Photo Enid Yu
View of Isolabella from Taormina in Sicily. Photo Daveness 98
Blue harbor. Photo Thai Jasmine
Blue Mountain, Carbon County, near Palmerton. For many years, extensive zinc-smelting operations severely degraded the local environment, destroying vegetation and helping to create soil erosion. The zinc smelters are no longer in operation — the area is now the site of an ambitious Superfund project, and the vegetation and soil are recovering. Photo Nicholas T
Animals
When an animal’s coat is described as “blue,” it usually refers to a shade of grey that takes on a bluish tint, a diluted variant of a pure black coat. The description is used for a variety of animals, including dog coats, some rat coats, cat coats, some chicken breeds, and some horse coat colors.
Peacock. Photo Daniel Fluck
Peacock. Photo Hamed Saber
Peacock. Photo Aussiegall
Blue parrots. Photo A Magill
Blue parrot. Photo Mr. Usaji
Bluejay. Photo Chefranden
Blue Heron. Photo Mike Baird
Warbler in “the blue hour,” the hour between daylight and darkness
when the light becomes almost magical. Photo Noel Zia Lee
Photo Willgame
Photo Notsogoodphotography
Blue Oranda fish. Photo Kim Beckmann
Dolphin’s dance. Photo Kalandraka
Blue poison frog. Photo J Pockele
Iguana in Bali. Photo Riza
Relations in Food
Although blue is one of the most popular colors, it’s one of the least appetizing. Studies reveal that it slows human metabolism and suppresses the appetite.
Blueberries. Photo Lisa Norwood
Food researchers say that when humans searched for food, they learned to avoid toxic or spoiled objects, which were often blue, black, or purple.
Blue food is rare in nature, with the most notable being blueberries.
Photo Scarleth White
Photo Notsogoodphotography
In Costa Rica, it’s said when you can see a ring around the moon at night, called a “luna de agua,” it foretells 3 to 4 straight days of slow but steady rain, called a “temporala.” Photo Thombo2
Pelican skies. Photo Sir Mervs
Crowded cable line. Photo Neona
Photo Lexdenn
Differences Between the Sexes
Blue is a masculine color, traditionally used for boys. According to studies, blue is highly accepted among males. However, there are no hard-set rules about what colors are masculine, feminine or gender-neutral.
Blue is a favorite color for both men and women, but males have a much stronger preference for blue than women. It may be the calming effect that makes it a popular color for both sexes, or it could be the association of some shades of blue with authority figures, intelligence, and stability.
In a 1964 Color and Gender report, women favored blue-green — turquoise, a mix of the 2 cool colors of blue and green — more than men. This same study found that “76% of women preferred cool colors.”
Male top 3 favorite colors: Blue, Green, and Black (2 cool and one neutral color)
Female top 3 favorite colors: Blue, Green, and Purple (all cool colors)
Studies have found that that blue was favored overwhelmingly by men and women on the Web.
Color research done over the years indicates that the favorite colors of men and women do differ, some of which may be attributed to cultural use of color and conditioning.
Color research done over the years indicates that the favorite colors of men and women do differ, some of which may be attributed to cultural use of color and conditioning.
Since colors come in many tints and shades, one might love a rich, royal blue but strongly dislike a pale sky blue, so a preference for the color blue doesn’t mean that every shade of blue is universally appealing.
Blue Daisy. Photo Luza
Blue Iris. Photo Noel Zia lee
Blue Lotus flower. Photo Tanakawho
Photo Josef Stuefer
Blue rose. Photo Tanakawho
Sunflower blues. Photo Longhorndave
Blue water lilies. Photo Krikit
Feng Shui
In feng shui, we associate blue with the clear sky and healing, refreshing waters. Blue belongs to the feng shui Water element of North. A harmonious feng shui Water element will bring a refreshing energy of calm, ease, purity and freshness. Water is also the ancient symbol of abundance, hence a potent Feng Shui cure.
The color ranges from gentle aqua blue to the blue-green of the ocean, and the deep indigo blue of the crown chakra.
Gentle blue is a great feng shui choice for study, especially as a ceiling color. Several studies have shown that children performed better under blue colored ceilings than white.
