Hate the Game, Not Player

The cluster revolves around the repeated use of the idiom 'Don't hate the player, hate the game,' debating whether to blame individuals participating in a flawed competitive system or the system itself, often in business, competition, or gaming contexts.

📉 Falling 0.4x Startups & Business
4,846
Comments
20
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#227
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2007
5
2008
25
2009
72
2010
114
2011
138
2012
141
2013
192
2014
159
2015
192
2016
215
2017
256
2018
251
2019
310
2020
372
2021
442
2022
574
2023
513
2024
415
2025
427
2026
35

Keywords

FTL game hate game don don hate player play play game players fun people play

Sample Comments

rhetocj23 Sep 17, 2025 View on HN

As the saying goes, dont hate the player, hate the game.

wr1472 Jan 10, 2010 View on HN

That's right play the game, don't let the game play you.

highspeedbus Jan 6, 2021 View on HN

It's a game, some people are willing to play it.

zedshaw Jan 10, 2010 View on HN

Don't hate the player, hate the game. :-)

batch12 Jul 19, 2024 View on HN

It's only a game if people play. Disliking both works fine.

google234123 Dec 7, 2020 View on HN

It's the game'd business what you are running if you are ruining the game for other players.

draw_down Aug 15, 2019 View on HN

Don't hate the player, hate the game.

marian0_ Sep 14, 2017 View on HN

Don't hate the player, hate the game.

__loam Feb 13, 2024 View on HN

Don't hate the player, hate the game.

smackeyacky Feb 11, 2023 View on HN

Don't hate the player, hate the game.