The quickest way to feel important... and it needs to stop.

[Kung Fu Steve]

Thanks for the thread. I've noticed the same behavior in my "field of expertise". I used to be big into competitive gaming, I used to follow the big names in a "legit" esport and even played at the highest level of another game for various years.

And most people would be exactly as you described: doing their best to make it seem like others were worse than them. I never understood their issue, whenever I met someone else who was as skilled as I was, or better, or even slightly worse, there would be at least something I could learn from them, and vice versa. The same applies in every facet of life. Everyone could teach us something, and we have something to teach to everyone else.

Lately I haven't been putting much effort into the scene, as I have bigger and better plans to follow, but it hasn't changed at all it seems, which saddens me. I try my best to help the newer entries feel at home whenever I can, but it's a hard task for someone who isn't even a top competitor anymore. I thought this was the case because of the younger demographic of the competitors (they want to look big and tough), but judging by this thread I am wrong, and this plague is a problem everywhere.

How can we solve the issue? I'm noticing that people who spend a reasonable amount of time with me tend to be a little nicer than others, so ideally this whole "enjoying other people's success and display of skills" will spread around. I am not a great person by any mean yet (there's still a lot of work to do, thankfully), but I will change my way of thinking, and influence the people around me to do so as well.

I'm guessing you're far more humble about your skills than you're letting on

But the whole point is this:

EVERYONE *needs* significance. That isn't going away anytime soon.

How you achieve that significance is the key. Is it empowering or destructive?

Our friend up above here (who is already ignored) -- gains his significance by telling people how it is. And lots of people do that.

"I know more about this thing than you do, therefore I'm important."

And they'll try to flaunt it everywhere "do you even know the Rothschilds own the planet!? You're just a F*cking slave which is why you're so competitive."

I'm teasing a bit here because of how silly his responses were in this thread (and others) but, jesus, it is a PERFECT example of someone trying to pretend they are superior to someone else just so they can feel significant.

Of course it's wrong to judge a certain kind of person but if we just use the "stereotypical video game player" we can probably assume they were fairly introverted, didn't get into sports, didn't get the attention for other things -- so they started to get attention (significance) through something they were good at: video games.

Nothing wrong with that.

But then they see other people taunting, teasing, talking shit, and somewhere in their mind (whether true or untrue) they start to associate "if I behave that way, I'll be important, too".

Which is why role models as so important.

Monkey see, monkey do.

Here's what always outshines everything: love.

When you just put love out there over and over and over, it always makes an impact.

If you're the type of person who always finds the good in someone else (and that's all people truly want, is to be noticed), that'll make just as much of an impact (if not more) than tearing someone down and trying to be funny.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[ShamanKing]

Thank You!