Light blue is also the feng shui color of harmonious expansion and gentle growth, while darker blue evokes the feng shui energy of deep calm and serenity. Placing some deep blue elements into your bedroom is said to promote better sleep.
Deep blue should be used sparingly in the feng shui areas of South, Northwest and West areas of your space, and freely in the North, East (Health & Family) and Southeast (Wealth & Abundance).
Allegedly, one of the most calming feng shui color combinations is blue and white, as it brings the energy of unlimited sky and happiness.
Blue spiral staircase. Photo Extranoise
Blue wall of Jubilee Hills Checkpost. Photo Sukanto Debnath
Photo FR Antunes
Walking into the blue. Photo Helmet13
Photo Tanakawho
Blue umbrellas along the Alexandria, Virginia, US. Photo Andertho
Valencia in blue. Photo Ka13
Blue Street in Xaouen, Morocco. Photo Bachmont
Blue street in Bundi, Rajasthan. Photo Orange Tuesday
Blue animal figurines on the roof of a temple in Beijing. Photo Cheesy42
Blue tanks. Photo Escariao
Window to another world. Photo Angela7dreams
Photo 00dann
Construction equipment. Photo on1site
Science
Psychics who claim to be able to observe the aura with their third eye report that someone with a blue aura is one who is oriented toward spirituality. People with blue auras are said to be interested in social service work and to be in occupations such as social worker, counselor, teacher, writer, and psychologist.
Planet Earth. Photo Woodley Wonderworks
In the metaphysics of the “New Age Prophetess,” Alice Bailey, in her system called the Seven Rays which classifies humans into 7 different metaphysical psychological types, the “first ray” of “will-power” is represented by the color blue. People who have this metaphysical psychological type are said to be “on the Blue Ray.”
Cloak and Dagger Cuckoo Bee on Bog Sage. Photo Aussiegall
Common or Blue Hauhechel (Polyommatus Icarus) butterfly. Photo Hape Gera
Blue dragonfly. Photo Krikit
Photo Linh Ngan
Blue in Culture
In fashion, dark clothing for males such as dark blue business suits have become far more popular since about 1995, as opposed to the pastel colored business suits worn in the 1970’s by major leaders in institutions such as the US Congress.
Dark blue represents knowledge, power, integrity, and seriousness. In Western civilization, those in the upper classes in high places of political or economic power often wear dark blue suits.
In law enforcement, police normally wear dark blue, or sometimes medium blue uniforms.
In the bandana code of the gay leather subculture, wearing a medium blue bandana means the person is into the fetish of having sex with someone wearing a police uniform.
In the U.S. flag, white stands for purity and innocence. Red represents valor and hardiness, while blue signifies justice, perseverance, and vigilance. The stars represent the heavens and all the good that people strive for, while the stripes emulate the sun’s rays.
In Thailand, blue is associated with Friday on the Thai solar calendar. Anyone may wear blue on Fridays and anyone born on a Friday may adopt blue as their color.
Blue ice. Photo CTD 2005
Ice arch near the Upsala glacier, El Calafate, Argentina. Photo Angela7dreams
Ice breakage near Upsala glacier, El Calafate, Argentina. Photo Angela7dreams
Ice boulders on the shore of Lake Superior, Duluth, Manitoba. Photo Clairity
Language of Blue
In the English language, blue implies speed in “a blue streak” and loyalty in being “true blue.” Actual automobile values are found in a “blue book,” and a blue ribbon represents the award of excellence.
Blue may refer to the feeling of sadness, as in “he was feeling blue.” This is because blue was related to rain, or storms, and in Greek mythology, the god Zeus would make rain when he was sad (crying), and a storm when he was angry.
The phrase “feeling blue” is also linked to a custom among many old deepwater sailing ships — if the ship lost the captain or any of the officers during its voyage, she would fly blue flags and have a blue band painted along her entire hull when returning to home port.
The modern English word blue comes from the Middle English, bleu or blwe, which came from an Old French word bleu of Germanic origin — Frankish or possibly Old High German blao, “shining.”
