If you’re a fan of color psychology, you may have heard of the concept of “personality colors.” In many cases, your personality color is simply your favorite color.
Different colors are associated with different emotions, so when you gravitate toward a certain shade, it may exemplify some of your personality traits (for instance, if white is your favorite color, you might be a very peaceful person).
Red is a bold, energetic color, so if you have a red personality type, you’re confident and exude positive energy. But that’s only the beginning — let’s take a look at what a red personality really is.
General Traits of the Red Color Personality
If you’re at all familiar with color theory, you know that different colors inspire different emotional (and sometimes even physiological) reactions in us. Naturally, if you have a red personality, you regularly feel and exhibit many of the emotions associated with red.
Here are some characteristics of a red color personality.
The Red Personality: Positive Traits
There’s a lot to like about red — it’s bright, bold, and intense. So it’s no surprise that there are plenty of positive traits associated with the red personality.
Ambition
Red is a high-energy color that draws the eye, so it’s no wonder that the red personality is an ambitious one. Red personalities do more than just come up with goals, though — they also have the energy to follow through and work toward achievements.
Strong-Mindedness
The strength of the color red comes through in the confidence and strong-mindedness of the red personality. These personalities are bold, determined, and opinionated, and they’re always willing to do what needs to be done.
Passion
Red is often considered to be the color of passion, both positive (love) and negative (anger). More often than not, the passion of red personalities serves them well. They have a passion and enthusiasm for both special interests and life as a whole.
Extroversion
When you look at the color red, it’s easy to see why red personalities are typically extroverts. Much like a highly social person, red is noticeable, attention-grabbing, and high-energy.
Energy
Even looking at the color red can increase your metabolism, boost your heart rate, and raise your blood pressure, so this color can energize you in a way few colors can. Fittingly, red personalities are highly energetic.
Logical Thinking
Most red personality types value logic over emotion, especially when making decisions. Their logical thinking fits in nicely with their ambition — once a red personality has identified a goal, they’ll use logic and determination to get to it!
The Red Personality: Negative Traits
Every color has both positive and negative emotions associated with it, so if you have a red personality, you might notice some not-so-great traits, too.
Aggression
The color red is often associated with aggression and risk. In one study, men wearing red were perceived as more dominant, aggressive, and angry than men wearing blue or gray. Interestingly enough, red only changed men’s perception of other men — color didn’t affect women’s perception of dominance or aggression.
If you’re a red personality type, you might be prone to bouts of aggression. In some arenas (like sports), this can be a good thing. But when it comes to interpersonal relationships, aggression can prove to be destructive.
Impatience
More often than not, good things take time. But when you’re a red personality type, that can be hard to remember. Red personalities often have trouble waiting for results or things that they want. If your impatience is severe enough, it can start to disturb your inner peace, so this is definitely something to work on.
Quickness to Anger
Red is associated with anger in cultures across the world, so it makes sense that red personality types are often short-tempered. If this describes you, it might be wise to follow the time-tested advice of counting to 10 each time you’re angry.
Impulsiveness
If you have a red personality type, you may sometimes find yourself acting before thinking. Sometimes, impulsive actions can help you secure fleeting opportunities. But in other cases, acting this way can get you into trouble!
Attention-Seeking
Red is an attention-grabbing color — that’s why it’s a warning sign in nature (and it’s often used for warnings in the human world, too). So logically, someone with a red personality can be attention-seeking. That’s not always a bad thing, as these personalities can be exuberant and fun to be around. But too much attention seeking can be quite off-putting.
What Types of Careers Are Good for Red Personalities?
Your personality shapes the way you interact with the world. And if you have a red personality, you can harness some of the positive aspects of your personality and make a great career for yourself.
In general, red personalities prefer careers that give them autonomy, leadership opportunities, and a chance to interact with others. Here are a few careers you may be drawn to as a red personality:
Sales
To succeed in sales, you must have a great work ethic, determination, and the ability to build rapport with people. The extroverted, goal-oriented red personality does quite well with this.
Business Manager
It takes organization and efficiency to succeed as a business manager, and red personalities have no shortage of either. Their leadership abilities and energetic personalities make them great at inspiring and motivating teams, and they’re detail-oriented enough to keep track of all the loose ends that come with running a business. However, this position can sometimes try a red personality’s patience.
Executive
Working at the executive level in a company isn’t for everyone. To be a great CEO or other executive, you need to be ambitious and comfortable interfacing with a wide range of people. You also need to be a natural leader, and if you’re a red personality, you certainly are!
A good executive is also decisive — when you’re in charge of a company, there’s no room for waffling. For some personality types, this position can be overwhelming. But for most people with a red personality, it’s a welcome challenge.
Lawyer
Red personalities excel when it comes to analysis and logical thinking, so working as a lawyer is a great option if you have this personality type. If you have a red personality, you’ll probably enjoy the challenge of developing and deploying strategies. If you’re a trial attorney, your engaging and dynamic personality just might help you win over a jury, too.
Technology Professional
Like the legal field, the technological field requires organized, logical thinking. Whether it’s developing an app or troubleshooting a software issue, the red personality can handle it!
Athletic Trainer
Many (though not all) red personalities like to channel their energy through physical activity. Working as an athletic trainer lets you do that while also putting your leadership abilities to work. If you’re a red personality with a passion for fitness, you can share that passion while helping other people lead healthier lives.
Stockbroker
Being a stockbroker can be challenging, but it’s also a rewarding and potentially lucrative profession. If you’re a red personality type with an interest in finances, you might enjoy this type of career. If you’re good at following and predicting market trends while also putting your analytical skills to work, there’s a chance you’d make a successful stockbroker.
What If You Dislike Red?
The colors you like can tell you a lot about your personality. Some people even have multiple personality colors! But did you know that the colors you don’t like can also teach you about yourself?
As you might have guessed, if you dislike red, you may have some personality traits that are the direct opposite of the red personality. But often, it’s a little more complicated than that. Here’s what it might mean if you have a strong dislike of red:
You’re Stressed
If you’re under a lot of stress, red can push you into sensory overload. Piling on passion and high energy might be too much if you’re already having a difficult time.
You’re Not a Risk-Taker
Not everyone enjoys the feeling of taking on a major risk. If you dislike red, you might find risk-taking overly stressful and prefer to stick to careful decisions.
You Have Trouble Dealing With Anger
Of all the colors in the world, red is arguably the one most associated with anger. And if anger (your own or other people’s) is generally difficult for you to confront, even the color red itself can inspire a negative reaction.
You’re Over-Tired
If you’re ill or chronically exhausted, you might seek out calm, relaxing situations. Red is emphatically not a relaxing color, so if you find you don’t like it, that might be part of why.
Discovering Yourself Through Your Personality Color
Color personalities are a fascinating subject that can sometimes help you gain insight into yourself. However, it’s good to keep in mind that it isn’t an exact science.
If you see facets of the red personality (or any other color personality) that don’t describe you, that’s perfectly ok! Don’t take things too seriously, and don’t forget to have fun on your journey of self-discovery.
Learn more about other personality colors and find out what they say about people.
