Criticism is a double-edged sword

Just a general reminder for you all. Criticizing people is risky business. Not just in-game, but in real life as well; that's besides the point, though.

Let's say someone makes a misplay. Maybe they missed a skillshot that lets someone get away, maybe they gave up first blood, maybe they flashed unnecessarily, maybe they reacted a little too slowly to a gank from the allied jungler. You point out this error to them, saying something like "Why would you overextend?"

Now, which is more likely: that they will accept the criticism and their play will immediately improve as a result of your criticism, or that they will feel personally attacked by your criticism and go on tilt?

In my experience, the latter is far more likely. It's just how people work psychologically. For most people, criticism hurts their own sense of self-esteem, and thus anger is the first instinctive response to being criticized. It often requires a lot of patience and discipline to control that anger. And a lot of people, when playing League, don't have the patience or discipline to control their anger, because they're playing for fun and don't want to put in the effort to control themselves after a long day of work.

So for those with a teammate who makes a mistake, my advice is this:

1. Always think carefully before you criticize someone, for any reason. Is it really worth the risk of starting an argument or tilting them?

2. If you must criticize someone, be as polite as possible. Don't spam pings, don't use insults, and be forgiving. Remind yourself that everyone makes misplays, even pros.

Thanks for listening.