Blue Dancer. Photo Hoyasmeg
Blue fractals. Photo Fabio Pinheiro
One man’s trash … Photo Iboy Daniel
Blue electronic waterfall. Photo Curly Exposure
Blue feather. Photo Tanakawho
Source: Wikipedia
译文:
大自然的神奇色彩——蓝色篇
对色彩的感知影响我们很多方面——潜意识、情绪、精神，甚至在象征意义上。在系列2中我们选择了蓝色，这是我们广阔无垠的天空和宏伟壮丽的大海的颜色。如果您错过了系列1红色篇，请查阅。
Muha拍摄
抚慰人心的颜色
因为是大自然中天空和海洋的色彩，蓝色是我们的最爱之一。它引起的反应与红色不同，其本质是和睦、安宁和平静。
马尔代夫的蓝色海水 Nattu拍摄
萨尔布肯吕之蓝色萨尔河 Wolfgang Staudt拍摄
Fahranleger Wittenbergen. Elbfoto拍摄
蓝色常与深邃、稳定联系在一起。它意味着放松、悲伤、和睦、孤独，象征着信任、忠诚、睿智、信念、智慧、信仰、真理、天堂。
浅蓝联系健康、康复、宁静、理解和温柔，而深蓝则代表知识、权利、正直和庄重。
有人认为，颜色有利于身心健康——减缓人类新陈代谢，产生镇静的作用。在纹章学中，蓝色象征虔诚和真挚。
蓝色也意味着冰冷和压抑，但研究已经表明人在蓝色的房间中更加有生产力。
Maratua 岛上的天堂. Riza 拍摄
Jon Lawrinson拍摄
Rayced拍摄
宁静之岛(秘鲁喀喀湖) David and Katarina拍摄
莫诺湖 Lexdenn拍摄
蓝色的苏必利尔湖 Spisharam拍摄
蓝色的运用
蓝色常用于促销与清洁净化有关的产品和服务——清洁用具、机场和航线的天空和空气、空调，或如瓶装水和海洋旅行。
与红橙黄这样的暖色系相反，蓝色和思想和智力有关。在高科技产品的促销中，用蓝色代表精确。
蓝色使人体产生镇静的化学物质，因此常把卧室涂成蓝色。
深蓝有关深邃、专长和稳定，因此对于美国人来说是最好的颜色。
长久以来被认为是阳性的或男性对其反应剧烈或联系密切的色彩是推销广告、网站和装潢业的最佳选择。
在促销食物和烹饪时避免用蓝色，因为这会倒胃口。
当与红黄这样的暖色运用到一起时，蓝色能制造出视觉冲击力。如红黄蓝的色彩设计用于超级英雄。
蓝色常用于网络浏览器中未被点击的链接，点击后则变为黄色、橙色或者紫色。
时尚顾问推荐在面试时穿蓝色的服装，因为这代表忠诚。
举重选手在蓝色体育馆表现最好，研究表明在蓝色体育馆，他们可以举起更重的重量。
FR Antunes拍摄
蓝色倒影 FR Antunes拍摄
蓝色倒影 Miyukiutada拍摄
北冰洋的蓝色倒影 Wili Hybrid拍摄
Lexdenn拍摄
蓝色倒影之布拉格 Jurek D拍摄
帕劳群岛之蓝色洞口 Jenny Huang拍摄
Alcudia 港口 Tygerlyl拍摄
Bowa的蓝色晨雾 Miyukiutada拍摄
马累环礁南部的蓝舟 Wili Hybrid拍摄
加利西亚的大西洋 Paulo Brandao拍摄
波斯湾霍尔木兹岛的沙滩 Hamed Saber拍摄
葡萄牙Amoreira Gustty 拍摄
日月潭 Enid Yu拍摄
从西西里岛陶尔米纳观赏Isolabella Daveness 98拍摄
蓝色海港 Thai Jasmine拍摄
