| Many people in my class trash-talk during P.E., and it definitely helps them win games. I try to refrain from it because I dislike saying it as much as hearing it, but I can get pretty mouthy when I get in a bad mood.
Anyway, I think there is definitely a nasty element in trash talking, but I question how realistic it is to call it 'dishonorable' -- is my dislike of trash talking because is brings discomfort to others any less selfish than my opponet's desire to utilize all their resources to pull out a victory because of the good feeling it gives them?
It seems like I am trying to avoid a bad feeling while they are trying to acquire a pleasant one -- both derive from a type of self-interest. In the context of a game, neither appears more justified than the other.
A moral being is an entity for whom the disadvantage of others is an issue.
– K.H.Y. |