Colors appear everywhere in our daily lives from nature to food to clothes and other products. Often times colors influence our preferences for clothing, food, and many other things in ways that we don't tend to realize. That's why many owners of stores use specific colors such as red, yellow, and blue to attract attention and draw in customers.

One of the most popular icebreakers when meeting someone new is 'what is your favorite color?'

This being so, I started wondering about the different meanings of colors and why people have a favorite color in the first place. Colors describe and represent personalities and experiences. These are some of the meanings behind the basic colors:

Red = power & love

Orange = energy & happiness

Yellow = curiosity & confidence

Green = envy & security

Blue = peace & loyalty

Purple = creativity & elegance

Pink = feminine & fun

Brown = comfort & rugged

Black = moody & sophistication

White = innocence & perfection

Grey = indecision & open-minded

I asked a group of my friends what their favorite color was and why. These were some of the most interesting and thought-provoking answers I received:

"Blue/purpley-grey because it's the color of fog." ~ female, 20

"Black because it's like my soul; empty but with depth." ~ female, 19

"Grey because it's a beautiful color and doesn't need vibrancy to make it that way; it's in its own category." ~ male, 21

"A mix between baby blue and light green because in different lighting, it can either be blue or green." ~ female, 21

"White because it reminds me of snow and it can be colored anything and influenced by things around it; just like me" ~ female, 19

I found these intriguing because they had more complex or profound answers than "just because" or it being a reminder of some object or feeling. The first one surprised me because I never would've thought of a color like fog; it's unique.

These were the other responses:

"Yellow because it just makes me feel warm and happy and the prettiest things are yellow." ~ female, 19

"Turquoise because it reminds me of the blue skies and oceans." ~ female, 29

"Blue because it's the most visually satisfying/appealing to me." ~ male, 32

"Dark green because it's earthy and gold because it's sparkly like my personality." ~ female, 21

"Blue because it's calming and reminds me of the ocean." ~ female, 20

"Red because 'Merica." ~ male, 19

"Bright orange because it always uplifts me and makes me smile/feel good." ~ female, 52

"Blue because I love the ocean." ~ female, 19

"Purple because it's a calming color." ~ male, 20

"Light pink because it's a happy, calming color and reminds me of babies and flowers." ~ female, 17

"Purple because it makes me happy." ~ female, 20

"Blue because it's a very cozy color and I like what it represents, wisdom and loyalty." ~ male, 19

"Green because it's all good things and nature!" ~ female, 20

"Blue because there's a lot of variations and it's nice to look at." ~ female, 20

"Red because it just always has been." ~ male, 23

"Blue because it's beautiful." ~ female, 21

"Lime green because it's bright and bold, stands out in a crowd, and is rarely seen." ~ female, 19

"Blue because it reminds me of the ocean and the sky." ~ male, 28

One of the most popular responses was blue because it's everywhere: the ocean, the sky. The colors people choose depend on their perspective of colors but often relate to an event or memory and usually makes them feel good. Our surroundings can also play a big part in influencing the colors we choose as our favorites. If you're surrounded by nature, colors reflecting that may become the ones you love the most. If you're surrounded by buildings, you may find that you enjoy the colors you rarely see because they stand out more.