Setting: A cozy noodle shop in Chengdu. Two old friends, Li Hua (the superstitious one) and Chen Wei (the rational thinker), sit by the window sipping tea and sharing a plate of dumplings.
Li Hua: (gesturing to his new red phone case) Look at this beauty! Red! Bought it for good luck. Ever since I changed it, my online orders arrive faster. Coincidence? I think not.
Chen Wei: (laughs) Or maybe JD just improved their delivery system. You know, AI and logistics and all that?
Li Hua: Pfft. You and your AI. I’m telling you, red brings prosperity. It’s been true for centuries! Weddings, Lunar New Year, red envelopes — not a single unlucky event involved red.
Chen Wei: Not directly, no. But think about it — do people use red because it’s lucky, or is it “lucky” because we keep associating it with happy events?
Li Hua: That’s the same thing!
Chen Wei: Not quite. It’s a psychological thing called “association bias.” You see red at weddings and festivals — joyful moments — so your brain starts linking the color with good outcomes. But that doesn’t mean the color causes those outcomes.
Li Hua: But why do bad things never happen when I wear red? I wore red socks during my last three job interviews. Got two offers and one “we’ll call you.” Coincidence again?
Chen Wei: Okay, first of all, maybe you’re just good at interviews. Second, I wore a blue tie to mine, and I still got hired. Should I start worshipping navy blue?
Li Hua: Blue is too cold! Red is warm, passionate — it stirs the chi!
Chen Wei: Chi aside, if red were scientifically proven to bring luck, wouldn’t all investors just wear red suits to boost their stocks?
Li Hua: Who says they don’t? Ever seen stock brokers on Chinese New Year?
Chen Wei: Fair, but think of this: red also raises heart rate and anxiety levels. There’s research showing that students exposed to red before tests perform worse — it’s called the “red effect.” It’s not universally positive.
Li Hua: Maybe that’s because they weren’t using the right shade of red. Blood red is bad. Prosperity red — the lucky one — is different!
Chen Wei: (grins) Now you sound like you’re shopping for paint swatches.
Li Hua: Don’t mock it. My aunt once changed the paper on her front door from beige to red, and a week later her son passed the civil service exam.
Chen Wei: Maybe he just studied?
Li Hua: Studied extra hard because of the red inspiration!
Chen Wei: So red is like motivational caffeine now?
Li Hua: Exactly! Visual energy!
Chen Wei: Look, I get it. I’m not saying traditions are bad — they’re part of our identity. Red at weddings? Beautiful. Red lanterns? Love them. But there’s a difference between honoring tradition and attributing magical powers to a pigment.
Li Hua: Well, Mr. Science, tell me this — if you ever got into trouble, would you reject a red string bracelet from your grandma?
Chen Wei: Honestly? No. I’d wear it. Not because I think it has powers, but because she does. And that love and care — that’s real energy.
Li Hua: Exactly! So maybe luck is not in the color, but in the intention?
Chen Wei: Now that I can agree with. Red isn’t lucky because it’s red — it’s lucky because we believe it is, and that belief can shape behavior. Maybe that’s the magic.
Li Hua: (nodding thoughtfully) Hmm. So you’re saying my red phone case didn’t make my delivery faster… but it made me check the tracking more often?
Chen Wei: Now you’re thinking like a scientist.
Li Hua: Don’t push it. I’m still painting my scooter red next week.
Chen Wei: Just don’t paint your driving record red too.
Li Hua: Ha! Touché. More dumplings?
Chen Wei: Always.
Science Vs Superstition 
Tell Us What You Think