No, I actually have beaten a Killer Tier opponent in a Match before, and in others I've occasionally taken off a life bar.
I'm a very analytical individual (in everything, not just games), and I'm very good at self reflection and admitting my faults/limitations, as it's a great way to improve (acknowledge something and then work on it). Right now, I know the vast majority of players in Killer Tier are well beyond my skill level; their fundamental knowledge of the game's mechanics simply outclass me.
This isn't a put-down on myself or a negative mindset, it's simple fact. If I continue to put in the time and effort, I may indeed get there myself, but I'm certainly not there yet.
And absolutely, playing better players challenges you and forces you to step up, however if you're continually playing people who are too ahead of you, you actually won't improve as well because you are not given the opportunity to properly and effectively apply what you're learning and further refine it. You're taking on high level tests without having had the time to properly learn the material.
You play StarCraft II, do you play Ranked? I made Platinum 2 at my peak, and on occasion I was being matched against Diamond players. Sometimes I'd beat them, sometimes I wouldn't. But it would force me to macro and micro better, to improve my response times, and learn from those losses. Then, matching me up against others around my skill level, I'd be able to apply and refine those new skills, and if I began outclassing them, the system moved me up and began matching me against tougher opponents more against my new skill level to further that refinement.
However this would be like that system matching me up against Master opponents constantly. I wouldn't be moving up for a long, long time simply because I'm not being given the opportunity to learn as they shut you down too fast; they truly outclass you.
Perhaps, but most of my Ranked Leagues matches have been against Gold and Silver Tier opponents, so they're out there. It's possible I was just playing at the wrong time when Killer Tier was all that was available, but to have four in a row, when you clearly can't handle them, in Qualifiers, that was very frustrating and disappointing.
