We have all gotten trash talked at some point in our life. For different people, trash talking and being trash talked generate different outcomes. Some people fall victim to the words, while for others, it’s their motivation. 

Can being trash talked really motivate you to work harder, or will it crush your self esteem? It usually depends on the context. Whether it is in school or in sports, some trash talking can have both positive and negative effects on someone. A Georgetown professor at Entrepreneur  found out that some trash talking can be unethical and uncivilized. For instance, if you were to tell someone that they’re a loser, they could be crushed or could do things that are immoral to prove that they are not honorable of those words. Bad mouthing someone can also change their individual perspective to only winning to prove that those words weren’t meant for them. Belittling someone can have positive and negative impacts, and if taken in the right way, could boost performance. If not, it could diminish production. 

Trash talking can have both positive and negative effects on people; it really just depends on the person. It’s risky behavior that can either favor your personal desired outcome or go against it, depending on who you trash talk. Be careful with who you say these things to, as everyone has their own mindset when it comes to hearing those diminishing and or encouraging words.