Summary
Contents
Transactional Analysis (TA) refers to a wide-ranging set of theories about the human personality. It provides an unambiguous and logical framework within which we can understand and analyze ourselves—our motives, our behavior, and our interactions with others. The principles of TA can be applied universally—at home, in the workplace, at clubs and restaurants, at sporting events, in social occasions, and so on. TA was originally developed by the American psychoanalyst Dr Eric Berne in the 1950s. After his untimely death in 1970, the existing TA theory was substantially enlarged and added to by a host of other illustrious contributors.
Understanding Attitudes
Understanding Attitudes
The mind is its own place, and in itself can make A Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.
—John Milton, Paradise Lost
The Script
We saw in the previous chapter how we choose our identity by the age of 6. As we grow (6–12 years), we try to acquire the skills to get by in this world to match the identity we have chosen. We also acquire a whole range of values, beliefs, and opinions, mostly from our parents and other authority figures. “Authority figures” could be our favorite uncle or aunt, or favorite teacher, or the school principal, anyone who made an impression on us when we were young and whom we looked up to.
Apart from strokes, attributions, and injunctions, many other ...