The truth and beauty of “git gud”
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“Git gud” is a common refrain in fighting games. We are a people who celebrate mastery, and this celebration brings us all together in the desire to be greater than our current selves. Some people don’t get it, which is fine — spicy food isn’t for everybody — but I think it’s sad when I find folks who misunderstand what “git gud” means to us and why we find it so beautiful.
The misconception
People on the outside of FGs think that ‘git gud’ means ‘You don’t matter in this community unless you’re good’, but its meaning within the community basically translates to:
- People are generally going to give your advice and opinions about fighting games as much credibility as your play quality earns, and
- No one is really going to pay attention to you unless you’re good
These two statements are Good Things in the fighting game community! Being Good At Games is important to us, and credibility about said games is established by showing you’re capable enough to know your shit. However, some people erroneously conclude from these two truths that:
- Good players opinions about not-fighting games are also treated with such credibility (they’re not, we blow top players up for saying dumb shit all the time, being really good at fighting games doesn’t make a bad take better)
- People who aren’t good at games don’t belong here (most of us aren’t good at most games, 25% of every tournament goes 0–2)
The real meaning of “git gud”
“Git gud” is something you say to your homie when they’re complaining about getting hit by the same mixup for the tenth time in a session because it’s shorter than saying, “Look, I spent the time figuring this thing out, now it’s your turn.”
“Git gud” is something you say to your homie again after you tell them how to deal with the mixup and they complain about how hard that is instead of trying to do it.
“Git gud” means “We’re both here to level up, so act like it.”
“Git gud” says “When you’re done feeling bad about losing, do something about it.”
“Git gud” is the implied response to literally everything that shows up on ScrubQuotes.
And whenever anyone says “git gud” to you, you know it’s coming from someone who has been where you are, feeling shitty or powerless or weak about something they feel like they can’t control, and found the strength to pick themselves up and find something they could do about it.
“Git gud” is some Grown Adult Shit
“But why should we care so much about being good at a silly videogame?” the downers say, in the same voice they would use to ridicule athletic sports, speedruns, or any other contest of skill. And the answer is: because real life is just a bunch of games.
Git gud life is knowing that the only one you can count on to handle your shit is you, so handle your shit.
Git gud friends are the ones who push you to grow because they love seeing you rise to the challenge.
Git gud doesn’t care about what you’re gitting gud at. All that matters is that you care enough to try to git gud.
Because the point isn’t actually to git gud.
What matters is that you got better.
Thanks for reading!
💪😎👍❤
-patrick miller
