Winners vs losers: is everything just rage bait now?

The pervasiveness of provocative posts seem to be the main thing in my particular algorithm, what about yours?

Today, I mindlessly open Instagram and I see this post:

I had written and deleted probably 3 responses to Brad on this. He’s right, and while there’s A LOT more to say – this is reckless for so many reasons. But while I was crafting the *perfect* response I realized more than this being incredibly harmful it is also some serious *loser* energy. It made me think of another rage-baity thing I have seen recently with a big response from the disability community from a certain sport brand:

Nike’s campaign at the 2026 Boston Marathon – the same marathon that experienced explosions in 2013 resulting in not only deaths but permanent disabilities.

I haven’t done much responding to this campaign and it’s because I’ve realized a few things. The internet today feels like a slot machine of upsetting images, words, and concepts in between animal videos and advertising. I’m simply overwhelmed and exhausted, consequently, this has resulted in an impressive lower amount of screen time as of recent.

The fact that these two, among many, posts keep showing up in my feed is because I am a mental performance coach for professional athletes and elite performers, AND I am a disabled person. The intersection of these worlds to me just makes it my regular life.

Since I know it’s likely a lot of folks in the sport psychology, mental performance, disability, sport and wellness world will have or already have seen this let me share how this type of messaging fits in performance:

It’s major loser energy.

I don’t use the word “loser” lightly. The energy of baiting someone to respond with anger, or to say something so carelessly meant to make people feel small or weak for doing something we are biologically designed to do – be supported by others – is only something a loser does.

In elite systems, strong structures are not rigid. They do not say “this is the only way to do this.” They do not say “you’re weak because you are not upholding an already damaging image that isn’t attainable.” Rigidity is fragile. I talk to my clients and colleagues about a “scaffolding” in a system. One with routines and rituals that are important, but create an infrastructure that allows for flexibility and adaptability.

Winners adapt, they adjust. They know that uncertainty and fear and failure is a part of getting closer to mastery. Approaching the unknown and reaching out to others is something that promotes growth, creativity, and achievement.

Losers avoid. They siphon people off from each other, they cheer for others misfortune, and stick to a rigid script that only roots for people to submit because they feel small and unworthy.

So if anyone in my periphery has noticed why I haven’t responded to the current upsetting conversations in circulation – it’s because I don’t think they’re worthy of a response because it’s just losers shouting into the void.

This is the most basic and boring lesson on approaching vs avoiding behaviors talked about in sport psychology, and they are missing the whole entire point.

Winners care. They care about their craft they care about others and they want everyone to show up their best because then competition is truly elite. The rest is just noise.

Keep winning friends.