Games People Play
By: Eric Berne
In the first half of the book, Berne introduces transnational analysis as a way of interpreting social interactions. He describes three roles or ego states, known as the Parent, the Adult, and the Child, and concludes that many negative behaviors can be traced to confusion of these roles. He discusses procedures, rituals, and pastimes in social behavior.
The second half of the book explains a series of "mind games" that people interact with through a predictable series of "transactions" that may appear normal to bystanders or even to the people involved, but actually have hidden motivations, private information, and a predictable outcome. The book uses casual, often humorous phrases such as "See What You Made Me Do," "Why Don't You — Yes But," and "Ain't It Awful" as a way of briefly describing each game. In reality, the "winner" of a mind game is the person that returns to the Adult ego-state first.
By: Eric Berne
In the first half of the book, Berne introduces transnational analysis as a way of interpreting social interactions. He describes three roles or ego states, known as the Parent, the Adult, and the Child, and concludes that many negative behaviors can be traced to confusion of these roles. He discusses procedures, rituals, and pastimes in social behavior.
The second half of the book explains a series of "mind games" that people interact with through a predictable series of "transactions" that may appear normal to bystanders or even to the people involved, but actually have hidden motivations, private information, and a predictable outcome. The book uses casual, often humorous phrases such as "See What You Made Me Do," "Why Don't You — Yes But," and "Ain't It Awful" as a way of briefly describing each game. In reality, the "winner" of a mind game is the person that returns to the Adult ego-state first.