Mentality In Competitive Gaming | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

Mentality In Competitive Gaming

Losing, and How to Think About Losses Productively

406
Mentality In Competitive Gaming
Youtube

So now you're here, at your local weekly tournament venue or LAN party. You pay your fees, sign up for a bracket, and you have to play your first match. You find your opponent, and you both sit down at a setup. You both pick your characters and start playing out the match. Suddenly, the game is over. You lost. In a matter of minutes, you were steamrolled, shut down, and utterly destroyed. How did this happen? Why? These are the questions you ask yourself in those sad, salty moments following your defeat. I want to try helping you answer them in the most helpful and productive way that I can think of.

1. Why did I lose?

A: The most likely reason is that your opponent was better than you. They were likely more skilled, experienced, and knowledgeable about the game than you were. And that's just fine. Time is the greatest teacher of all, and only through hours of dedication and practice will you achieve greatness.

2. But I shouldn't have lost. I have more skill, experience, and knowledge than my opponent, and still lost. Why?

A: Here is where mentality and mindset need to be invoked. "Should have," "could have," and "would have" are all conditional statements that reflect a level of doubt and insecurity about yourself and your gameplay. If you "should have" won, then why didn't you win? Sure, you might actually be the better player, but it doesn't change the fact that you still lost. The win is all that really matters in the end, and if you didn't win, can you really call yourself the "better" player? Personally, I think it's critical to lose the airs of superiority and overconfidence during competition. Never underestimate your opponent. You want to treat your opponents equally with a certain level of respect for their ability to play the game, especially if you've never played them before and don't know how they will play. A wise man once said: "Confidence... It's the food of the wise man, but the liquor of the fool." Think on that for a moment.

At the same time, don't sell yourself short. I believe that everyone is capable of doing great things; talent is something the lucky few are born with, but ability and skill are qualities that that everyone can build up and hone. It's important to know where you are skill level-wise, both on the grand scale of the game and on the local scale. Be humble, but not so humble that you don't have any confidence in yourself and you end up giving too much credit to your opponent. What I'm really trying to say here is to be aware of your strengths and weaknesses. When you're competing, focus on your strengths so that you can maintain a level of confidence that is sufficient to keep you in the fight. When you're training, focus on your weaknesses so that you can maximize your potential improvement. To borrow another aphorism: "Know thyself." When you become fully aware of you and your opponent's respective capabilities, the game becomes that much clearer, and the playing field a little more leveled.

3. Yeah, okay. I would have won if I hadn't choked. I basically gave the game to him in a nice little box with a ribbon and bow tie. How do I stop doing that?

A: What is "choking?" It happens during a high-stakes, high-pressure situation, and your body starts to shut down and everything is failing. You miss your button inputs. You accidentally throw one of your lives away. You crumble under the tension and crushing weight of the game. I see choking as the body's unconscious, reflexive response to pressure that basically says: "You're not ready." You're not ready to win. It's too early in your development as a competitor for you to have this victory. Not now. Maybe later, but not now.

Another aspect of competition that I think is incredibly important is your mindset towards the potential outcomes of a match. I've learned that the desire to winshould be your primary motivational tool, in contrast to the desire to not lose to that awful scrub. When pride is all that you have to lose at your local tournament scene, you really do try as hard as you can to not embarrass yourself by losing to a "worse" player. You want to avoid the shame that comes with defeat. I think this approach is actually quite harmful and reductive. If your opponent is going even with you (or even winning against you), give them credit for being able to do so. Even if you are performing poorly, recognize that poor performance doesn't entitle you to make excuses for your defeat and invalidate your opponent's victory. Instead, if someone you didn't expect to do well against you is doing exactly that, make it your goal to defeat them. Forget about your assumptions and expectations of your opponent; realize that they have a real chance at beating you and treat them with the same respect that you would give for a better player. By doing so, you're entering a state of mind that emphasizes focus and a burning desire to win. I've found that putting it in terms of "I really want to win" instead of "I really don't want to lose" has helped me personally in many games.

So those are my thoughts on mentality towards losing in competitive gaming. Of course, I have a lot more to say and discuss (including the other side of the coin: winning!), but here's just a slice of the pie. What do you think? Agree? Think I'm full of it and don't know what I'm talking about? Let me know! We can talk all about it.

P.S. For readers interested in mentality and mindset, see:
1. The Art of War
2. The Inner Game of Tennis
3. Robert "Wobbles" Wright's blog on "The art of competition and growth" http://www.compete-complete.com/
P.P.S. Did not mean to throw any shade at MattDotZeb, I just wanted the "Game!" screen image in high resolution.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

74603
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

6023
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less
Health and Wellness

10 Hygiene Tips For All College Athletes

College athletes, it's time we talk about sports hygiene.

9149
Woman doing pull-ups on bars with sun shining behind her.

I got a request to talk about college athletes hygiene so here it is.

College athletes, I get it, you are busy! From class, to morning workouts, to study table, to practice, and more. But that does not excuse the fact that your hygiene comes first! Here are some tips when it comes to taking care of your self.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments