Anger Management Problems

[Rosti LFC]

I'm sure most people can agree with me (after reading his blog cosmonaut is certainly one) that they suffer from bouts of rage while playing Tetris online. Normally i'm generally quite quiet and collected, but while playing Tetris online I can get seriously pissed off at stuff. Disconnections while winning, stupid misdrops, losing games I didn't deserve to lose generally get me pretty annoyed, usually causing stuff to get punched or hurled across the room (so far my DS is probably lucky to still be working). Why the hell to I get so aggrevated while playing? I generally don't get angry playing other games - only Tetris. Why do I build up such a hatred for random strangers who I have never met because they target me or have ratings in the 4000's when they are 7000+ players (13' you know who you are, you asshole. You made me lose so many points that if I meet you again I will kick your ass!). Seriously though, anger generally isn't good for you, so does anyone know of any good ways to relieve stress?

[Caithness]

I hardly ever get very angry at anything or anyone, but I'm not sure I can give you any pointers on how to achieve that. I just noticed that as I grew older, I got angry less and less.


I have read that being angry, or at least continuing to be angry, is a conscious choice. So while you may not be able to control that first flash of rage, you can at least work on shortening the time that something bothers you.

[cosmonaut]

yeah, seriously i nearly gave up tetris the same day you did (then the next day -- monday? -- i hit a new 1v1 rating alltime high).


I wrecked 1 ds.


then, while playing tetris and getting just short of beserk i took my phone (a treo 650) and CLOBBERED it against the huge metal radiator next to me, shattering the screen to bits.


and then most recently i wrecked the wall across from me by hurling my ds lite through the air (missing the window, luckily) causing a need for some spackle, approximately 2 inches deep worth of ds-lite shaped spackle. In the skirmish between the wall and my ds lite the wall lost its ass as the ds lite wasn't even scratched, btw.


I think the whole scenario has to do with each tetris piece being a "microemotion." and with each favorable lay you experience micro-joy... and vice-versa. lately i've been playing a lot of tennis and each volley does the same thing for me and i've hurled my racked fifty or sixty yards in the air having the same conniption fits i have with tetris.


have you checked out this:

<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A938874"> http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A938874 </a> scroll to "why keep playing?"

[PetitPrince]

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/386779/2/istockphoto_386779_global_domination.jpg ?

http://www.yiquan78.org/images/sacpo8.jpg ?

[Sully]

I spiked my DS like a footbll due to Tetris anger issues. It broke completely in half.


I try to maintain composure now that I've got my new DS lite. At least EB Games gave me $20 in trade for my broken DS =)

[Rosti LFC]

The object that I take most of my frustration out on is my alarm clock. It takes quite a beating during Tetris (and when Man U scored a late goal against Liverpool last season) and I'm suprised it still works fine. It's not even designed to be thrown - it's made out of (tough) plastic. I'm probably going to by a stress ball soon.

It's not just anger though, there's a lot of hatred as well, and plenty of "Oh my god next game you are going down you little $%£&*" for when people target me.

I also think one of the reasons Tetris is addictive is because only your mistakes remain on the field. Anything you do right gets wiped clear.


PS. You live in UK cosmonaut? (link to BBC suggests so). From when you play I assumed you live in the U.S.

[Brutus]

honestly? you guys have serious issues ._.

[Rosti LFC]

We know - that's why we post them here silly.

[Phydeaux]

I take it out on the kids on the Nintendo forums.

[cosmonaut]

ah, rosti, i'm in the states -- i was just perusing google and stumbled upon that.

[tepples]

PS. You live in UK cosmonaut? (link to BBC suggests so).

Slashdot, a mostly US based news blog, runs a lot of stories from bbc.co.uk and a few Australian (.au) sites. So does Fark.

[Rosti LFC]

ah, rosti, i'm in the states -- i was just perusing google and stumbled upon that.


I thought you were, the link to the bbc just implied otherwise, though I suppose it's not hard to view websites from other countries, and the bbc has a pretty huge website (can you download TV programs from the site? You shouldn't be able to seeing as you don't pay a TV liscense to the BBC). The fact you post on the NOA forums is also a hint (I had to fake where I lived to be able to post on them)

[DIGITAL]

http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_eek.gif I just turn off my DS when I am mad. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif

[Rosti LFC]

Yeah, but even after you've lost a disconnect loses you more points, so turning my DS off would anger me even more when I realise I've just lost more points

[Bander87]

Its all in the rankings - its competitive.

[Rosti LFC]

Its all in the rankings - its competitive.

Yeah, thats the stupid thing. It's not like they actually mean anything. My world ranking can't change form 2000th to 450th in a day and still be true, yet I still care deeply about them.


*Edit: my quotes definately aren't working very well.

tetris is like gambling, points is like money


when you win 10k at a casino, and then you lose 1k you get angry because you lost that 1k.. you used to had 10k, you lost 1k of your money! so you get angry and gamble some more till you win that 1k back or more


tetris is similar to this, its nintendos way of getting people addicted

[Bander87]

so you get angry and gamble some more till you win that 1k back or more


This is probably why I keeping playing even though my ranking is being slauterd.

[Rosti LFC]

tetris is like gambling, points is like money


My god he's right... You feel annoying when your rating is lower than it should be, and keep playing to increase it. Then when it's high you don't stop playing because you're on a winning streak and think it can go higher. Then you play a few games too many and it drops back to being rubbish. Then you have to stop for some reason. Then you get annoyed with yourself for not quitting while you were ahead and your rating was good.


(Why the hell can't I put names in my quotes? I even use the quote in the post above and changed the text, but it still wont work!)

[Phydeaux]

[Rosti LFC]

So this should work then... but it doesn't

phpbb version bug-- will fix with next update. sorry bout it.

[Phydeaux]

So this should work then... but it doesn'tthat's weird. bbcode isn't disabled by default in your profile, or when you post?

[Rosti LFC]

Its weird that I can use quotes, but not with names in, and other people can...

[caffeine]

cause you have html enabled or something like that. i'll fix it eventually. just wait.