Feelings about playing stronger opponents?

So, do you feel scared or excited or what?

Thanks for the replies

60% scared
30% excited
10% im gonna crush this lil bitch :)

@MorningCoffee i feel almost the same because losing in chess diminishes my confidence.

I always try to get the strongest opponent that I can convince to a game. (Somehow I am thinking this was supposed to be the norm?)

So if @MorningCoffee were to rephrase its 10%, I would go 100% on it.

@GoMentalGoBloody i wonder, why you have to convince someone who is stronger than you to a game? i feel it is the other way around. I would hesitate when offered to play stronger opponent.

I guess the rule of a thumb is to always play stronger opp but practicaly it is nerv-wrecking to me.Only if i know the person so it is ok and he will give me some good advice.

LOL i love @MorningCoffee 's 10 percent...Crush this lil bitch...rofl!!

One of my fav movie lines: "You can only get smarter by playing a smarter opponent".

You need 2 essentials though,
1. Don't internalize the loss, be defiant and ...
2. Try again ! only try harder this time

Its only when I lose to an opponent that I should comfortably win against (by ratings) that I get the defeat psychology, otherwise it feels like a process, till I get to be as good as my opponent.

Over the board, somehow, the opponent's rating does not impact on the way I play. I usually lose to much stronger players. That's usual and expected and does not even make me upset. However, I occasionally beat them. Whenever I manage to do that, I feel like the greatest spoiler because a loss to me costs lots of rating points and is enough to disqualify the loser from any awards, medals, or trophies even if the stronger player wins all the other games in the tournament.

@Tangelo777 somehow when i play OTB i don't get scared etc because my opponent is stronger.I just get really concentrated on what is going on over the board and i guess i forget to get scared hehehe. But online is a different story.I dont get to see my opponent and to see his reactions when i make a move etc.

Mostly I prefer stronger enemies. Probably because wins over them mean you did smth really impressive on board in that particular game. It requires constant attempts to destabilize game which is also interesting.

I enjoy OTB games with stronger opponents, as long as I have options to think about that give a fight! Close games are always the best.