Sore Winners: Let The Side Show Begin

Have you ever dealt with a “sore winner”?

In sports, we'd call it "un-sportsman-like conduct".  It entails taking one bow too many, a victory dance on the other team's logo, or going to an extreme when taunting your competition.   Essentially, a “sore winner” is a person who does not know when a battle has ended and maintains an argument long after the discussion is over.  They may continue to bring up old facts that strengthened their beliefs after you have already conceded to allow them to “win” a given argument or assume a certain role.  They may continually brag about their “being right” or their “being better” at something so much until you begin to regret receding to them because you thought that, by doing so, you would avoid your current situation.

What is worse is when you have a sore winner who wins based on treachery and deceit, then proceeds to act as an antagonist who brags about their deceitful win.  When you see people who are rewarded based on favoritism rather than skill, yet they remain arrogant; it can be disheartening.  But then, you have to realize that maybe – just maybe – they are oblivious to just how foolish they are making themselves appear to others.  You see, you cannot remain arrogant and still focus on your required tasks at hand. 

Sooner or later, favoritism wears thin. 

If someone has been rewarded based on friendship, then the skills required to complete the task must be proven at some point.  If they remain a sore loser and focus all of their energies on parading about and talking about their hollow victory, then it becomes improbable that they will use the same energy to better themselves at their job.  A great leader knows when to acknowledge strengths in others, humble themselves, and – sometimes – even ask for help.  A sore winner only knows how to suffer silently while their required tasks present themselves as obstacles that hinder their success and the success of the team.

What sore winners don’t realize is that they are placing themselves in the line of fire. 

By bring undue attention to their singular, inflated achievement, they are  placing themselves in a superficial spotlight.  This spotlight brings undue attention to their hyper-success and, at the same time, makes others wait to see if they deserve praise at all.  From another person's perspective, their accomplishments quickly become overshadowed by the anticipation of their failures.  You see, because they have talked so much about how great or deserving they are of a “win”, their achievements – no matter how big - are expected.  In turn, their failures – no matter how small - become colossal in the eyesight of onlookers.  This is largely due to the fact that they have placed themselves on a pedestal so high that their fall from grace is more of a spectacle than their silent climb to success.  

So, if you happen to be dealing with a sore winner, just sit back and take note.  Grab yourself a seat and wait for the inevitable.  But, don’t become a sore loser by complaining about what you think might be an injustice – it will only take away from the main show.  And who needs two spectacles?  Sit silently and let everyone focus on the main event…   the finale is always worth seeing.

But, alas, this is just ONE Man’s Opinion…   What is yours?