Hey guys, thought this might prove useful to someone. Mostly about the mentality of gaming in general, an old post of mine from skill-capped.com. (The lingo references WoW, since that what the site dealt with, but the same principles apply to all games really.)
We have all seen people who do not have any self control, awareness, or mastery. Most individuals who fall into this category are failures in whatever the endeavor to do, however some do achieve success. (Usually because of innate talent, or extreme intellect, or other genetic feature. It is important to recognize those people, and not to model their behavoir. (I'm sure many of us can think of someone who while talented lacks decorum etiquette and social skills in general and frequently lets their emotions get the better of them.)
Having the right attitude when pursuing any goal can be invaluable. I can not definitively tell you that my version is infallible or is the best one for you, however I'm sure that many of you can pick up at least some valuable nugget from this.
Ludakrit's Approach:
1. Remain positive- Here is the truth; Whatever goal you decide to set for yourself within games you can attain. Other's have achieved them before you, it is not impossible. The caveat to that is that attaining your goals will require practice, hard work, and dedication.
2. Accept responsibility- Do not blame external forces for your failures. Doing so disempowers you. "My class sucks", "TSG is unbeatable", "We were hardcountered" etc... Regardless of the circumstances of your victory or defeat, there is always something that you could have done better. Identify it and work on it. Right now, someone else is playing the same comp and beat the team that "hardcountered" you. Never say "There is nothing we could have done to win." There is SOMETHING, and while you might not know what it was, it doesn't mean it doesn't exsist. Find it, take responsibility, and own your failures so you can enjoy your victories.
3. Learn- Learning is something that is near and dear to my heart. Learning can be a joyful and amazing experience regardless of how boring school was. (The educational process in America is a travesty, but that is another topic.) Cultivate the mentality of always being a student of the game. (Or life.) Imagine you are a scientist, and test out your hypothesis. See what happens if you change X. By becoming a student of the game, and being actively engaged in your own learning process you can distance yourself from the sting of defeat that others feel when losing. Sure, losing is never fun, but many times it can be educational. Do not dwell on the feeling losing inspires within you, instead look at it as a set of data, and evaluate it. What went wrong? Where was the turning point? What did I do wrong? What can I do better? The goal is to take responsibility for the loss, experience it, and then learn from it. If you learn from the loss, it was not a loss at all, but a learning experience.
4. Be competitive- Many people dismiss games as unimportant, or irrelevant. ie: "It's just a game". While it is undoubtedly a "game", that does not diminish it's relevance. Surviving in the wilderness can be seen as a "game" of resource management, skill utilization, endurance, etc... War, can be seen as a "game", and we all know how serious that is. Who you are as a person comes out in everything that you do, and how you approach scenarios. Play to improve, and play to win. I commonly hear people say "So, we lost, who cares it's just a game". If you take the time to do something you obviously care about it, and therefor should strive for excellence. You don't have to BE excellent, but you need to be in the process of becoming excellent. (Refer back to the student mentality.)
5. Relax- Being able to remain calm, and relaxed in stressful scenarios is critical, not just in games, but in all things. When people get angry, they become irrational, and unproductive. Accepting responsibility and learning and cultivating a student mentality will help you not be angry at your defeats. If you find yourself becoming upset, or angry, take a short break. Re-frame your mindset. Do not take your loss personally. Avoid placing blame elsewhere. (Constructive feedback is a positive thing, demeaning your teammates and placing blame on them is not.)
Finally, a word on rating:
Do not be attached to your rating. Do not base your interactions with others on either your or their rating. Your rating can be a useful barometer of your progress, but it is not your worth. You can set goals to attain X rating, but a better goal is to improve X aspect of your gameplay. Play the game because you enjoy the game, and you enjoy becoming better at it. Being obsessed with rating can actually stunt your improvement. (IE: It's late in the evening, and you keep queing into the same team who is farming you. If you can remain calm, and relaxed and keep your student frame of mind firmly, this could be a great opportunity to work on strategies for defeating them rather than quit queing and accepting defeat. That said, if you find either yourself or your teammates becoming overly frusterated, definitely take a break for 5-10 minutes and continue queing. Perhaps calmed down you will be able to work on learning.)
