WHY WE LOVE COLORFUL CIRCLES
The Science and Magic of Joyful Objects
This week, I am curious about joy – what brings us joy, and how do we find it? While pondering on these questions, I came across a TED talk by Ingrid Fetell Lee, who explores this exact question. She points out that even though joy is an emotion we feel, it often comes from things we can see, touch, or experience in the physical world.
So, what brings us joy? Ingrid describes joyful feelings that arise when we interact with joyful objects – a sense of the “shared humanity we find in the common experience of the physical world.” These joyful moments can be associated with tangible things like bubbles, balloons, or bouncy balls. When we reflect on what kinds of things bring us joy, patterns begin to emerge, pointing us toward something deeper than just playful aesthetics.
For starters, joy is associated with colorful objects. The human attraction to color is an interesting phenomenon, and there is a whole field dedicated to Color Psychology. One of the foundational values of Color Psychology is that color influences our mood: “When color is transmitted through the human eye, the brain releases a hormone which affects our moods, mental clarity and energy level” (Kathie Engelbrecht). Can you recall a moment when color sparked joy for you?
Just as color influences our mood, shape does too – joy is also associated with round objects. Many studies show that humans are naturally drawn to curved shapes over sharp ones. In this famous study participant’s amygdalas (the part of the brain that processes fear) became more active when they saw angular objects. This suggests that our brains may perceive sharp angles as potential threats, while round shapes feel safer, even joyful. When you think of objects that make you smile, are they curved, smooth, or round?
All this research got me thinking … hula hoops are round, colorful objects that bring us joy. How fitting! As hoopers, we all understand the magic inside the hoop. No matter your skill level or knowledge of hooping, joy is almost always guaranteed. Not only is this a shared experience that connects us, it is also, in many ways, supported by science.
Published by: Shae Nance