Tell me your blood type and I’ll tell you who you are

Forget about getting to know people. In Japan, they’ll just ask, “What’s your blood type?” Apparently, there’s a different way to tell if you’re confident, creative, or even stubborn—and this is called the blood type personality. Apparently, countries like Japan and Korea have practiced this for decades, but is there really a connection between blood type and personality? Let’s find out.

Personality traits, according to Hippocrates, are related to the body's fluids such as bile, blood, and phlegm.

The association between blood type and personality was first published in a journal by Japanese professor Tokeji Furukawa in the 1920s. This theory is called katsueki-gata in Japan. Furukawa tested this with a small group of individuals using a questionnaire. He based his categories on Greek philosopher Hippocrates who studied personality. Personality traits, according to him, are related to the body's fluids such as bile, blood, and phlegm. For Furukawa, each blood type affects an individual’s traits.

• Those with blood type A are said to be creative, kind, organized, hardworking, and cooperative, but may be fragile and stubborn.

• Those with blood type O are said to be confident, ambitious, and determined, but arrogant and unstable at times.

• Those with blood type AB are said to be adaptable, optimistic, and rational, but may be complicated and indecisive.

• Those with blood type B are said to be passionate, optimistic, friendly, and empathetic, but may also be selfish and lazy.

Interest waned on this topic soon after, but it gained popularity again in the 1970s with a book by Masahiko Nomi. Now, blood type personality has been a part of their culture such that they factor it in some of their decision-making, like choosing romantic partners or hiring employees for example. Blood type personality is also categorized as a pseudoscience, or something that may seem scientific but lacks enough evidence or support to be proven. According to science, there is no correlation between the two, even if it is still prevalent in these parts of Asia. In fact, books, magazines, and shows about it are still popular in Japan. The only downside is, people tend to get judged about their personality immediately just based on their blood type, which can be unfair.

Has your blood type resonated with any of the characteristics mentioned above? Blood type personality is interesting, fun, and could even be a good ice breaker. At the end of the day, the best way to truly identify someone’s personality is by getting to know them.