Which of the following statements about color blindness is NOT true, based on how this visual condition actually affects people in daily life?

Introduction / Context:
Color blindness, more accurately called color vision deficiency, is a common inherited condition that affects how people perceive different colors. Many myths circulate about what color blind people can or cannot see, and competitive exams often test whether you can separate such myths from facts. This question asks you to identify the statement that is NOT true about color blindness from a set of realistic sounding options.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The topic is color blindness, a defect in color perception due to problems with cone cells in the retina.

• Several statements describe how color blind people see the world and cope in daily life.

• You need to pick the one statement that is factually incorrect, that is, not true.

• We assume typical inherited red–green color vision deficiency, which is the most common type.

Concept / Approach:
Color blindness usually results from the absence or malfunction of one or more types of cone photoreceptor cells in the retina. Most affected individuals have difficulty distinguishing between certain colors, especially shades of red and green, or blue and yellow. Very few people have total color blindness (achromatopsia) in which the world appears in shades of grey. Most color blind people can still see many colors and adapt by using other visual cues, such as brightness, position, and patterns. Therefore, the key is to identify which option describes an extreme, incorrect view of color blindness, namely that all color is completely absent in every case.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Consider the statement that red–green color blindness is the most common type of color blindness. This is a well known fact about inherited color vision deficiencies and is true. Step 2: Look at the statement that many color blind people rely on shapes, patterns, and positions, for example the order of traffic light colors, to identify signals. This is also true and reflects real life coping strategies. Step 3: Evaluate the statement that for some people with color blindness it can be difficult to recognize the exact colors of traffic lights and warning signs. This is realistic and true, because confusing red with green can cause practical difficulties. Step 4: Examine the statement that color blindness is usually inherited and more common in males. This matches X linked inheritance of many red–green defects and is true. Step 5: Now focus on the statement that a color blind person cannot see any colors and sees everything only in black and white. This describes complete achromatopsia, a rare condition, and does not apply to the vast majority of color blind people. Step 6: Since the question asks for the statement that is NOT true in general, the black and white only description is the incorrect one.

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard ophthalmology and biology references explain that most color blind individuals have a partial deficiency, not a total loss of color. Diagrams often show how red–green color blindness makes some shades look similar rather than eliminating all color. In daily life, many color blind people drive safely by relying on the fixed vertical position of red, yellow, and green lights. These facts confirm that complete absence of color is not typical of color blindness, and that the statement claiming no color perception at all is generally false for this condition.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Many color blind people learn to rely on shapes, patterns, and positions: This is true; it describes a common adaptation strategy.

Red–green color blindness is the most common type: This is correct and supported by genetic data.

Difficulty recognizing traffic light colors: Also true, because red–green confusion can make red and green lights hard to distinguish in some situations.

Color blindness is usually inherited and more common in males: This is true due to X linked inheritance of many color vision defects.

Common Pitfalls:
A very common misconception is that all color blind people see the world in black and white, just like an old film. This leads to confusion between typical color vision deficiency and the rare condition of total color blindness. Another pitfall is to underestimate how well color blind individuals can adapt using non color cues. Remember that most color blind people still experience a colored world, but with certain confusions, especially among shades that look distinct to people with normal color vision.

Final Answer:
The statement that is NOT true is that a color blind person cannot see any colors and sees the world only in black and white.