Anyone who has ever played a competitive game—be it in real life or video game form—with others knows that there’s a chicken and egg problem that pops up. That problem is this: winning feels good and cultivates good vibes. Losing feels bad and cultivates bad vibes. And yet, as you surely know, not all groups of people are the same. Some group dynamics are simply better than other group dynamics, regardless of how much you win or lose.
So...are the vibes better because you’re winning? Or are the good vibes helping to promote the winning? It’s a little like the Mitch Hedberg joke about the belt and the pant loops; who is the real hero?