Everyone has varying opinions about which colors are their favorite and least favorite. When you look at a rainbow at surface level, it’s easy to see why. Each color has its own fans merely because of how each looks aesthetically. But, if you really look deeper, you’ll see that the true best color is pink.
First, let’s take a look at the history of the color. The term ‘pink’ was first used in 800 B.C. in ‘Odyssey’ by Homer. The word was used in the 17th century to describe the ruffled petals of carnations. However, pink as a color existed long before it was named. Scientists have discovered the pigments in fossilized cyanobacteria, one of the earliest life forms on Earth. According to a Smithsonian magazine, these organisms are 1.1 billion years old.
However, age itself does not make pink the best. So, what does? The answer to that is the meaning behind it. Pink symbolizes many things. Femininity, healing, innocence, peace, playfulness, romance, sweetness, tranquility, and warmth are all things we associate with the color. Notice how not one of these emotions is negative; they’re all very positive.
What we associate with the color is also important. Pink evokes images of a beautiful sunset for some, while for others, it conjures up thoughts of a delicate yet beautiful flower. When Haily Hulbert, a student at Quartz Hill High School, was asked why pink is her favorite color, this is what she responded with: “Pink is my favorite color because it reminds me of lalaloopsy and shopkins. It reminds me of my favorite Disney Princess, Aurora.” This suggests that pink can also evoke memories of our childhood for some of us. All the positive feelings, curiosity, and simplicity of being a child are represented through the color pink.
For example, pink can represent a wide range of things and appear in various forms. Each shade evokes a different emotion in people. A dark pink can be moody. A bright, neon pink can make you feel energetic and happy. A light pink can make you feel calm. So calm, in fact, that many prisons use a specific shade of pink all over the walls and floors to reduce hostility in inmates. This specific shade is called Baker-Miller Pink, but it’s also known as Drunk Tank Pink. “…another study on prisoners and male university students acting as prisoners found that Baker-Miller pink walls and pink-filtered light could reduce the time to people thus becoming calmer,” said Professor Alexander Schauss, who conducted studies on the shade and its effects on aggressiveness.
Overall, pink is an incredibly versatile color, not to mention that it pairs well with almost every other color. It reminds people of all the positive things. It has a great deal of beautiful symbolism behind it. Even though pink is not a color of the rainbow, it’s the best color under the sun.
