How Would You Describe the Color Red to Someone Blind from Birth? Share Your Thoughts!

You are sitting in front of a panel for an interview. They ask you only one question. You have to make the right impression with the answer. Normal rules of giving an answer apply here, as if the answer is too long, the interviewer might get bored. If it's too obvious, you fail to make a dent. And the worst part... there is NO RIGHT ANSWER.

So here's the question: How will you describe the color red to a person who is blind from birth?

Take a minute to think about it... Go ahead... rake your grey cells.

Enjoy!

Mathew.

PS: If you want, I can give you a professional opinion of your answer.

Hi,

This is tricky! But I think it has something to do with how you perceive the color "red." My first reaction was to suggest something about heat, warmth, etc. Another idea would be that when anyone closes his or her eyes (i.e., people who are not blind), they see some reddish/orangish patches. I don't know if it is the same for people who are blind. For some reason, I think it would be, although I know that these patches are a result of the light that enters our eyes. But if I am right, explaining that would be a good way.

Actually, this question really got me thinking because I feel that we are very lucky to have no such problems. So please excuse me if all that I have written seems to be gibberish! Can I know what the answer can be?

Cheers,
Pallavi

Pallavi, as I said, there is no right answer to the question, and I agree we are very fortunate to have sight when many don't. However, as guidelines, when such a question is asked, one should take a moment to think why the question was asked. Then one should put oneself in the shoes of the interviewer and think that if you were the person asking this question, what would impress you or what would you look for. Then think of the role you are applying for and consider if any aspect of the role has anything to do with the answer.

Regards,
Mathew

PS: I could post the best reply I have got for this question, but maybe I should give junta a chance for some more time.

Hi,

Your question really got me thinking... I guess my answer would be very similar to the one Pallavi gave. Could you please specify for which type of jobs this question is typically asked? If possible, please share the best response.

Regards,
Ronnie

Hi,

Well, if I were in a position where I had to explain a color, whether red or any other, to a blind person, I would talk to the person. The conversation would revolve around the person's perception of the world. How does the blind person 'see' the world? How does he/she 'perceive' the world? From the answers, I will get the line of explanation. In fact, from the answers, I might as well discover that colors have no meaning for the blind. For them, the touch, the feel, the texture is more important and significant.

Explaining the color red, or for that matter any other color, will be a useless and meaningless exercise. I don't know what the interviewer will think of this answer, but I guess I would rather make the blind person 'see' the things in the 'language' (of touch) that they understand, rather than colors.

I feel the answer lies in the question itself.

Colour is seen and the BLIND can't see. The panel wants to know from the candidate how he would tackle a difficult situation. It may be their way of judging the problem-solving capability of the candidate.

Being a Dr., I feel that HOT would be the best way to explain RED to a blind. RED is always associated with HOT, as in Red-Hot iron or Red and Hot in Inflammation.

Pallavi seems to be right.

Dr. V. S. Rege

Dear Matthew,

This is a very tricky question, but I feel that if it is asked in an interview, it must be related to testing the psychology of the candidate. How a candidate associates his or her thoughts with the color someone will give an answer such as blood, rose, or love, etc., can help in assessing his or her psychological traits. However, it is rightly said that there is no right answer.

Good one, keep posting.

I will place something hot in his hands and then say, "Feel it."
Same color as red.
Same color as when the sun rises.

Dear All,

Actually, feeling does not create an image, especially for those born blind who cannot visualize images in their minds. Therefore, sensations such as touching heat, fire, or slapping, and even closing our eyes to see colors, are all incorrect ways to imagine. It is challenging for anyone, including ourselves, to imagine something unknown solely based on feelings.

For instance, while we can feel the air around us, can we truly imagine how it looks? The reason we cannot is that we have never seen it (and there are no visual representations of air). Similarly, trying to form an image of an unknown object through touch or feeling alone is impossible. Thus, the answer should differ from these methods.

I am eagerly awaiting your responses. Let us see how Matthew will address this topic...

Regards,
Uday

Q: How would you describe the color red to a person who is blind since birth?

