What does it mean when someone says "Orange is my favorite color"?

[DaVinci]

I know this is a silly question, but I'm in a silly mood. 

 

When someone says "My favorite color is orange" what does that mean? Is it an emotional response to seeing orange things? Is it a choice to like orange? Both?

 

Obviously saying orange is your favorite color doesn't mean you don't like the other colors. It just means you like orange more than red, yellow, green, blue and purple. Right? 

 

But why would someone like orange more than the other colors? When someone sees the color orange and they think "Yeah, that is the color I like the most" where is this response coming from? Maybe they had an orange shirt when they were a kid and orange reminds them of childhood? So then is liking orange in the present without choice? 

 

If someone did decide to not like orange more than the other colors anymore why would they do that? Why would they choose not to like something that is producing a good feeling inside of them when they see that color? 

 

I guess this is similar to food as well. Like, if someone said that chocolate was their favorite food. Well, why? Where do these preferences come from? 

 

[Filip S]

You have to ask the person why. Logically, if your favorite color is orange, it means that you like orange more than any other color. 

 

This is similar to any kind of preference, like music, movies, clothing, sexual orientation, etc. 

[DaVinci]

You have to ask the person why. Logically, if your favorite color is orange, it means that you like orange more than any other color. 

 

This is similar to any kind of preference, like music, movies, clothing, sexual orientation, etc. 

 

But where do these preferences come from? If someone says they like Jazz music above all other forms of music, well, why? Is it an emotional response? Is it a choice? 

[EclecticIdealist]

But where do these preferences come from? If someone says they like Jazz music above all other forms of music, well, why? Is it an emotional response? Is it a choice? 

That is a question that has intrigued philosophers, psychologists, neurobiologists, and others for a very long time.

 

There are a number of theories ranging the gamut from early childhood association with particular sensory stimuli while certain areas of their brain which are responsible for feelings of pleasure or pain were also being stimulated. Others have opined a pre-programmed set of evolutionary cues and programming. There is even some indication that a form of memory may be passed on through DNA; and if so, this might have an influence as well. Scientists don't really have a full explanation and it seems there are likely a multitude of factors involved, including (probably) some element of choice (which is also a highly debated subject, especially by determinists).

[DaVinci]

That is a question that has intrigued philosophers, psychologists, neurobiologists, and others for a very long time.

 

There are a number of theories ranging the gamut from early childhood association with particular sensory stimuli while certain areas of their brain which are responsible for feelings of pleasure or pain were also being stimulated. Others have opined a pre-programmed set of evolutionary cues and programming. There is even some indication that a form of memory may be passed on through DNA; and if so, this might have an influence as well. Scientists don't really have a full explanation and it seems there are likely a multitude of factors involved, including (probably) some element of choice (which is also a highly debated subject, especially by determinists).

Yeah, in regards to your last sentence I was wondering how this would work given free will. Cause a determinist would probably point to that the color orange is liked because of some earlier thing which is related to some earlier thing, etc. 

 

But if a choice can be made then why isn't it? Like, why does someone like orange today but not red tomorrow? Is there an emotional connection? Is it involuntary? 

[Mister Mister]

But where do these preferences come from? If someone says they like Jazz music above all other forms of music, well, why? Is it an emotional response? Is it a choice? 

  Probably, like most things, it is roughly 75% genes, 20% environment, and 5% choice.  Why is this important?

[DaVinci]

  Probably, like most things, it is roughly 75% genes, 20% environment, and 5% choice.  Why is this important?

It's just something I've been thinking about. As an artist I've noticed that a lot of the rules of making art seem to be related to the way humans view the world through their senses. Preferences seem like they might be getting informed by our biology, and I wonder to what degree. What degree do we like something because our biology is telling us, and what degree are we choosing to like something. 

 

Those ratios seem reasonable to me. 

[Mister Mister]

I see.  I didn't mean to be snarky about "why is this important", just curious.  I can certainly see from an artist's perspective why you would wonder this - I wonder the same kind of thing as a musician.  There are tones and harmonies which are naturally pleasing, and others which are more disturbing.  Music form and composition is really all about arranging these in such a way to achieve an effect on the listener.  Another way of saying it, is that most musicians are generally trying to push the boundaries of the sounds people are comfortable with, often the idea is to induce tension or discomfort, then to resolve it.  I wonder if it's the same for visual art.

[DaVinci]

I see.  I didn't mean to be snarky about "why is this important", just curious.  I can certainly see from an artist's perspective why you would wonder this - I wonder the same kind of thing as a musician.  There are tones and harmonies which are naturally pleasing, and others which are more disturbing.  Music form and composition is really all about arranging these in such a way to achieve an effect on the listener.  Another way of saying it, is that most musicians are generally trying to push the boundaries of the sounds people are comfortable with, often the idea is to induce tension or discomfort, then to resolve it.  I wonder if it's the same for visual art.

 

No, that's cool. I didn't think you were being snarky.

 

I think it is similar for visual art. There is a rule of visual art that says that weight should be put at the bottom of the piece and not at the top. When you think about it, that's very similar to the way we view the world. The heavy ground is at the bottom of our vision and the light airy sky is at the top. 

 

Or the idea of focal points. A good composition has a focal point. Is this because people have a tendency to find focal points in real life and so they look for focal points in art? 

 

So it leads me to question how much of this stuff is being informed by our biology and how much we are choosing to like, and why. Because like you say some people push boundaries on what is liked or acceptable, and some people like things that go against what would be the more biologically based idea of "correct". 

[EclecticIdealist]

Yeah, in regards to your last sentence I was wondering how this would work given free will. Cause a determinist would probably point to that the color orange is liked because of some earlier thing which is related to some earlier thing, etc. 

 

But if a choice can be made then why isn't it? Like, why does someone like orange today but not red tomorrow? Is there an emotional connection? Is it involuntary? 

In my opinion, most people do not properly understand Free will. Free will, properly understood, necessarily incorporates determinism. Free will is the notion that a person consciously chooses their response to situations--conscious self-determination, i.e., the individual consciously deciding how to act rather than reacting or acting unconsciously or according to the programmed response generated by another (through hypnosis or subconscious programming for example). But that choice is based on what? It is informed by past experiences, genetic and physiologically determined biases and preferences, and cognitive evaluation of the situation on the basis of past experiences, and presently held beliefs, and ideals. In short, Free will is choice that is actually predetermined by the person's disposition to choose and the physical sensations that inform that decision which will likely inform future decisions. A part of the brain processes our experiences and generates an emotional response to the experience. This emotional response is mapped onto certain ideas and concepts and informs future decisions.