About Scripts (Life Scripts)
What is Script (Theoretical)
Script is an ongoing (1) program (2) developed (3) in early childhood (4) under parental influence (5) based on childhood decisions (6) and directs (7) behaviour in the most important aspects (8) of life.
1. Ongoing = Always Moving Forward, Irreversability; 2. Program = Well laid out with players who will play a role. Interlocking; 3. Developed = Based on stories, fairy tales, cartoons etc.; 4. Early Childhood = 3 to 7 years of age. 5. Parental Influence = Restrictions, Threats, Limits, Naming, Comparing, Demonstrating, Training; 6. Childhood Decisions = Non-verbal, repetitive, relieving, best of many bad choices, affording living and freedom. 7. Directs = Ordered to Comply; 8. Important Aspects = Significant Areas;
What is Script - Berne’s View
It is a psychological force which propels a person toward his / her destiny whether he/she fights it or says it is of own will.
Special Characteristics of Script
1. It resembles Aristotelian Tragic Drama.
2. Its Anlage can be found in a fairy tale.
3. It is Oedipus Drama in a derivative form.
Ways in which Script shows up (1)
Redefining Transactions; (1) Four types of Crossed Transactions; a. Transference Reaction A-A / C-P; b. Counter Transference Reaction A-A / P-C; c. Exasperating Response C-P / A-A; d. Impudence P-C / A-A; (2) Passivity and Passive Behaviours; (3) Parent and Child Competitive Symbiosis; (4) Assuming roles on Drama Triangle
(5) Seeking Transferential Relating.
Ways in which Script shows up (2)
1. Justifying and Protecting
2. Procrustes and Unicorn
3. Reading Meaning into it
4. No Reality Testing
5. Harbours Rackets
6. Lacks Social Control
7. Manifests Escalations (Upward or Downward)
8. Loss of Conscious Awareness
Ways in which Script shows up (3) - Games
1. Cannot return to original topic
2. Cannot move to intimacy
3. Cannot pick up strings
4. Cannot exercise compassion
5. Cannot be free of labelling
6. Cannot forgive and forget
7. Cannot bounce back to normalcy
8. Cannot give up justifying and blaming
9. Cannot give up intense mind talk
10. Cannot be free of feeling guilty / harmed /
giving back / justifying
11. Cannot forget event or person
Ways in which Script shows up (4) - Rackets and Racketing
1. Invests in harbouring feelings
2. Thinking Feeling logjams for conversion to PTS
3. Rackets expecting person to be mother /father / other significant parent figure
Ways in which Script shows up (5) - Racket System
1. Stylized Repetitive Behaviour (Racketing)
2. Experiences of Bodily and Mind sensations
3. Escalation of Somatic Ailments
4. Fantasies (One day, Some day, My day,
I'll show, They'll see, They'll realise)
5. Holding on to beliefs about self, others
life, world, money, quality of living, relationships
6. Racket Feelings (Rackets to convert them into
Psychological Trading Stamps)
Why is Script necessary
1. Helps in Structuring Time
2. It helps to structure life and living
3. Though undesirable it has survival value
4. To keep mother and another key figure happy.
5. To fulfil need to have belief / myth / story as
a survival mechanism (Joseph Campbell)
Contributors to Script formation - 1
1. Infant's natural (basic) orientation
Hammer or Anvil; Bite or Bitten; Chew or Chewed
2. Approval during Toilet Training - Facial Expressions; Gestures; Other expressions thus child learns to please care takers
3. Holds on to Oedipus Drama outcomes
4. Does not give up Rackets
Contributors to Script Formation
1. Child-hood Decision
2. Stories, fables, fairy tales, cartoons
3. Life Course
4. Naming
5. No alternative
How is Script Sustained
1. Complying with Parental Directives
2. Having a Suitable Personality Development
3. A chosen childhood decision
4. A real turn-on to a particular method of
success or failure
5. A convincing attitude toward self, another,
other, goal, world, community, life situation
6. No matter how bad the outcome person
does not find a better one
7. Engaging in games. Games are segments of script.
8. By Racket-Logjams. Stokes the fire of payoffs.
Please acknowledge Ajit Karve
Proprietor, Asha Institute, Pune
as and when you use this material
You can also access his posts on blogspot.com
Books : TA for Beginners, TA for Learners,
TA Theory and Practice