Having the right attitude when pursuing any goal can be invaluable. I can not definitively tell you that my version is infallible or is the best one for you, however I'm sure that many of you can pick up at least some valuable nugget from this.
Ludakrit's Approach:
1. Remain positive- Here is the truth; Whatever goal you decide to set for yourself within games you can attain. Other's have achieved them before you, it is not impossible. The caveat to that is that attaining your goals will require practice, hard work, and dedication.
2. Accept responsibility- Do not blame external forces for your failures. Doing so disempowers you. "My class sucks", "TSG is unbeatable", "We were hardcountered" etc... Regardless of the circumstances of your victory or defeat, there is always something that you could have done better. Identify it and work on it. Right now, someone else is playing the same comp and beat the team that "hardcountered" you. Never say "There is nothing we could have done to win." There is SOMETHING, and while you might not know what it was, it doesn't mean it doesn't exsist. Find it, take responsibility, and own your failures so you can enjoy your victories.
3. Learn- Learning is something that is near and dear to my heart. Learning can be a joyful and amazing experience regardless of how boring school was. (The educational process in America is a travesty, but that is another topic.) Cultivate the mentality of always being a student of the game. (Or life.) Imagine you are a scientist, and test out your hypothesis. See what happens if you change X. By becoming a student of the game, and being actively engaged in your own learning process you can distance yourself from the sting of defeat that others feel when losing. Sure, losing is never fun, but many times it can be educational. Do not dwell on the feeling losing inspires within you, instead look at it as a set of data, and evaluate it. What went wrong? Where was the turning point? What did I do wrong? What can I do better? The goal is to take responsibility for the loss, experience it, and then learn from it. If you learn from the loss, it was not a loss at all, but a learning experience.
4. Be competitive- Many people dismiss games as unimportant, or irrelevant. ie: "It's just a game". While it is undoubtedly a "game", that does not diminish it's relevance. Surviving in the wilderness can be seen as a "game" of resource management, skill utilization, endurance, etc... War, can be seen as a "game", and we all know how serious that is. Who you are as a person comes out in everything that you do, and how you approach scenarios. Play to improve, and play to win. I commonly hear people say "So, we lost, who cares it's just a game". If you take the time to do something you obviously care about it, and therefor should strive for excellence. You don't have to BE excellent, but you need to be in the process of becoming excellent. (Refer back to the student mentality.)
5. Relax- Being able to remain calm, and relaxed in stressful scenarios is critical, not just in games, but in all things. When people get angry, they become irrational, and unproductive. Accepting responsibility and learning and cultivating a student mentality will help you not be angry at your defeats. If you find yourself becoming upset, or angry, take a short break. Re-frame your mindset. Do not take your loss personally. Avoid placing blame elsewhere. (Constructive feedback is a positive thing, demeaning your teammates and placing blame on them is not.)
Finally, a word on rating:
Do not be attached to your rating. Do not base your interactions with others on either your or their rating. Your rating can be a useful barometer of your progress, but it is not your worth. You can set goals to attain X rating, but a better goal is to improve X aspect of your gameplay. Play the game because you enjoy the game, and you enjoy becoming better at it. Being obsessed with rating can actually stunt your improvement. (IE: It's late in the evening, and you keep queing into the same team who is farming you. If you can remain calm, and relaxed and keep your student frame of mind firmly, this could be a great opportunity to work on strategies for defeating them rather than quit queing and accepting defeat. That said, if you find either yourself or your teammates becoming overly frusterated, definitely take a break for 5-10 minutes and continue queing. Perhaps calmed down you will be able to work on learning.)
