Toxicity is Good AMA

Alaín·7/30/2018, 11:41:53 PM·8 votes·1,646 views

Since riot has a witch hunt on toxic players I will not use my main account in this discussion but I want to know why everyone seems to think being positive helps. I am currently Plat III on my main, I am not good at this game by any stretch but what I seem to see is that all of my plat+ friends seem to be more toxic or say that toxicity does not matter while most of my lower elo friends that I in-house with sometimes seem to be more into the club penguin sort of system. The video above also shows qtpie and turtle expressing how toxicity is good and stating the reason NA is bad is because no one seems to care because they will get banned if they flame.

21 Comments

Kei1437/31/2018, 2:03:19 AM7 votes

But .. one can be super toxic and still not get past bronze5...

ModUlanopo7/31/2018, 12:21:23 AM6 votes

I am currently Plat III on my main, I am not good at this game by any stretch

That's an Appeal to Authority and a humble-brag all in one. :)

but what I seem to see is that all of my plat+ friends seem to be more toxic or say that toxicity does not matter

That's observation bias. It's also self-serving. People who stream generally choose to be outlandish in hopes of getting views, thus making them a poor example of the average player's attitude.

while most of my lower elo friends that I in-house with sometimes seem to be more into the club penguin sort of system.

I'm always curious when someone makes a comment like this why they think there isn't a happy medium. Is it just hyperbole in the hopes we'll all just nod our head and say, "I never realized that all I need to win more games is to be a bigger jerk"? It does seem to ignore the fact that there are many people who are skilled and competitive without having to talk the worst kind of trash. If you lack examples, please see the Lady Byng Trophy in the NHL

E2cLSbcBAb7/30/2018, 11:42:48 PM6 votes

I don't see how players deny this, I already watched this video and it's true that there HAS to be some correlation with toxicity and being good, people who disagree are usually lower elo, it's just something I find funny

Umbral Regent7/30/2018, 11:53:10 PM4 votes

...I want to know why everyone seems to think being positive helps.

Because it does. Morale is a thing, and being positive can raise morale and help your team play better, even if only in little ways. Toxicity, on the other hand, hurts morale, making your team play worse.

And that's ignoring the fact that flamers tend to focus more on flaming than they do on the game.

...what I seem to see is that all of my plat+ friends seem to be more toxic or say that toxicity does not matter...

The video above also shows qtpie and turtle expressing how toxicity is good and stating the reason NA is bad is because no one seems to care because they will get banned if they flame.

Maybe, just maybe - and here me out here, this is gonna sound crazy - but maybe they're only saying that because they feel that being good at the game justifies toxicity, rather than toxicity and skill having any actual correlation?

And this part's gonna sound even crazier; what would happen if they tried not being toxic? D'you think they'd suddenly play worse, or perhaps they'd actually win more? 'Cause I'd wager that if they actually tried being positive instead of toxic, they'd climb even higher than where they are now.

As for QTPie and WildTurtle's thoughts...So what? They think that NA is bad because we punish flamers. Not being toxic doesn't somehow mean you don't care about winning or anything like that, so what's it matter what two people say?

mlm olo mlm7/31/2018, 7:35:09 AM3 votes

When you care about something, you commit to it. When you commit to something, you improve at it. I believe other regions generally care about winning more than NA does.

If you define toxicity as a negative emotion, then toxicity will definitely degrade a players performance. Both mentally and physically.

If you define toxicity as negative chat, then toxicity should have no influence on skill. However, it can be a filter of skill. Part of being a better player is having mental fortitude.

If you believe that toxic players are generally more passionate than the average player, then it is passion that leads to improved skill.

SEKAI7/31/2018, 11:23:27 AM2 votes

Gordon Ramsay doesn't get to be a masterchef because he has an explosive attitude and tends to foul mouth at others. But because he is very passionate in cooking.

Toxicity is just that, toxicity.

You can be good without being toxic. You can also be toxic AND bad. Toxicity is NOT the cause of improvement and skills and whatnot, but it's a cause for bad relationships with others since that's just what happens if you can't stop spouting shit at other people.

dKiWi7/31/2018, 11:01:44 AM1 votes

downvoters in denial