Kokology: Discover Yourself Through Fun and Insightful Tests

What is Kokology?

They say we know all the answers, but we often forget them. It’s also said, “Know thyself, and you shall know the universe.” Indeed, our own personality is an endless treasure trove of impressions, waiting to be explored. Few can surprise us as much as we can surprise ourselves. Wise Japanese scholars have created a system of playful tests that help us understand our personal principles and approaches, see our priorities and behavior patterns from a different perspective. This magical system of tests is called “Kokology.”

The Origin of Kokology

No, the name doesn’t come from the words you might be thinking of. It originates from the Japanese word “kokoro,” meaning “spirit” or “mind.” For context, the word “psychology” comes from the Greek word “psyche,” meaning “soul.” So, “Kokology” is a similar concept, just denoted by a word that might seem more amusing to us.

Understanding Kokology

Kokology is a collection of game-like tests that, through a system of universal symbols, reveal our characteristics, fears, dreams, and stereotypes in a projective form. Most of these tests are short stories where you can choose certain things and make decisions. At the end of the test, an interpretation of your choices is provided, often surprisingly unexpected.

The Creator of Kokology

The creator of Kokology is Isamu Saito, a professor at Rissho University in Japan. He is the author of numerous bestsellers in the field of psychology and human relationships. To date, the total number of Kokology books sold in Japan alone has exceeded 4 million copies. Professor Isamu Saito believes that the spread of information technology contributes to the unification of the world. By revealing differences and discovering similarities between various phenomena, global media fosters mutual understanding among representatives of different cultural traditions.

Isamu Saito, the creator of Kokology

Kokology has gained wide popularity not only in Japan but also in the United States and Europe. Interestingly, this game is built on psychological principles first developed in the West. Initially, it was intended to popularize psychological ideas among the broadest layers of the Japanese population. It’s no coincidence that Kokology is presented as a collection of game tests, or simply as a game.

How Does Kokology Work?

One of the rules is not to take everything too literally and to approach the answers with humor. In any case, games like Kokology promote relaxation, free up resources, develop positive thinking, and awaken the inner child in the players. Remember, play is part of spontaneity, and without spontaneity, there is no creativity. Spontaneity is needed for a surge of energy, for feeling alive.

Online, you can find many projective tests where, based on the pictures a person chooses, conclusions are drawn about their character and preferences. Most Kokology games describe our style of relationships with other people, our expectations, and our sexuality. The advantage of various projective tests is that it’s almost impossible to answer them arbitrarily to create a desired image. In Kokology, the principle of involuntary answers is fully observed, as the interpretation is completely detached from the game’s theme.

Creators and researchers of Kokology believe that these fun tests can even be used during friendly parties. Believe me, guests will first widen their eyes and then burst into laughter when they hear unexpected explanations for their choices. Also, a feature of the games included in the Kokology collections is the original images. Most of the images are positive, many include descriptions of nature, the sea, the ocean, a certain mood, and only some include practical situations. In short, the metaphors included in the game guarantee you an appeal to the inner strings, inspiration, and a surge of energy. Therefore, you can use Kokology to simply distract yourself and lift your spirits.

Let’s Play!

The Laundry Game

Imagine that you live in a time when everyone washed clothes by hand and hung them out to dry outside. You have a pile of dirty laundry in your basket, and you need to wash it today. However, looking out the window, you see that the sky is covered with heavy leaden clouds. What thoughts come to your mind?

Oh well! Maybe I should postpone the laundry until tomorrow? But then what will I wear?
I’ll wait a bit, maybe the weather will improve.
According to the forecast, the weather shouldn’t be like this today.
It doesn’t matter if it rains or not, I’ll start washing anyway.

Interpretations

You hope the weather might improve: Your stress level is 50 on a scale from 0 to 100. Unfavorable circumstances do not confuse you, and you continue to maintain a positive perception of life even when unexpected unpleasant conditions arise. You still try to cope with the emerging problems, and as a result, everything turns out well. Remember, not all stress is negative. Treat the obstacles and failures in your life as a stimulus to overcome them.
You chose the first option: Your stress level reaches 80 on a scale from 0 to 100. You allow all the little unpleasantries that can happen to you to influence your life. You are so susceptible to stress that the slightest obstacles and failures can ruin your mood for a long time. It’s time for you to take a vacation and rest well before this stressful state negatively affects your health.
You chose the third option: Your stress level is close to 0. You do not allow small unpleasantries and problems to ruin your day and do not see reasons to worry about their occurrence. Perhaps you have discovered a very good, wise life philosophy for yourself: my worry will not be an obstacle for the rain; it will still fall.
You will start washing regardless of whether it rains or not: Your stress level is 100 on a scale from 0 to 100. You feel oppressed by so many unfavorable circumstances in your life that you do not pay attention to the existing real conditions and try to do the impossible to change them. When you succeed, you face an even more serious problem and, consequently, experience even greater stress than before. Calm down and take what is happening more calmly, because after stormy weather, a beautiful sunny day usually comes. Source

The Ocean Game

Imagine that you are staying in a hotel with a view of the ocean. You are lying on the bed and looking through a large bay window at the cool blue waves. Lulled by this sight, you unnoticeably fall asleep. What view will you see when you wake up?