An Expression of Personality

[Kirby]

I recently read a post (viewtopic.php?p=53413#p53413), which I found interesting. One of the users here mentioned that they viewed go as a way to express one's personality, and perhaps as a means to see the personalities of others.

I am curious if people think that their go reflects their personality.

I've never really thought about it much, so I wonder what people think of my personality. :-p

Also, are there any notable personality attributes that can be seen through the go of people that play on this forum?

[topazg]

I've never really thought about it much, so I wonder what people think of my personality. :-p

Honest, polite, non-aggressor

[daal]

I am curious if people think that their go reflects their personality.

I suspect our posts are more revealing.

[gowan]

"The board is a mirror of the mind of the players as the moments pass. When a master studies the record of a game he can tell at what point greed overtook the pupil, when he became tired, when he fell into stupidity, and when the maid came by with tea."

[Li Kao]

Being stupid, overly aggressive, trying to kill for no other reason than that it's fun and not thinking before acting.

That's one hell of a personality.

But does it describe me?

[antispin]

I'm quite skeptical of this often-heard claim that one's personality is reflected in a game of go.

Sure, people have different playing styles. But couldn't 'style' mostly be said to be an accumulation of knowledge and habits gained from experience?

My style these days favours 5-4 and 4-4 points, building large moyos / central influence, but that's because I've had interesting fighting games and some big wins playing like this. It would seem tenuous to link my personality into this at all (I'm a peaceful guy).

If someone defends unnecessarily, does it mean they are cowardly in life, or just that they are weak at reading / intimidated by the stronger player / lacking in go knowledge?

If someone attacks rashly at every opportunity in a game of go, is that person brash and aggressive in real life?

[Dusk Eagle]

My approach to the game can reflect my personality. I am super-competitive and do not like to lose, at Go or anything else. But I highly doubt my play accurately reflects my personality, and I am also skeptical that such a claim could hold up to scientific scrutiny (though I'm open to the possibility). I suspect you'll only get random matches of Go-personality to IRL-personality, or you'd have to frame a personality in broad terms ("you can be both peaceful and aggressive") that can apply to a large percentage of people.

[Actorios]

I clearly believe this is true but I wouldn't consider it in a litteral point of view. My statement is "your way to play go reflects some elements of your personality". I firmly believe that this is independent of style itself : I've changed my way to play on the influence of my teacher. If the shell has somehow changed, I remain the same within and given a choice in the game of expected outcomes, there is a matter of personal preference.
I don't think you can tell that someone is a serial killer just by looking at his go games (would be nice though to imagine a "go version" of "lie to me").

Not to talk about me but considering for example Cho Chikun, I've read and heard that his preference for territory and ability to survive in deep invasions could be linked to the fact that he was brought very young to Japan and felt unsecure at that time.

[SpongeBob]

I chose 'mostly', because I also think there is a connection. There are so many possibilities where to put your stone, the choice obviously tells something about your Go playing abilities and also about your personality. It is just like the way you play tennis or soccer or how you do your work tells something about your personality. Everthing you do you have choices and the way you choose to do it tells something about your personality. So this is nothing special and just for Go, I suppose.

This:

"The board is a mirror of the mind of the players as the moments pass. When a master studies the record of a game he can tell at what point greed overtook the pupil, when he became tired, when he fell into stupidity, and when the maid came by with tea."

goes a bit too far, especially the part with the maid.

[oso]

A more accurate translation from the original language might be "state of mind", rather than actual personality. One must keep these things in mind, because the sense of woerd in the professional western way was never really meant here.

Take my game, for example: in life I am extremely distracted and unfocused. This shows up quite clearly on the go board, where my games are all over the place. But when I take my adhd medication, the character of my games usually changes to a much more peaceful style, and much more territory oriented.

One could say that in the sense that our state of mind affects the quality of everything we do, so to does everything we do tell the quality and state of our mind.

[CSamurai]

All I can say is that I hope my play doesn't display anything about my personality.

If it does, I'm a crazed maniac who cuts wildly, and seeks to dominate everything.

I think that my go displays how focused I am fairly well. Some days, I can do no wrong, I think about the whole board, and everything seems to flow easily. I can see 10 moves at a glance, and sometimes I can even see the correct 10 moves. But some days I'm impulsive. I can't see anything, and I'm playing blind moves by taste. Some days, I can't find the flow at all. My stress level seems to equate to my agression on the board, and I lose a lot when I'm stressed out.

But I don't think it really reflects any deep truths about my personality.

[Laman]

i believe your go can say a lot about your personality, or at least some of your characteristics. i am not good enough to get much informations about others but i can clearly see how my go reflects my personality. maybe personality is too strong word for this discussion, but surely it applies to solving problems and facing a conflict.

it is not about whether you play for territory of influence, more about things like what do you do when you are winning / losing, how do you play when facing stronger / weaker opponent and so on

and if go wouldn't express your personality, it wouldn't be so good at teaching you virtues

[entropi]

I am pessimistic and enter the panic mode too early: When I see the opponent making a big moyo, I immediately feel the urge to invade. My opponent enters my moyo, the immediate feeling of "everything I gave up for building that moyo was for nothing" captures me.

Smallest disappointment, everything goes down: My invasion fails or lives too small, I feel like resigning and sometimes I do (sometimes without even noticing that I was in fact still ahead).

Then why did I answer, "No it doesn't reflect my personality". Because: When I am tired, I act without thinking.

In fact when I think, my play does reflect my personality. But I cannot change my vote. Not because I never ask for "undo", but because I don't know how to change it.
If it's possible I would like to change my vote...

[daal]

I am pessimistic and enter the panic mode too early: When I see the opponent making a big moyo, I immediately feel the urge to invade. My opponent enters my moyo, the immediate feeling of "everything I gave up for building that moyo was for nothing" captures me.

Smallest disappointment, everything goes down: My invasion fails or lives too small, I feel like resigning and sometimes I do (sometimes without even noticing that I was in fact still ahead).

I don't know what this says about our personalities, but apparently your emotional reactions to game situations are exactly like mine. I personally hope and expect that with more experience we will learn to listen to our emotions, but not act on their advice.

[Phelan]

I think your go reflects what's on your mind, but not your personality.