On Anger
Trobaire - May 20, 2017Anger is a beast.
Most of us know the feeling of the throes of anger that follow a tough loss. It's a primal scream that pounds at your chest and demands to be released, social faux pas be damned. It spawns a lose-lose situation: We give in and controllers are thrown, walls are punched, handshakes refused, and sometimes worse. We keep the beast contained, and it eats at our insides, preparing to return even stronger. K9sbruce's recent 30-day suspension from 2GG events, coupled with my own renewed struggles with emotion during tournaments, has made me wonder if we can ever really slay the beast--or if we really want to.
One of the most ubiquitous terms in fighting games is "mindset", which unfortunately is also one of the most vague terms in fighting games. Most would describe a "positive mindset" as one that is dedicated to improvement, playing to learn, and accepting of both the nature of the game and the outcome of the match. No nerves, no Johns, no salt, no rage. In Smash 4, Locus and SuperGirlKels are commonly mentioned as examples of players with excellent mindsets. (Apparently being Canadian is a prerequisite.)
But most top players don't fit that description. ZeRo, Nairo, Ally, Mr. R, Dabuz, Anti, Tweek, and just about everyone else have had many moments of frustration captured on stream and on Twitter, enough to suggest that they are just as prone to anger and salt as anyone--and possibly more so.
That's because for all the downsides of anger during competition, it is a motivator like nothing else. A fierce hatred of losing has shown itself to be a common factor in many legendary athletes and competitors, and that's no accident. It's the Yin to the Yang of success; taking losses hard makes victory that much sweeter. It's like gambling with emotion.
Understanding the role of anger doesn't really help when you want to put a fist through the TV, though. So how should we deal with anger?
I'm still trying to figure that out, as is K9. His case is especially interesting to me, as he is such a staple of his local scene, going to literally everything and playing in high-stress environments constantly, yet still not acclimated to the pressure that gives rise to explosive anger. But could a sedate K9 remain a high-level threat? Or is this weakness actually his strength?
I've thought for a while that an ideal venue would have punching bags available for players to release their anger on. Maybe that's the answer. Instead of trying to bottle up our primeval emotions, we can find a place to safely unleash them, and maybe even bond with our fellow saltlords over a shared untamable beast.
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