Games People Play
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Implementation Notes
- Understanding the Structure of Games: Games consist of a sequence of hidden transactions that lead to a predictable outcome. It is important to recognize these transactions and their hidden motives.
- Roles and Scripts: People play certain roles in games, such as «Persecutor», «Victim», and «Rescuer». Understanding your role and the roles of others helps to become aware of interaction dynamics.
- Three Ego States: Interactions between people can be analyzed through three ego states: Parent, Adult, and Child. Awareness of which state communication is coming from helps to better understand and manage games.
- Goals of Games: Games often have hidden goals, such as gaining recognition, avoiding responsibility, or confirming one's beliefs. Identifying these goals helps to understand the true motives of participants.
- Interrupting Games: To stop a game, it is important to recognize its presence and change your reaction to provocations. This may involve refusing to participate in the game or changing your role.
- Analyzing Wins and Losses: Every game has its wins and losses for participants. Analyzing these aspects helps to understand why people continue to play certain games.
- Replacing Games with Honest Interactions: Instead of games, one can strive for honest and open interactions based on sincerity and mutual respect.
- Psychological Strokes: People need recognition and attention. Understanding this helps to replace games with positive forms of interaction that satisfy this need without hidden motives.

Date of publication: 28 September 2024
Last updated: 13 May 2025
———Games People Play
Author:
Genre: Psychology