Is Go an Addictive Drug

   

This question is inspired by

  • "[ext] Go - An Addictive Game (simpler to just say "An Addiction," no?)
  • "Go is a game with the longest history. Once addicted, most people cannot shake the hobby. Its addicting power is not less than that of alcohol and sex" (at [ext] Yutopian: Go Stories).
  • a story attributed to Dr. Hong -- "you can't reach first kyu until you've lost three girlfriends to Go" -- mentioned in American Go Journal.
  • And by an intriguing-sounding webpage that seems no longer to exist, "Robert F Nutter's Go" - described as "a personal story of go addiction" -- which I haven't read, but truly would like to.
    • Thouis: I'm not sure if this is the original page (it seems to be from 12/97, and it may have been different before then), but the internet archive has a copy of [ext] Robert F. Nutter's Go

And of course, by certain personal experiences I shouldn't bore you with.

Thoughts? -- TakeNGive

Well it is an addiction. One of proofs is the fact that nobody edits this page :) (for more than a year since it's creation!) - either because they don't confirm it as truth or because they think it is obvious. The real question is: is this a dangerous addiction? How should people cope with it? MK

mdhI agree that it is addicting. Any addiction that adversly affects your life and health is dangerous. Potential Addicts should should ask themselves: Is your social life getting worse? Is your spouse and family being neglected? Are you skipping meals? Do you get anxious if you haven't played in a day or two?
Possible warning signs if your answers (not my answers) are similar:
"I have a social life, I went to a Go tournament last week!"
"I'm Single (now)"
"Food and sleep are so overrated"

Zarlan: Do I have a social life: yes
Am I neglecting my family?: Not more than before I played
Am I eating and sleeping right: I've actually gotten better on those points because of Go. I realised that I get far worse at playing when I'm hungry, sleepy or sick and have therefore gotten a bit more careful to avoid being those things.

I'd say that Go is an Addiction, but also a healthy one.

mdhI do find it harder to go to sleep if I have been playing Go. After I got back from the Go Congress I wanted to play every day. I have had to find a balance in order to keep peace with my wife.

damien I agree with the fact it is harder to go to sleep after Go. Recently, I played my first match against an equal opponent. (most of my opponents until now were either way better or absolute beginners) After the review, it was 9PM, and I could not go to bed until 4AM. My hands were still shaking from the high hours after the game.

kritz I don't have a problem ... I can quit at any time.

Phelan: "It's not a habit, it's cool, I feel alive..."

Tamsin: Playing go alters your state of consciousness, and you tend to get the urge to keep doing it, so it's probably fair to say that go is a kind of drug, and that it is addictive.

maruseru: Good point. You can get a high from computer programming as well, but since it's easier to make money from that, it's socially accepted.

maruseru: Maybe the problem is more common in Korea. In a [ext] webpage seemingly of Korean origin there's the question: "Have you ever been addicted to something, such as gambling, drugs, alcohol, baduk, movies and so on?" If that page can be believed, then it might be common in Korea to mention baduk addiction along with gambling, drugs and alcohol addiction, indicating a serious problem.

Bill: The original meaning of addiction is bad habit. 'Nuff said. ;-)

tapir: No.


This is a copy of the living page "Is Go an Addictive Drug" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2014 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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