I feel this question does have an answer, if taken per se. Let's leave aside the question being asked in an interview and think only about the question. The question is how to describe - as we have seen earlier here, hot (temperature) would be the best to describe the color red to a congenitally blind person. Being blind, his sense of touch may be highly activated, and he would easily understand the description. Also, both in nature and in science, red is almost always associated with hot. Red chili, red hot iron, red hot sun, red blood, reddishness of inflammation are some examples. Now, please do not reply saying a red rose looks cool! I may not agree with you. To describe here would mean to associate or try to establish a simile and not to actually make him see red!

Hey, and try asking this question to a blind person who is not congenitally blind. He will give you the same answer. He has actually seen red, go ahead and ask him.

Example: Every one of us feeling the air, can you imagine how it looks like?

Dear Uday, about your above-mentioned example - Life is all about perception and non-perception. When you look up at the motionless ceiling fan, all you can see is the three blades which hamper your clear view of the ceiling above. Put the fan on maximum rotating speed and lo! You can actually see the ceiling through the fan! What a magic. You can then feel the air too that was present even when the fan was off.

Dear Vsrege,

I am not clear about your answer. Are you explaining the shape of the air or the fan? From your example, I could understand that we can feel the air but not the shape of the air because it has no shape. Similarly, a blind person also can't imagine the color because they have never seen it before (I am referring to a person blind from birth).

Regards,
UDAY

I can't! I can't explain a color to a blind person. I am not blind. I don't know how it is to be blind. Even if I were to go blind today, I will still not be able to understand how a person born blind perceives the world because I have been fortunate enough to know how it is to have visual senses. I can never know how it is to be totally blind by birth. And I don't pretend to understand how a blind person perceives the world or colors. I dare not pretend I do by trying to explain how, I think, a person born blind perceives the world or colors. That would be an insult to the visually challenged!

--Som G

:arrow: How will you describe the color red to a person who is blind from birth?

Hi, I believe that if this question is asked in an interview, then it's clear that the person is being judged upon his power of visualization. How can a person make others see what he wants to explain/show to them? As we move up the management level, this power should be enhanced in order to be able to forecast, plan, and get in sync with the vision of the organization.

As far as the answer is concerned, there is no correct or wrong answer to this question. One would take an approach according to his/her personality trait.

Hi all,

Apart from associating with 'hot', most blind people must have crossed roads at some point in their lives. They likely have heard that traffic stops at a red light, and then they can cross when all traffic has stopped. They can see the color red as a signal of urgency or a sign to move. God knows how they perceive and relate colors to something, but somehow, I feel they do.

Hi,

I totally agree with Uday. How can we describe a particular thing to a blind person who has never seen it before? My answer to this question is, as Pallavi said, we could relate the color with a sense of feeling. It is universally known that red refers to heat/danger, etc. Only heat can be felt, so I would relate the color red to heat. However, he could understand the relation but couldn't imagine it. Therefore, my opinion is that describing a particular color to a congenitally blind person is impossible.

I think he has to say, "Baby, what do you feel with the touch of your mommy? What do you feel in the taste of chocolate? What do you feel while playing with your favorite toy? And what do you feel when your papa is full of energy?" Dear boy, all of this is the color red.

Dear Uday,

I am sorry that I could not make you understand what I wanted to say. As a science graduate, I am aware that air per se has no shape. I was just trying to explain the DRUSHTIBHRAM or illusion phenomenon in the wake of your example and not trying to establish any shape to any air. I am sorry I failed in explaining it to you. I shall try and improve.

My example has to be "read in between the lines" and not per se. I hope you understand what this means. Take care. When your third eye (perception) is highly developed, you may see even with blind eyes. Keep smiling! Life is beautiful - even to a blind person who can't see only the visible things.

Dear Friends,

Shabda, Sparsh, Rasa, Roopa, Gandha, and Shakti (Spoken Word, Touch, Essence, Form, Fragrance, and Energy) are six inseparable constituents of any matter. Though the blind cannot see red, he can be spoken to and made to understand the other five aspects.

You take any one aspect, and the rest automatically follow. Any one aspect well understood and comprehended by the blind does not make him see red but feel it; sense it. Moreover, he may be spiritually gifted, and it is possible that he teaches you more subtleties of red than you and I know. To conclude with an off-the-tangent quote: "None so blind as those who do not wish to see!"

Best Regards to all.

Mahesh G Mehta
9272965610
maheshgmehta@gmail.com
27/09/2009, 5:15 PM