位于帕莫顿附近的碳郡之蓝色山脉。长久以来，大面积熔炼锌严重破坏了当地环境，毁灭植被，从而加剧土壤侵蚀。不再熔炼后，现在这一地区成为超级投资工程的艰巨任务，植被不断增加，土壤也渐渐肥沃起来。 Nicholas T拍摄
蓝色之动物篇
当动物的皮毛被描述为蓝色时，通常是微微的灰色呈现出来的，淡化了纯黑色的皮毛。像狗、老鼠、猫、一些鸡类还有一些马都可能会是“蓝皮”。
孔雀 Daniel Fluck拍摄
孔雀 Hamed Saber拍摄
孔雀 Aussiegall拍摄
蓝鹦鹉 A Magill拍摄
蓝鹦鹉 Mr. Usaji拍摄
蓝色鸟 Chefranden拍摄
蓝色苍鹭 Mike Baird拍摄
蓝皮时的鸣鸟，在白昼到黑夜之间光线起魔术般变化时 Noel Zia Lee拍摄
Willgame拍摄
Notsogoodphotography拍摄
蓝色的大头金鱼 Kim Beckmann拍摄
海豚之舞 Kalandraka拍摄
蓝色毒蛙 J Pockele拍摄
巴厘岛鬣蜥 Riza拍摄
蓝色之食物篇
虽说蓝色是最受欢迎的颜色之一，但也是最倒胃口的颜色之一。研究表明其减缓人类新陈代谢，抑制胃口。
蓝莓 Lisa Norwood拍摄
食物研究员认为当人类觅食的时候，他们学会躲避有毒或腐败的食物，而这些食物通常是蓝色、黑色或者紫色的。
蓝色的食物在自然界很少见，最有名的就是蓝莓。
Scarleth White拍摄
Notsogoodphotography拍摄
哥斯达黎加有这样一个传说，当你在夜晚看到月亮周围有光晕环绕，称为水之月，这预示连续3到4天会有绵绵细雨，称为“temporala”。
Thombo2拍摄
飞翔的伽蓝鸟 Sir Mervs拍摄
电线上的鸟群 Neona拍摄
Lexdenn拍摄
蓝色之性别篇
蓝色是阳性色彩，在传统上用于男孩。据研究，蓝色在男性中认可度极高。但是，没有硬性规定哪种颜色阳性，哪种阴性，哪种中性。
无论男女，蓝色都是他们喜爱的颜色，但是男性对其有更强烈的偏爱。可能是因为其有镇静作用才受到两性的欢迎，抑或不管浅蓝深蓝都与权威、智力、稳定相关。
在1964年的色彩与性别报告中，女性喜爱青绿色——蓝色和绿色2种冷色的混合——比男性多。同样的研究发现“76%的女性偏爱冷色调。”
男性最喜爱的颜色前3名：蓝色、绿色和黑色（2种冷色，一种中性色）
女性最喜爱的颜色前3名：蓝色、绿色和紫色（全是冷色）
网络调查发现无论男女，蓝色都当仁不让是最受欢迎的颜色。
对于颜色的长期研究显示男性和女性对颜色的喜爱不同，其中一部分原因可能是由于色彩的文化运用。
因为色彩有很多色调和变化，有人可能喜欢浓艳的蓝色，而对浅蓝极具反感，所以对蓝色的偏爱并不意味着所有色调的蓝色都很吸引人。
蓝菊 Luza拍摄
蓝色鸢尾 Noel Zia lee拍摄
蓝莲 Tanakawho拍摄
Josef Stuefer拍摄
蓝玫瑰 Tanakawho拍摄
蓝天下的向日葵 Longhorndave拍摄
蓝色的荷花 Krikit拍摄
风水
在风水中，蓝色与清澈的天空和有治疗功效的甘露有关。在北方，蓝色属水。和谐的水元素会带来镇静、放松、纯净和清新的能量。水在古时候象征着充裕，因此它是有效的风水治疗方法。
颜色从柔和的青色，海水的蓝绿色，到天灵之源的靛蓝色。
柔和的蓝色是风水研究的首选，特别对天花板的颜色。一些研究表儿童在蓝色天花板下的表现要比在白色天花板下的出色。
浅蓝也是和谐柔和风水之色，而蓝色则会唤起安定平静的风水能量。据说放置一些深蓝色的物品在你的卧室，会提高睡眠质量。
