The game

My wife and I enjoy playing some psychological games from time to time. They help us stay in sync by creating a safe space where we can openly and playfully discuss anything including our feelings or each other's strengths and weaknesses.

A couple of days ago, I mentioned The Sims 3 in a post. This gave me the idea to use Sims to help me structure the introduction I wanted to write for Blaugust's introduce yourself week. To make it more interesting, we turned it into a game.

We went through all the traits in The Sims 3 and selected those that best describe us. Then, we ranked them to find the five most fitting positive and the three most fitting negative traits for each of us.

It was pretty funny! We laughed a lot while answering for questions like "Am I more of a snob or shy?" and "Is being a lone wolf or a night owl a positive or a negative trait?" Both of us marked the other as a great kisser. But can being a great kisser be a core part of anyone's personality?

The selected traits

The positive ones are: computer whiz, friendly, perceptive, good sense of humor, proper

The negative ones are: neurotic, dramatic, shy

Positive ones

Computer whiz

For me, using computers is more than just work, it is a passion. I love learning, creating things and doing it on a sustainable way.

Friendly

I open up easily once I feel safe (as I also shy). I also do my best not to intentionally hurt others, although this is also a flaw that renders me defenseless against abusive people.

Perceptive

Recognizing patterns helped me a lot when I was trying to figure out English video games in the early '90s without understanding the language. It also speeds up how quickly I learn at work.

The dark side of this coin that it sometimes isolates me from others.

Good sense of humour

I usually try to see the funny side of things, and also use humour as a shield. The more tired I am, the more and crazier my puns become.

Proper

I respect simply respect others and their boundaries.

Negative ones

Neurotic

I'm confident when my mistakes only affect me, but I get stressed trying to deliver the optimal outcomes for others. This makes me seem strange because I don't stress in situations where others usually do. At the same time, I worry a lot about trivial things.

Dramatic

I'm inexperienced with quarrels and arguments, so I try to discuss and resolve issues before they escalate. However, there are situations when I can react with despair and express how miserable I feel.

Shy

I would rather use my map than ask for directions. I'm bad at asking for help and communicating my needs. Sometimes, I'm afraid of bothering others. I also feel uncomfortable with sudden displays of interest.

The original version of this post is part of the Blaugust 2025 series on my blog along with:

• Hospital visit
• Win 3.1 Nostalgia
• Poets of the Fall
• Project done!
• Video games that made me learn
• Blaugust