Why has your spouse and you have been seeing the color purple?

The human mind is a very interesting thing. I am willing to bet that you really aren't seeing more of the colour purple, but are just registering it more.

Most of us will not note something we are not already interested in... the best example I can think of for this is when someone wants to purchase a car.

The make and model, size and price are pretty much things you want in a specific manner, the colour however is an option that you choose.

If you choose a car of a colour, lets say purple. You pick purple because you don't think there are many other purple cars, you like the colour and it would make yours car easier to find in a crowded parking lot.

All of a sudden, you now start seeing all the other purple cars... because you had not registered that colour as "yours" you hadn't noticed it. Now that your own car is purple you see dozens of them.

Okay, purple cars aren't that common, but you can see where I am going with this. However the analogy is sound.

There is another part to this, people who manufacture cars, clothes, etc. are always on the look out for a new trend. So when someone introduces a colour to the public awareness, as it becomes more in demand, it is made more often.

So, perhaps, not only are you seeing the colour purple more often because you now notice it, but also, because more people have noticed it and they are using it more frequently.