Tilt Management: fighting back against hate with NAVI Performance Coach Urszula Klimczak and GG.BET

The final chapter of the Tilt Management special project is dedicated to hate — a phenomenon that can poison lives and shake the confidence. Together with Urszula Klimczak and NAVI title sponsor GG.BET, we explore why hate has nothing to do with the people being targeted, what to do if your biggest hater is yourself, and how to stay strong in the face of negativity.

Almost everyone has encountered hate online or offline at least once. It is a form of aggression or contempt aimed at hurting and offending someone. Unlike constructive criticism, which is based on facts and addresses the issue itself, hate relies on value judgments and often turns into personal attacks.

With the rise of social media, becoming a target of hate has become easier than ever: one comment is enough to spark outrage. And it affects all kinds of people — top players, celebrities, million-follower bloggers, and people without large audiences alike. Yet the consequences are similar: lower motivation, social withdrawal, emotional instability and mood swings, potential burnout and depression, and even suicidal thoughts. Why does this happen?

What is behind hate

The key idea from Urszula Klimczak — and the starting point for understanding the issue — is simple: hate has nothing to do with you. It says far more about the person expressing hostility.

Hatred often comes from disappointed people — disappointed not in you, but in themselves. It can be difficult to remember this when you're being overwhelmed by negativity, but it is important to understand that hate often comes from people who:

– envy your achievements or lifestyle;– use insults and bullying to feed their own ego;– spread hatred to release tension because they are unable to cope with their own struggles.

Esports athletes frequently find themselves at the center of negativity. It may start with "the team played the match badly" or "we expected a different performance from you" and that escalates to criticism of appearance, physical condition, or even the way players spend their free time.

This is the downside of being public and a consequence of blurred boundaries, when star players share the same online space with everyone else.

NAVI have their own approach to dealing with hate. Here are a few key principles:

1. Building boundaries

Avoid reacting to angry comments and messages. Do not engage in arguments with haters. Remember that behind the hate there are disappointed people. Value the opinions only of those whose judgment genuinely matters to you.Some players are very selective about what they share on social media. This approach works too: it creates fewer reasons for hate and protects what is valuable from outsiders not giving them reasons for the outbursts of hate.

2. Keeping achievements in sight

Pay attention to everything you've managed to achieve. Be grateful to yourself — for your effort, the path you've taken, and the improvement of your skills, even if the result does not always satisfy you. Set new goals and continue moving forward.

3. Strengthening internal pillars

Work on your self-worth. Build a supportive and motivating environment. Maintain a healthy work-life balance, because exhaustion makes people more vulnerable to negativity.

4. Creating a safe space

A culture of constructive feedback, support from teammates and coaches, and going through both inspiring and difficult periods together all contribute to greater inner resilience and reinforces the bond. That keeps the motivation high as well as productivity with a team.

Why the inner hater appears and how to silence it

Sometimes the harshest critic lives inside of us. And the damage caused by this inner voice can be even more destructive than negativity coming from others.

According to Urszula, there are several reasons why severe self-criticism develop:

One skill that can help is negative thoughts testing. There's no need to fear them or let them run wild. Pay attention to them and explore them instead.

Helpful self-support tips

In addition to everything mentioned above, Urszula recommends paying attention to the following.

1. Be a "Good Boss" to Yourself

In today's world, there are too many opportunities to be exposed to negativity. And when external criticism is reinforced by internal hate, it can significantly worsen your well-being. Do not devalue yourself or your efforts. Create achievable goals, track them and find words of approval and support for yourself, because nobody knows you better than you do. When you are able to support yourself and recognize your own successes, hate hurts less, and the need of external validation becomes less important.

"You get what you give yourself. If you constantly criticize yourself, you will never feel good enough. Take time to pause, appreciate your growth, and realize that improvement is a journey, not a destination."

2. Set realistic goals

When negativity gets under your skin, one tempting strategy is to take on more. Work harder. Push yourself further. Ignore other needs in order to outperform yourself and make haters change their opinion. But in the end, this can lead to demotivation and burnout.

Remember your own condition:

• don't overload your daily to-do list;
• set measurable and achievable goals;
• don't steal your own personal time and rest.

It is impossible to be good enough for everyone, so become good enough for yourself first.

3. Energy has limits

Remember that people who choose hate over constructive criticism are often not in a good place themselves. For some people, hate is a way to add emotions to their lives at the expense of your mood.

Don’t give haters space to feed off your achievements, lifestyle, or choices. Don’t post threads about how badly you played or how unacceptable performance you presented. You did best you could in that moment and learn from it. On the top of it all think about how unhappy a person must be if negativity toward others is the way to feel seen.

When should you seek professional help?

Please consider reaching out to a psychologist if:

• you consistently see yourself only in a negative light and struggle to recognize anything positive about yourself;
• it becomes harder and harder to notice anything good in your life;
• you look for cheap dopamine boosters that are not in line with your life style or your work ethics
• negative thoughts start to feel overwhelming or unmanageable.

Homework from GG.BET

1. Filter your thoughts

2. Practice gratitude

Before bed, take 10–15 minutes to write down three things you can thank yourself for today. Try doing this every day for 7–10 days and then reflect on how your answers change over time.

3. "So what?"

Whenever you come across an angry comment or hear an unfair and unpleasant remark about yourself, ask yourself: "So what?". Moreover, validate if the person is anyone that is important to you and give yourself the permission to ignore or not read anything from people whose opinion is not valuable to you.

In most cases, you may realize that these are simply someone else's opinions and expectations — and that they have nothing to do with who you are.