How to Read “A go player has no sense of time”
Gouchi ni toki nashi
Meaning of “A go player has no sense of time”
“A go player has no sense of time” means that when you become absorbed in something, you forget about time passing. The expression comes from how go players become so focused on their game that they stop noticing time.
However, this proverb applies to any activity, not just go.
People use this proverb when someone is deeply focused on a hobby, work, or study. It describes situations where hours pass without notice, meal times are missed, or appointments are almost forgotten.
The state of losing track of time happens to everyone.
Even today, people experience this when playing video games until morning, missing their train stop while reading, or losing track of the last train while programming.
Having something you can devote yourself to so completely is actually a form of happiness.
Origin and Etymology
The exact origin of this proverb is unclear. However, it is deeply connected to the nature of go as a game.
Go was born in China and reached Japan during the Nara period. Players place black and white stones alternately on a board, competing for territory.
Each move requires deep thinking.
As the game becomes more complex, players need more time to consider their next move. They become increasingly absorbed in the board.
During the Edo period, go was popular among samurai and townspeople. People gathered at places called go parlors to play.
Games that started in the morning often continued until evening. Players frequently forgot meal times and kept playing.
“A go player has no sense of time” likely emerged from observing these devoted players. “No sense of time” means losing awareness of time passing.
The phrase captures how go players become so absorbed they forget time.
By using the specific example of go, the proverb captures a universal human experience. It became established as a saying about total absorption in any activity.
Interesting Facts
Go matches can last surprisingly long. Professional tournament games sometimes allow eight hours of thinking time per player.
These matches often span two days.
Even amateur players commonly spend several hours on serious games. Historical records from the Edo period mention a game that lasted three days and nights.
Go involves something called “reading,” which means predicting future moves. Skilled players can visualize dozens of moves ahead in their minds.
In this deep thinking state, players may stop hearing sounds around them or even stop feeling hungry.
Brain science shows that during intense concentration, the brain regions responsible for time perception become suppressed. This scientifically explains the “no sense of time” state.
Usage Examples
- My son is so absorbed in building plastic models—”A go player has no sense of time” perfectly describes him
- When she starts writing her novel, “A go player has no sense of time”—she doesn’t even notice when you call her
Universal Wisdom
“A go player has no sense of time” teaches us about the wonderful human ability to become absorbed. Being able to concentrate so deeply that you forget time is actually a special talent only humans possess.
Our ancestors built civilization through this power of absorption. Making stone tools, starting fires—all required deep concentration.
Because some people could forget time and devote themselves to one thing, skills were refined, art was born, and learning developed.
Yet this proverb also reflects human weakness. Becoming too absorbed makes us forget important things. We break promises. We damage our health.
Absorption is a double-edged sword.
Still, our ancestors didn’t view “forgetting time” only negatively. Perhaps they recognized the richness of having something that captivates your heart so completely.
Finding something in life that absorbs you so deeply is actually fortunate.
This proverb has been passed down because humans fundamentally desire to become absorbed in something. The moments when we forget time and devote ourselves to something may be when we feel most alive.
When AI Hears This
When you become absorbed in go and forget time, it’s because the timekeeper and worker in your brain switch roles. Normally, a part called the prefrontal cortex monitors time, asking “What time is it?” and “How much longer?”
But when you enter deep concentration, this monitoring activity drops sharply.
Instead, a region called the insula becomes active. This area specializes in processing “this very moment”—the feel of placing stones, recognizing board patterns, calculating the next move.
It handles only “present-tense information.”
In the flow state that psychologist Csikszentmihalyi named, the brain’s energy distribution changes dramatically. Time-tracking functions related to past and future literally turn off.
Interestingly, experiments show that subjective time in this state becomes one-fifth to one-tenth of actual time. One hour feels like six to twelve minutes.
When go players exclaim “Three hours already?” it’s not a metaphor—their brain’s measurement system truly stopped.
This mechanism applies not just to go but to all high-level cognitive activities like programming or painting. Human brains cannot multitask, so they’re designed to sacrifice time awareness when thinking deeply.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches you the importance of having something that absorbs you so completely you forget time. In today’s society that emphasizes efficiency and productivity, experiencing total absorption is actually essential for mental health.
Do you have something you love enough to forget time? It could be a hobby, learning, or creative activity.
Having such an interest enriches your life.
However, this proverb also offers a warning. Don’t become so absorbed that you lose sight of your surroundings. Sometimes you need to consciously check the clock.
Modern society overflows with things designed to absorb you—social media, games, and more. What matters is choosing active absorption over passive absorption.
If you can forget time while devoted to something that helps you grow, something creative, or something that deepens human connections, that time is never wasted.
Having passion that makes you forget time while also valuing time—this balance is the wisdom this proverb offers you today.
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