风水概念中，在空间的南方、西方和西北方，要慎用深蓝色；而在北方、东方（健康和家庭）和东南放却可以随意使用。
据此可得，风水中最具有镇静功能之一的颜色搭配是蓝色和白色，因为这带给我们无限天空的想象，会用幸福之感。
蓝色旋梯 Extranoise拍摄
Jubilee Hills 公路检查站的蓝墙 Sukanto Debnath拍摄
FR Antunes拍摄
走向蓝色 Helmet13拍摄
Tanakawho拍摄
美国维吉尼亚，亚历山大的蓝伞 Andertho拍摄
蓝色的巴伦西亚 Ka13拍摄
摩洛哥蓝色街道 Bachmont拍摄
拉贾斯坦邦的蓝色街道 Orange Tuesday拍摄
北京寺庙屋顶的蓝色动物雕像 Cheesy42拍摄
蓝色蓄水池 Escariao拍摄
通往另一个世界的窗口 Angela7dreams拍摄
00dann拍摄
施工设备 on1site拍摄
蓝色之科学篇
声称能够用第三只眼看到辐射的通灵人说身上带有蓝色辐射的人是有灵性的。据说带有蓝色辐射的人对从事社会服务工作，如社会工作者、顾问、老师、作家以及心理学家感兴趣。
地球 Woodley Wonderworks拍摄
新时代女先知”Alice Bailey的哲学中，其称之为七道光线的体系把人类分为7种心理类型，第一道光线是以蓝色为代表的意志力。属于这种心理类型的人被叫做“蓝色光线”。
杜鹃花和蜜蜂 Aussiegall拍摄
蓝色蝴蝶 Hape Gera拍摄
蓝色蜻蜓 Krikit拍摄
Linh Ngan拍摄
蓝色之文化篇
现流行男性穿深色服装，如深蓝色职业套装在大约1995年起开始大受欢迎，而在20世纪70年代像美国议会此类机构主要领导人穿的浅色套装则不再流行。
深蓝色代表知识、权力、正直和庄重。在西方文化中，政治或经济圈的上等阶级通常会穿着深蓝套装。
在执法中，警察一般穿深蓝色，有时候是中等深浅的蓝色制服。
活跃的皮革亚文化之花色丝质大手帕代号是指，带有中等深浅的蓝色丝质大手帕的人迷恋和穿着警察制服的人发生性关系。
美国国旗的白色代表纯洁率真，红色代表英勇顽强，蓝色代表正义、坚定和警惕。星星代表天空和一切人类追求的美好，条纹则仿效太阳的光线。
在泰国，蓝色与泰国阳历的周五有关。任何人可以在周五穿蓝色服装，在周五生的人则会选择穿蓝色服装。
蓝冰 CTD 2005拍摄
阿根廷，艾尔卡拉法特之冰拱 Angela7dreams拍摄
阿根廷，艾尔卡拉法特的冰川破坏 Angela7dreams拍摄
马尼托巴，德卢斯，苏必利尔湖岸的冰石 Clairity 拍摄
蓝色之语言篇
在英语中，用蓝色表示速度为“a blue streak”，表示忠诚为“true blue”。汽车实际价值的查询是在“蓝皮书”中，蓝丝带则代表优秀。
蓝色也可指代心情沮丧，如“he was feeling blue（他心情不好）”。因为蓝色与雨或暴风雨有关，在希腊神话中，宙斯在伤心时会降雨，生气时会有暴风雨。
词组“feeling blue”也与关于旧帆船的风俗有关——如果在航海时船长或其他海上官员遇难，在返乡时，船上就会升起蓝旗，整艘船缠上蓝色的带子。
现代英语单词blue来源于中古英语，bleu或blwe，它们来源于古法语bleu，而其又以日耳曼——法兰克或古德语中的“shining”为起源。
蓝色之舞 Hoyasmeg拍摄
蓝色的不规则碎片 Fabio Pinheiro拍摄
垃圾 Iboy Daniel拍摄
蓝色的人工瀑布 Curly Exposure拍摄
蓝色羽毛 Tanakawho拍摄
资源：维基百科