Max Lüscher facts for kids
Max Lüscher (born September 9, 1923, died February 2, 2017) was a smart person from Switzerland. He was a psychotherapist, which is someone who helps people with their feelings and thoughts. Max Lüscher is famous for creating the Lüscher color test. This test uses colors to understand how a person is feeling inside, both physically and emotionally. Besides helping people in Basel, Switzerland, Lüscher also worked with big companies, giving advice about colors. His book, The Lüscher Test, has been translated into more than 30 languages around the world.
Contents
Max Lüscher's Life Story
Max Lüscher was born in Basel, Switzerland, on September 9, 1923. After finishing school, he studied many interesting subjects. He focused on psychiatry, which is about mental health. He also studied philosophy, psychology, and the philosophy of law.
His Important Studies
Lüscher earned a special degree called a doctorate. His main project for this degree was about "Color as an aid in psychological diagnosis." This means he studied how colors could help understand people's minds. His professors thought his work was excellent, giving it the highest honor, summa cum laude.
Creating the Color Test
After his studies, Max Lüscher worked as a psychotherapist. In 1947, he created his very first color test. This test used special color cards. People would choose the colors they liked best. This helped Lüscher understand how they were feeling emotionally at that moment.
From 1961 to 1965, Lüscher lived in Berlin. He continued his work helping people as a psychotherapist. He was also well-known for giving talks and training sessions to doctors. Today, his "Lüscher Color-Diagnostics" are used in many universities around the world.
How the Lüscher Color Test Works
The Lüscher Color-Diagnosis test uses specific colors. These colors were chosen because of how people usually feel about them. When someone takes the test, they first pick the color card they like the most. Then, they arrange all the other cards from their most favorite to their least favorite.
Understanding the Results
Each color card has a number on its back. After the person arranges the cards, the examiner turns them over. The examiner then looks at a special book. This book has all the different number combinations. It explains what each combination means.
Max Lüscher believed that the colors a person chooses show their emotional state. It also shows how they feel about themselves. He thought it could reveal their physical and mental well-being.
The Four Main Colors and Their Meanings
Lüscher connected four main colors to important feelings and ideas:
- Blue: Contentment
- This color is about feeling like you belong. It's also about inner connections and relationships with people close to you.
- It shows "How I feel towards a person that is close to me."
- Green: Self-respect
- Green is about having inner control and willpower. It also relates to how much you can enjoy things.
- It shows "The way I want to be."
- Red: Self-confidence
- Red is about being active and having drive. It shows how you react when you face challenges.
- It shows "How I react to challenges."
- Yellow: Development
- Yellow is about looking forward to the future. It shows your attitude towards new things happening and new people you meet.
- It shows "What I expect for the future."
In 1984, a study compared the Lüscher color test with another test called the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. The study found that the two tests didn't always agree. Because of this, the authors suggested that people should be careful when using the Lüscher color test.
See also
In Spanish: Max Lüscher para niños
