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The Griefer

The motivation for griefing varies from person to person, and depends on what goal he or she has. Despite what a lot think, not every griefer griefs simply to annoy others. Some wish to demonstrate their ability to find flaws in the game (that is, demonstrate how much more intelligent, observant, or creative they are than you). They are usually the ones that find new exploits and are the kinds of people that should have been part of the testing team. Others grief to show how stupid a game is, and in turn, how stupid others are for playing it. They are usually players that never had interest in the game in the first place[2], or have played the game to unreasonable extents in the past and find the need to do whatever it takes to distance themselves from something they now find absurd. At best, these griefers are trying to tell you that your time can be better spent. At worst, they are telling you how low your standards are.

 

Though most griefers have motivations that can be understood, there are a few that grief for more shallow reasons. These types of griefers tend to be the more selfish of the bunch, and would respond to aggravated players with something on the lines of “I’m doing it because I can.” or “I don’t care.” and gain more attention due to the magnitude of drama they create. They grief because they are generally bored (with the game’s boundaries or with social boundaries) or because they wish to gain something in the game (and the fastest way to do it, is to grief). Most of these kinds of griefers tend to be unpleasant and socially inadequate in real life (though that’s not always case[3]) and any sensible gamer would ignore them, or better yet, stop playing and return to the game later.  

 

For a first-hand account on griefing (contains mild language):

 

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