I want to start this article off by asking you a question. If you could only play one color in Magic: the Gathering what would it be? Do you have your answer? OK hold onto that because the follow up is, why did you pick that color? Is it the way it plays, the aesthetics of the art, or some emotional connection to the themes and philosophies of the color? Whatever the reason you feel connected to that color in some way, which naturally leads us Magic fans to ask, what does my favorite color in magic say about me? This curiosity has lead many creators to provide their take on answering what this connection is, and personally I have watched every article on the subject whenever it show up on my YouTube feed and the answer usually goes a little something like this:
If you play white you are need structure, if you like blue you don't want other people to have fun, if you enjoy black you're a bit of an edge lore, if you main red then you're impatient and if you like green then you're a tree hugging hippie.
While this is a tongue and cheek oversimplification, the truth is that we have heard all the punchy one liners that try and describe us based on the colors we play, but that never really sat right with me. How can we be confident in saying that our choice of color or colors to play can be so neatly summed up in these little slogans, each describing the millions of hobbyists who enjoy this game around the world.
I mean there has to be a deeper reason behind what colors we gravitate to, right? Like what is it that draws us to our preferences, and what lead to those choices? The reality is that there actually is a significant explanation as to why you attach yourself to certain themes, aesthetics and ways of playing. So what does your favorite color say about you? Well a lot really.
The truth is there is a real psychology behind our choices and preferences. Think about this from a wider context than just Magic: the Gathering. Ask yourself why it is you like certain genres of music, movies or video games, why do you dress the way you do, or what dictates your preferences in food even? While each of these preferences are different they all ask the same question, and the answer to that question will provide you insight into who you truly are, and what shaped those unconscious decisions. Because yes they are not active decisions on our part but rather the result many factors that build into our preferences and personality.
I find the psychology behind choice and preference to be a fascinating thing. We make the assumption that each decision we make and each thing we like is its own conscious decision made at that moment. But the truth is a little more complicated than that. The reality of it all is that this is a discussion about free will versus that of predetermined choice. Not per-determined in the way that some old seer is weaving the spool of fate, but rather that the person we are is a culmination of all the previous experiences that lead to that moment, our brains genetic makeup and our environment, both social and physical. It's these factors coming together that makes us who we are.
The truth is that what we like, or in this case the colors we are drawn to, are not the result of a conscious decision but rather the result of our combined experiences. It is a reaction rather than an action of choice. Even if we chose to start things off with a specific deck, and the colors therein, that decision was determined the moment the choice was lain before you, not after great deliberation, even if it felt that way at the time. Perhaps you were presented with 3 different commander decks to start your journey off with, ask yourself why it was you chose the one you did.
Was it the art on the box, the promise of a style of play, or the thematic underpinnings of the colors within that drew you to them. For most of us its a mixture of these things, but that choice was made-up before you even made the conscious decision to pick up that deck and bring it to cash register of your LGS. This is an example of the preferences baked into your personality. It's why we seek out similar themes across all of those things we enjoy, music, style, movies ect.
There are many theories in psychology that attempt to explain the root of our decisions and behaviors, but all posit that there is some underlying mechanism that is making those decisions. For instance Sigmund Freud presented the Psychodynamic Theory which states that our choices, preferences and behaviors are heavily influenced by our unconscious mind, which itself is shaped by early childhood experiences. John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner also presented the Behavioral theory, stating that our preferences and choices are the result of conditioning and learned from our environment.
Meaning that who we are is shaped by interactions with our environment, and by positive or negative reinforcement. Another outlook is that of Cognitive theory, shaped primarily by Jean Piaget who says that our choices and preferences are influenced by mental processes, such as our perception, memory, and problem-solving capabilities, ie a product of our brains chemical composition.
And truthfully the list of theories and philosophies that aim to pinpoint the root of our decisions and preferences goes on and on. The reality is that both psychologists and philosophers alike have all put their own spin on what drives our preferences and choices and I am not sure we will ever agree on what the mechanism is, but the common concept between all of them is that choice and preference are rooted in something deep within ourselves and our experiences, rather than some conscious decision we make at the moment. Whether that is our brains chemical composition, reinforced behaviors or the culmination of our childhood experiences, or some other theory all together.
Whatever the case, I believe its safe to say that our decisions are being made by our unconscious mind in some form or another and it has been shaped by early experience, through reinforcement or by the composition of our brains chemistry. Whether you prescribe to one of these ideas or another all together, this tells us that we can use this information to reverse engineer our preferences and choices to understand what combination of experiences and memories lead you to resonate with the colors you do. So then what does your favorite color say about you, well a lot really.
It is you, at least a part of you. What that part is depends on the person. So ask yourself this, what is it about your preferred colors and decks you play, that drew you to them. I venture to guess if you dig deep enough you will learn more about who you are. Simply put take that choice and work backwards until you have found the root of this aspect of your personality.
Could it be that as a child you were always told to mind yourself, to keep quiet and be still. So as an adult you have rebelled against such notions and are drawn to the expression found in Red. Is it that your first game of Magic was with a Black deck and you won, reinforcing it as a comfortable color for you to play, or could it be that you have an analytical mind and so it favors the strategy found in Blue? All of these factors and more dictate choice, but at a deeper level are an expression of who we are.
So what does your favorite color say about you, a lot, its a showcase in how each one of us can come to the same or different conclusions for reasons that vary based on the experiences that lead us to that moment. It is an act of revealing the unconscious mind behind the veil of our conscious one. The complexity that makes us human is apparent even in the most mundane of things as the hobbies we chose and the ways we express ourselves within it, or perhaps its just not that deep, that my friends is up to you.
Thanks for reading, and While this topic is much bigger than some little Magic: the Gathering article, I hope it prodded you into doing more research into the psychology behind who we are. Be sure to leave a comment letting us know what color or colors you like to play and what that might say about you. With that friend, I will catch you in the multiverse, bye!
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