Anger management and sports - understanding Magnus Carlsen the chess player
By vanny
@vandana7 (101945)
India
June 3, 2025 12:16pm CST
I was reading something about anger in sports.
I think anger is wrong if it causes harm to another person. If it is self directed, like that of Magnus Carlsen, the chess player, I don't see why it is wrong.
All emotions are needed. Without feeling anger, we women would not have received so many benefits today.
Asking a person to hold back all types of anger is unfair, as it can lead to health issues.
Instead, perhaps, we need to find a way to understand what triggers damaging type of anger and start correcting ourselves. Counseling maybe needed only if he the person is not thinking right.
I have often seen players on Cricket field to pass PROVOKING REMARKS or behavior. That behavior needs to be penalized. Not the anger that results from such provocation. I am sure the same happens in other group sports.
Nothing wrong with celebrating victory. If another person feels ridiculed, he needs counseling.
But if there showing other person ..look I won, snide remarks or provocative remarks or signs or even exchange of smiles to ridicule, yeah...that is bad in taste...bad behavior, especially in sports.
So when a tennis star shows sign of victory in game or set or match towards the opponent, it feels wrong.
But if it is towards self or shown to own team, nothing wrong. There is nothing wrong with throwing rackets, and breaking them. It is frustration at self. It is not harming anybody. It is kinda setting the bar higher for self, and failing and being disappointed.
There is also lack of time to process such frustrating moments, which is why it manifests as angry display.
I think there has to be differentiation instead of condemning all anger to be wrong.
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7 responses
@LindaOHio (191210)
• United States
4 Jun
I remember John McEnroe and his fits of anger on the court.
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@vandana7 (101945)
• India
4 Jun
Unlike Federer or even Carlsen, McEnroe's was clearly a case of anger directed at the umpire...inflated ego. While both Carlsen and Federer expressed frustration they did not hold anger towards anybody else...it was just feeling unhappy with own performance. That is fine...holding such emotions back might lead to some health issue. But this is different from what McEnroe used to do.
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@vandana7 (101945)
• India
5 Jun
@LindaOHio Me too. Though I watch tennis regularly. Right now French Opens are on.
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@LindaOHio (191210)
• United States
5 Jun
@vandana7 That was some good tennis though in those days. I would watch McEnroe and Connors and Chris Evert.
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@vandana7 (101945)
• India
4 Jun
Oh its not merely sports teams. Even politicians do that all the time. Such behavior should actually result in severe penalties. Right now our leaders and tv channels are shouting on rooftops how we won over Pakistan. The issue is over and done with. Does it need to be milked so much that it creates anger in the heart of the neighboring country preventing any hope for peace in future? Leaders who have no kids are doing it without any consideration. TV channels are resorting sycophancy. The next generation may face the music.
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@ptrikha_2 (48030)
• India
3 Jun
Yes I read the news about Magnus Carlsen.
He did calm down a bit and then shook hands with the ultimate champion Gukesh but overall he could not hode his anger.
Recently, a player from one team slapped another team person after an IPL match over a petty argument.
Plus Shreyas Iyer lost his cool at Shashank Singh post match owing to an avoidable runout.
Obviously avoidable anger outbursts.
These do not benefit individuals nor the team.
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@ptrikha_2 (48030)
• India
7 Jun
@vandana7
yes i do concur. In case of a serious provocation, anger can come naturally.
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@vandana7 (101945)
• India
4 Jun
I am fine with Magnus Carlsen's anger. Expecting better from self and getting frustrated with some silly act done by self is likely to cause such outburst from anybody. That is anger directed at self...
The slapping part is serious.
As I mentioned ..there are two types...one at self, one at others.
Anger on self is fine. It should not be viewed seriously.
Anger at others too would be fine if it is aroused through wrong verbal or behavioral provocation. Then it is the person who resorted to such provocation who needs to be slapped with fines because that is the behavior which needs to be curtailed.
If, however, anger prompts harm to another person or unreasonable anger at another person then the person needs counseling apart from fines.
So to an extent, it is not objectionable. It is the function of an intelligent brain.
@psanasangma (7669)
• India
4 Jun
Allowing yourself to be dominant by anger is actually not good... I've not been following the news but when I read from your post this gives me clear story. I often see sport men women doing out of anger...
Anger management is really important it's not actually pleasant to be around... it's better to accept the defeat and walk away and come back with full preparation especially in sport world...
In our normal world I rather walk aways then showing my anger or expressing.. it is kind of wasting my energy which we have no power to turn around
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@vandana7 (101945)
• India
4 Jun
Accepting defeat is not the case here. It is accepting that "how could I not see that coming"... I think somewhere we all have high expectations of self. The anger, if it was directed at the winner, would have been bad. It was directed at self, so to me that was understandable. I have often done stupid things. Like forgetting to remove my reading glasses while going out. Realized they were on when half way to someplace else, and with no case in my hand had to continue wearing them. This happened just yesterday. So, yes, we do stupid things, and get annoyed with self, that is ok! It is wrong if it creates anger and grudge at the other person or team. Then counseling is needed as also penalties. We have a tendency to provoke other teams in cricket...goad sorta....people when angry tend to forget instructions so the idea is to rile the person to that level so that he fails to perform. Such riling should be penalized. Anger caused by it should be condoned because that is natural.
@RasmaSandra (85987)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
3 Jun
I have learned that anger is a waste of time, Being alone I have only myself to get angry at but I just keep buggering on,
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@cabuyogty (3777)
• Philippines
3 Jun
I'm doing my interests like Facebook , mylot and watching anything interests to me so that I can't think of anything or anyone that makes me angry. I don't want to be angry and my solution is walk away from anything or people that will make me angry.
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@vandana7 (101945)
• India
3 Jun
Sometimes it is not possible to walk away. Think of a player in a match. Can he walk away midway when he gets angry at something that somebody says or does?
Anger self directed vs. anger directed towards others...that is two classifications.
Anger self directed is expression of frustration, and carries no grudges. Nor does it harm others. It is a minor transgression, worth ignoring.
Anger directed towards others..can be
a. Reasonable ..in which case the behavior or attitude of the other person needs to be penalized
b. Unreasonable....in which case this person needs counseling
That is what I wanted to say. Painting it all in same brush is rather wrong.
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@cabuyogty (3777)
• Philippines
4 Jun
@vandana7 I think I need counselling if i will be angry in the future for me to feel better and be happy whatever rude neighbors will say toxic words against me.
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@vandana7 (101945)
• India
4 Jun
@cabuyogty I think the rude neighbors need to be penalized. Unless they are there will always be bullies. Bullies need to be punished, don't you think?
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