Boards›Player Behavior

The Branding Fallacy

Chibi Vydra·5/11/2016, 9:16:11 AM·1 votes·507 views

_The Toxic Branding Fallacy _

The word "Toxic" is thrown around more than wwjd in a catholic courthouse. This is toxic, that's toxic, he, she, they are all toxic. What does that mean? That these players just wake up thinking how they're going to intentionally ruin someone's game? Excuse the language, but that mentality is bullshit. No matter how much of a pessimist you may or may not be, no one is toxic.

We, as humans, are innately good, not evil. Yes, we do bad things as a species but we do those bad things for one or two of many reasons. In the context of league we may afk because we don't feel like anyone cares about what we have to say, or that our teammates don't want us there. We may "Rage" because someone did something to upset us within the game and we need to vent within the game. The list goes on and on, but the point is, as a community, we need to stop outcasting each other and branding people as toxic. The only thing that behavior causes is to make that player feel further alienated, causing he or she to feel as if they must carry on under the brand you have assigned them. This is a mistake that both the community and Riot Games makes by informing banned players that they are within the lowest percentile of players toxic enough to be banned. We're all the same in that we all feel frustrated, isolated, and sometimes genuinely hurt by the actions of others, even online. If you want a better community, stop branding. Start understanding. ================ EXAMPLE ================ For example, imagine Summoner 1 feeding a kill top lane, Summoner 2 is flamming Summoner 1 for feeding. Summoner 3 decides to step in. If Summoner 3 says, "Shut the **** up Summoner 2, you're toxic as ****." Wouldn't Summoner 2 act even more irrationally? Wouldn't he feel as though he has to act within the context of a toxic player now that he's been branded as one?

If Summoner 3 says, "Calm down everyone, we're doing fine" Summoner 2 may or may not stop flaming, but he won't feel like he's being called out, he won't feel threatened, and he won't feel as though he has to continue his attitude just to fit the label we've branded him as. ================ ======= ================

TL;DR: Stop branding others as toxic. It makes the problem worse.

4 Comments

Kirin5/11/2016, 10:21:01 AM7 votes

For example, imagine Summoner 1 feeding a kill top lane, Summoner 2 is flamming Summoner 1 for feeding. Summoner 3 decides to step in. If Summoner 3 says, "Shut the up Summoner 2, you're toxic as ." Wouldn't Summoner 2 act even more irrationally? Wouldn't he feel as though he has to act within the context of a toxic player now that he's been branded as one?

Are you saying if I called you a hamster you'd feel like you'd have to act within the context of a hamster?

EvilDustMan5/11/2016, 9:35:54 AM5 votes

Except the examples you used are different. Regardless of whether or not you used the word toxic, your example leads with 'shut up' which is already aggressive. Your argument is a fallacy in of itself.

MasterSomething5/11/2016, 10:02:42 AM4 votes

We, as humans, are innately good, not evil.

Entirely subjective. There is no proof of this or the vice versa.

Astôlfo5/11/2016, 10:05:45 PM1 votes

It always amuses me when people are clueless on what they're talking about.

Humans are not innately anything. Reasoning is also always subjective, and also almost always biased to favor oneself. No one cares what "reasons" you have. The end result is, you're still a problem. That's the issue.

Your example problem is also an utter failure. (Refer to what Kirin said) And just because S3 is civil doesn't mean S2 will feel any urge to fit or not fit into any "imaginary" non-existent label you conjured up for them in this theoretical analysis.