darkness

English translation: an aggressive or anti-social side to your personality

15:37 Nov 17, 2016
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Sports / Fitness / Recreation
English term or phrase: darkness
Hello everyone,

John Kavanagh, a famous fighter and coach, writes in his book as follows (explaining why he wants more to be a coach, not a fighter):

"Kieran McGeeney, who captained Armagh to the All Ireland Senior Football Championship in 2002, is now a coach at SBG Ireland. He often says that you need to have a **darkness** inside you to compete at a high level in any sport. If you can’t tap into that dark side, you’ll quickly come unstuck. I was an example of a fighter who didn’t have access to the dark side. I can recall being in control during fights and part of me would feel like telling my opponent what he needed to do to get out of a position or something: ‘No, move your hand here.’ Coaching and teaching always came more naturally to me than competing and winning"

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/darkness?s=t

noun
1.
the state or quality of being dark :
The room was in total darkness.
2.
absence or deficiency of light:
the darkness of night.
3.
wickedness or evil:
Satan, the prince of darkness.
4.
obscurity; concealment:
The darkness of the metaphor destroyed its effectiveness.
5.
lack of knowledge or enlightenment:
heathen darkness.
6.
lack of sight; blindness.

I'm not sure in what meaning "darkness/dark" is used in the text above.
Based on context, my only guess is that he probably means that one should hide his/her thoughts in a fight, but I'm not sure.

A little bit earlier in the text John explaining the same thing (why he doesn't want to be a fighter,) writes:

"Whenever I fought, in order to motivate myself I needed to do something that I always tell my fighters not to do, and that is to become emotionally invested in a contest. My friend Robbie Byrne would often have to make up some crazy stuff before a fight to get me interested: ‘John, I heard this guy saying terrible things about your sister earlier on. Make him pay for it.’ I’d then charge out from my corner and tear into my opponent. It didn’t matter that what Robbie was saying wasn’t true, it succeeded in getting me wound up."

Can "darkness" imply being angry?

Thank you.
Mikhail Korolev
Local time: 15:57
Selected answer:an aggressive or anti-social side to your personality
Explanation:
The aspect of your personality that you don't particularly want others to see.

In Jungian psychology the shadow or dark side of the personality is the instinctive, irrational and often unknown side of the personaltiy.


"When we talk about having a “dark side,” we’re generally calling attention to our most aggressive, or lustful, anti-social instincts. Or the mean-spirited, bloodthirsty belligerence presumably lurking deep within us. Or our acting out impulses that would disrupt others’ lives—if not outright decimate them. Rape; mutilation; murder; unconscionable acts of thievery, betrayal, treachery, sadism, masochism; unbounded greed; incest; and so on. But what I’d like to suggest here is that perhaps your darkest fantasies shouldn’t be understood as all that demonic. Or at least that they can be much more compassionately appreciated as audacious, disinhibited, primitive, grandiose, or hedonistic—as opposed to, say, degrading, disgraceful, or nefarious."
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolution-the-self/2014...
Selected response from:

Armorel Young
Local time: 12:57
Grading comment
Many thanks to everyone.
Thank you, Armorel.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
3 +4an aggressive or anti-social side to your personality
Armorel Young
4 +1evil streak
Cilian O'Tuama
3 +1hidden
Juan Arturo Blackmore Zerón
3 +1destructiveness/brutality
Lingua 5B


Discussion entries: 6





  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
evil streak


Explanation:
to have an evil streak

Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Local time: 13:57
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 15

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  acetran
22 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
an aggressive or anti-social side to your personality


Explanation:
The aspect of your personality that you don't particularly want others to see.

In Jungian psychology the shadow or dark side of the personality is the instinctive, irrational and often unknown side of the personaltiy.


"When we talk about having a “dark side,” we’re generally calling attention to our most aggressive, or lustful, anti-social instincts. Or the mean-spirited, bloodthirsty belligerence presumably lurking deep within us. Or our acting out impulses that would disrupt others’ lives—if not outright decimate them. Rape; mutilation; murder; unconscionable acts of thievery, betrayal, treachery, sadism, masochism; unbounded greed; incest; and so on. But what I’d like to suggest here is that perhaps your darkest fantasies shouldn’t be understood as all that demonic. Or at least that they can be much more compassionately appreciated as audacious, disinhibited, primitive, grandiose, or hedonistic—as opposed to, say, degrading, disgraceful, or nefarious."
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolution-the-self/2014...

Armorel Young
Local time: 12:57
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Many thanks to everyone.
Thank you, Armorel.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Lingua 5B
1 hr

agree  Yvonne Gallagher: dark as opposed to light...doesn't have to be that aggressive, and inward/outward...
2 hrs

agree  Jörgen Slet
18 hrs

agree  B D Finch
18 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
hidden


Explanation:
A hidden knowlege of yourself which has to be self-discovered.

Juan Arturo Blackmore Zerón
Mexico
Local time: 07:57
Native speaker of: Spanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  acetran
21 hrs
  -> Thanks Acetran!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
destructiveness/brutality


Explanation:
light and darkness, constructive and destructive energy

another interpretation

Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 13:57
Native speaker of: Native in SerbianSerbian, Native in CroatianCroatian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  acetran
20 hrs
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