Talking trash is easy. Shaking hands after you lose is the hard skill.

REFLECTION

WHAT THIS MEANS

Anybody can be gracious while winning. The real test arrives in the two minutes after a loss, when you are angry and tired and would rather be anywhere else, and you walk down the line anyway. It is a skill, which means it is bad at first and gets easier with use.

Decide before the game what you will do if it goes badly, since deciding afterwards rarely works. Shake the hand, say good game, keep it short, and save the analysis for the car. Nobody remembers who talked during the game; plenty of people remember who was decent at the end of it.

A QUESTION TO SIT WITH

How do you behave in the minutes right after losing?

MORE IN MINDSET & IDENTITY

Free, with nothing to buy inside it.