How do I know that the colours I see are the same as the ones you see?

Question

If you imagine the colour red, you know what it looks like. Now imagine the colour blue.

I often wonder if maybe some of us see the colour BLUE when we think RED, and the colour RED when we think BLUE.

Cause there would be no way of proving it. How can you describe a colour?

Most of these people don't understand my question. I know all about wavelengths and photons etc.

But what if my BRAIN translated those wavelengths that are absorbed by my eyes DIFFERENTLY than other people?

E.g. inside my brain the wire that shows RED was wired to the BLUE input and vice versa? Wouldn't I see BLUE as RED and RED as BLUE then?

Answer 1

I have often wondered the same thing! Not really sure because there is a certian color that I know of as RED, but I have no way of knowing if it looks the same through someone else's eyes. I would try to describe RED as hot, bold, loud and BLUE as cool, smooth, calm, soothing - but either one does not really give you any clue as to what exactly I'm seeing through my eyes! GREAT QUESTION!!

Answer 2

Colors have been given names, basically, randomly based on the roots of a given language. Otherwise, colors get their "color," or value, from the amount of light as it passes through the atmosphere and is reflected or absorbed by the object it hits. The "colors" are what they are based on this phenomenon and the language in question. If you feel you there is a disagreement between yourself and someone else about the color, you may have Color Blindness.

There are tests for Color Blindness. If you think you may be color blind, you can ask your eye doctor and he can give you a test. They're easy and actually fun.

Answer 3

You can't. The color you see is determoned by white light. For instance: If you were to put a red apple in a room with white light it would appear red, now, if you change the bulb to a black light the apple would appear purple, yellow light- pink apple, etc. Colors are abstract and appear to us in the shades of the light reflecting around it.

Answer 4

That's actually proven by science, i.e. how was it discovered that most animals see in grayscale colours...

I understand your point and don't always believe in science, but in this case I do...espcially that there is a standard definition for colours that I'll leave up to you to find out since I'm too tired...

You'll find it related to spectrals of light and photons frequency etc...

Answer 5

I think colors are described by their warm or cool factor. Like, it'd be hard to see blue for red when they're exact opposites. Blue is a cool tone. Red is a warm.

Answer 6

Ya know, I have asked myself that same question. Color is light, a ray. So it's not too abstract. Therefore I believe that we do see the same color. But we don't see most colors it would drive us crazy if we did..

Answer 7

I always wondered that.

Answer 8

Hey, huh?

Answer 9

ask the person

Answer 10

Well... good question, i don´t really know so...