Hello everyone! I'm Levi of the Thought Vessel Show, and today we're going to determine which Magic: The Gathering color YOU are! In 1951, Dr. Roger Birkman developed a personality test called the Birkman Colors. Each color (Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow) symbolizes a different personality. One of the first things they teach you when taking this test is that everyone is equipped with all the colors, but certain ones come more naturally. I believe the colors of Magic: The Gathering are the same way. Humans are complex in many ways. We can be analytical, passionate, ambitious, etc., at any given moment. So, in a way, we are all five-color planeswalkers. But since that would be a bit of a cop-out answer, let's break down the color pie a bit to determine which color might come more naturally to you. Try to picture yourself in each of these descriptions and see what fits best.

First up is White. If White were a comic book character, it would be Superman. White values order, peace, and community. White wants to strengthen the community around it and be strengthened in return. Most of White's strongest creatures reflect this by caring about your board collectively rather than trying to be the strongest individually. White has a strong moral compass and isn't afraid to stand up for what it believes is right. To quote Mark Rosewater, the head designer for Magic: The Gathering:

If you're the responsible one in your friend group who says things like, "It's the right thing to do," you're probably a White player.

Next, we have Blue. Blue cares about the pursuit of knowledge and perfection. As Mark Rosewater writes:

Academics and mathematicians tend to play Blue. Blue allows you to draw the most cards, remove scary spells before they are even on the field, and even clone or copy your opponents' best things to show them how they should actually be used. This type of autonomy over the game is very attractive to Blue players and personalities. If you are the friend in the group that everyone comes to with rules-related questions, you are more than likely a Blue player.

Up next, we have Black. Similar to Slytherin in Harry Potter, Black has the potential to be evil, but that isn't the full story. The core of Black's identity boils down to one word: ambition. A double-edged sword, Black is willing to risk and sacrifice what they have to get what they want. In a "the ends justify the means" kind of way, Black only cares about what it wants to obtain. Sometimes it is power, maybe revenge. It could even be something small and insignificant. Black wants what it wants and will do what it must to get it. I don't believe this ambition by itself is evil. The reality is there are times in your life when, in order to get what you want, like a scholarship or a promotion at work, you are in a way depriving someone else of that opportunity, and in reality, that is okay. If you are a competitor through and through, doing whatever it takes to get where you need to go, you might be a Black player.

Red is about passion. Whether that passion leads to happiness, anger, or sorrow, live your life with your heart on your sleeve. As Mark Rosewater writes:

Red wants to be present and live life to the fullest. Usually qualities seen in creatives and adrenaline junkies, Red players live and play for the thrills. Will you fall on your face? Possibly. But when you land that explosive play next game, it's all the sweeter. If this sounds like you, you might just be a Red player.

Finally, we have Green. Green is about acceptance. As Mark Rosewater writes:

Green players know their role and play it well. Being well-rooted in reality helps prevent the distractions of what could be and instead focus on what is. A realist, not a pessimist, these players are wise rather than knowledgeable. If you are the player that misses every other commander night because you are camping or simply in the moment, you might just be a Green player.

I hope this article sheds some light on what your color might be. As I mentioned before, we are all capable of tapping into all these colors, but we all have something that we resonate with a little more than the others. Until next time!