Thearcheorizer

The author Eric Berne is a psychiatrist who has published many papers as well as has written many books. I don’t know about the psychoanalysis methods that existed in early 1900s. But Dr. Eric Berne felt the need to develop it and he made his own research which led to his book “Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy.”

This research and book on Transactional Analysis led further to the book GAMES PEOPLE PLAY. Hence, this book Games people play begins with the summary of the prequel and a little introduction to the content of this book.

The book has totally 3 parts.

1. Analysis of Games
2. Thesaurus of Games
3. Beyond games

1.Analysis of Games – Here social interactions are called transactions. This transaction is further classified into different types based on every human’s ego nature (Parent, Adult and Child). Based on the interaction and response from each ego state of an individual gives different game choices. The usual greetings and default responses are called procedures and rituals. Stereotypical societal norms of response types are called pastimes whereas when it comes to individuals each own makes unique choices for a mind play called games.

Ex:

Pastimes: 

A – I don’t like my hair style.

B – Why don’t you try a new look?

A – It’s a new one I have tried, still not to my liking

C – Why don’t you try a different saloon?

Likewise, for any given situation brought in a social group interaction, people start giving their own suggestions. Because we are trained to keep up that conversation going in that way for the sake of social interactions. Parents club together and keep interacting when the conversation begins as ‘these days these kids are..’. Teens interacting about new movies or games or celebrities.

Games – If It weren’t for you.. (IWFU) Either one tends to blame the other with this as an excuse or tends to hide behind this complaining mask for some reason.

2.Thesaurus of Games – There are different kinds of games such as Life games, Marital games, Sex games, Criminal games.

This is the part where I got interested and with every case examples I was able to understand individual’s game tendencies.

Ex: I am only trying to help you – people does or provides unsolicited help or advice in the name of I am only trying to help you. When it’s really meant, the game ends when the other person understands. The game goes on when it’s played only to mess with the other person and not really to help them out.

3.Beyond Games – Games are like our nature, an individual’s human tendency to response or play in a particular way. It could also be the up-bringing or just out of habituation. Being aware of it comes as the first level of beyond games – Awareness. Then unlearning and learning and changing brings about a difference which is when one’s interaction or relationship is taken to the next level called intimacy. Intimacy is more like a child’s connection. Intimacy happens without prejudice or trained usual game plays.

At last, the book ends with the categorization of transactional analysis i.e. interaction types. In simple terms, that category and what comes in it looked like a summary of the book to me.

Initially, I wasn’t even sure that I would read the entire book as it sounded very technical to me in the beginning. Part two where I started reading marital games and life games, I started to understand. So, I am cent percent sure, that any layman who isn’t a psychologist or psychiatrist can also read this book as a beginner level of understanding human psychology and reasons behind one’s mind games with people. Most importantly, this book also provides the content for one to realize how the game is played and how not to play. So, I am giving it all my ratings

I have provided only my understanding and comments that are to my knowledge not in a technical way as I am not from a psychological background. Games people play is nothing but interpretation of human interaction levels and mindsets. Kindly share your thoughts and suggestions.

You can read my review of another self-help book, Be your own sunshine by the author James Allen, The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel and The 5 love language by Gary Chapman. Don’t forget to drop your views in the comment section below…