Kokology: Caught in the Rain

Kokology- [Japanese, kokoro, mind, spirit, feelings + Greek, logia, the study of] 1. A series of psychological games designed to uncover emotional and behavioral traits of the players  2.  A popular term for the interpretation of the hidden meanings of human behavior and situational responses -- kokologist n -- kokological - adj -- kokologize v

"When we set out to develop Kokology, our first and foremost goal was to make it fun.  After all, who in their right mind would want to play a game that isn't?  The basic concept was already there --- or plan was to create a game where people would imagine themselves in everyday situations and unusual scenarios and respond to simple questions.  The answers are interpreted from a psychological perspective and tell us something about the way that person's mind works.  It's kind of like a Rorschach test that uses words instead of inkblots". -- Tadahiko Nagao

 Eight Tips For Playing Kokology

1. Say the first thing that pops into your head.  The game works best if you don't hesitate or agonize over your choice of words.  There is no right or wrong answer.
2. Play with other people if you can. 
3. Don't try to predict the answer. 
4. Be honest with yourself.  Kokology may be only a game, but like any good game, it can teach you something about yourself if you let it.  Don't be afraid to accept the truth when a minor fault or shortcoming of yours is exposed. 
5. Be prepared.  Some of the quizzes will ask you to write something down or draw a picture, so it's a good idea to have a pen or pencil and some paper handy before you start. 
6. Don't read ahead.  Don't be tempted to skew your answers by peeking at the interpretations.  What fun is that?
7. Watch people's reactions (including your own).
8. Keep an open mind.    As in life, it's important when playing Kokology to keep things in perspective.  There are no correct answers and there is more than one way of reading any situation.   

Kokology, The Game of Self-Discovery by Tadahiko Nagoo and Isamu Saito  ©1998

Caught in the Rain
from pages  91-93

Not everything in life is predictable.  We're always getting hit by surprises, emergencies and unforeseen disasters without any chance to prepare ourselves mentally.  Surprises of any kind can be stressful- an unexpected proposal just as much as a sudden breakup.  There are too many things we can't predict or control; that's one of the reasons we all tend to develop habits and patterns to live by.

You are walking outside when a hard rain suddenly begins to fall.  Even if you run full speed, you're still about five minutes from your destination.  Which of the following best describes your choice of action?


1.  "I'd find an awning or tree to stand under and wait for the rain to stop."

2.  "I don't know how long it's going to keep raining, so I'd run to where I'm going as fast as I could."

3.  "I'd see if there was anybody around with an umbrella I could share or a store where I could buy one."

4.  "I always have a folding umbrella in my bag when I go out, so I'd just use that."


DON'T READ AHEAD BEFORE YOU CHOSEN YOUR ANSWERS!!

How did you respond to the sudden downpour?  The rainstorm represents unforeseeable and uncontrollable forces in life.  Specifically, your answer shows how you tend to react when a fight breaks out between you and a loved one or friend.



1.  "I'd find an awning or tree to stand under and wait for the rain to stop."

You're the type who waits for the other side in a fight to cool off before trying to settle your differences.  You prefer to let them rant and rave until they run out of steam, then present your case calmly and objectively.  Some would say this is the intelligent approach, others would say it's just sneaky.

2.  "I don't know how long it's going to keep raining, so I'd run to where I'm going as fast as I could."

You don't care about the end result of a fight so much as getting to speak your mind.  You're sure you're right, and there's no sense in arguing the point.  The concept of give-and-take doesn't figure into your tactics.  If they get angry, you get angrier.  If they start to yell, you scream.  This doesn't make you much fun to argue with, but at least it's easy to tell where you stand on an issue.

3.  "I'd see if there was anybody around with an umbrella I could share or a store where I could buy one."

You don't like conflicts and confrontations, so you try to smooth things over and calm the other person down whenever a fight breaks out.  Unfortunately, sometimes that only makes things worse.  It may be important for you to make a stand and weather the storm every once in a while.

4.  "I always have a folding umbrella in my bag when I go out, so I'd just use that." 

You think you have an answer for every accusation, a justification for every fault.  To you, an argument may be just a chance to hone your skills at debate, but to others, you seem slippery, frustrating and insincere.  But of course, you probably have a good explanation for that too.

There are other Kokology scenarios posted on my blog if you are interested in further self-discovery.