As a child, the game of Go was another world to me.
At the age of eight, I visited a friend's house and saw their heavy, expensive-looking wooden Go board. We often played Omok (a simpler game) on that board. One weekend, while playing, my friend's father noticed us and offered to teach us Go. My friend and I joyfully learned the game from him every weekend.
Having grasped the basics, I always lost to my friend in Go matches, probably because he had learned from his father before me. Determined to win, I secretly bought and studied a book on Go strategies by Cho Hun-hyun, a 9th Dan professional. After about three months, I finally beat my friend. That thrill was so intense that I continued to study Go, albeit not deeply, throughout elementary school, and by college, I was about a 4th Dan amateur.
In 1995, there were 3-4 Go boards in the university lounge. Seniors would play Go, smoking cigarettes. Observing their games, I realized their skills were not very advanced, so I challenged a senior I had never met before. Thus, I became known in the lounge for beating many skilled seniors.
But then, there was no one to play Go with...
After my military service and return to university, the Go boards were gone from the lounge. Post-IMF, everyone was too busy studying for job prospects. Also, students from the year 2000 onwards didn't play Go. I turned to online Go, but I missed seeing my opponents' reactions to my sharp moves in person.
In 2005, I stumbled upon Cho Hun-hyun's book "Thinking Method of a Master" in a bookstore. Cho Hun-hyun was to me what 'Faker' or 'Son Heung-min' are to others. I picked up the book immediately and must have read it over ten times. It greatly aided me during labor union negotiations and in backroom discussions with union leaders.
"Think deeper, think longer."
In this smartphone era, we often turn to YouTube, Wikipedia, Google, and Chat-GPT for quick answers. Our curiosity is satisfied in minutes, and we seldom think deeply on the matter once it's resolved. Realizing my own pattern, I recalled Cho Hun-hyun's advice to think deeper and longer. I began organizing and deepening my knowledge on Notion, which eventually led to the creation of hahahaHR.com.
If we don't use our ability to think deeply, it atrophies.
Indeed, Dr. Bae Tae-il of the Korean Baduk Association researched this. As a physicist, he hypothesized a function between rapid and long-thinking Go games and validated it through research. He found that young professionals strong in rapid games peaked at 20-22 years old, showing little improvement afterwards. In contrast, those strong in long-thinking games improved significantly after 25, performing well in international competitions.
Cho Hun-hyun warns against the loss of thoughtful and careful attitudes in the pursuit of quick satisfaction. This leads to rash decisions when deep, long-term consideration is required. Such impulsivity often leads to problems, evident in high-profile cases of plagiarism, slip-ups, and rash resignations.
Everything moves fast in our world. We must train ourselves to think more seriously and carefully. Many problems could be avoided with just a little more thought and action.
Take the example of Masaki Takemiya, a 9th Dan professional. He once used 5 hours and 7 minutes of an 8-hour limit to decide on a move, which had significant implications beyond the Go board. His decision not only determined the direction of the game that day but also had long-term strategic impacts, ultimately leading to victory. This was not just a win in the game, but a triumph of thought and skill.
Thus, the importance of deep thinking extends beyond Go. In our fast-paced society, the need for careful and considered thought in our daily lives is ever more crucial.
As a child, the game of Go was another world to me.
At the age of eight, I visited a friend's house and saw their heavy, expensive-looking wooden Go board. We often played Omok (a simpler game) on that board. One weekend, while playing, my friend's father noticed us and offered to teach us Go. My friend and I joyfully learned the game from him every weekend.
Having grasped the basics, I always lost to my friend in Go matches, probably because he had learned from his father before me. Determined to win, I secretly bought and studied a book on Go strategies by Cho Hun-hyun, a 9th Dan professional. After about three months, I finally beat my friend. That thrill was so intense that I continued to study Go, albeit not deeply, throughout elementary school, and by college, I was about a 4th Dan amateur.
In 1995, there were 3-4 Go boards in the university lounge. Seniors would play Go, smoking cigarettes. Observing their games, I realized their skills were not very advanced, so I challenged a senior I had never met before. Thus, I became known in the lounge for beating many skilled seniors.
But then, there was no one to play Go with...
After my military service and return to university, the Go boards were gone from the lounge. Post-IMF, everyone was too busy studying for job prospects. Also, students from the year 2000 onwards didn't play Go. I turned to online Go, but I missed seeing my opponents' reactions to my sharp moves in person.
In 2005, I stumbled upon Cho Hun-hyun's book "Thinking Method of a Master" in a bookstore. Cho Hun-hyun was to me what 'Faker' or 'Son Heung-min' are to others. I picked up the book immediately and must have read it over ten times. It greatly aided me during labor union negotiations and in backroom discussions with union leaders.
"Think deeper, think longer."
In this smartphone era, we often turn to YouTube, Wikipedia, Google, and Chat-GPT for quick answers. Our curiosity is satisfied in minutes, and we seldom think deeply on the matter once it's resolved. Realizing my own pattern, I recalled Cho Hun-hyun's advice to think deeper and longer. I began organizing and deepening my knowledge on Notion, which eventually led to the creation of hahahaHR.com.
If we don't use our ability to think deeply, it atrophies.
Indeed, Dr. Bae Tae-il of the Korean Baduk Association researched this. As a physicist, he hypothesized a function between rapid and long-thinking Go games and validated it through research. He found that young professionals strong in rapid games peaked at 20-22 years old, showing little improvement afterwards. In contrast, those strong in long-thinking games improved significantly after 25, performing well in international competitions.
Cho Hun-hyun warns against the loss of thoughtful and careful attitudes in the pursuit of quick satisfaction. This leads to rash decisions when deep, long-term consideration is required. Such impulsivity often leads to problems, evident in high-profile cases of plagiarism, slip-ups, and rash resignations.
Everything moves fast in our world. We must train ourselves to think more seriously and carefully. Many problems could be avoided with just a little more thought and action.
Take the example of Masaki Takemiya, a 9th Dan professional. He once used 5 hours and 7 minutes of an 8-hour limit to decide on a move, which had significant implications beyond the Go board. His decision not only determined the direction of the game that day but also had long-term strategic impacts, ultimately leading to victory. This was not just a win in the game, but a triumph of thought and skill.
Thus, the importance of deep thinking extends beyond Go. In our fast-paced society, the need for careful and considered thought in our daily lives is ever more crucial.