How does Transactional Analysis Reward its Practitioners (3-2) Freedom from Rackets

Rackets

Abstract: This blog aims to provide an overview on the topic of rackets. It helps to bring into awareness the many activities we are engaged in leading to trigger game interactions.

Eric Berne and Fanita English are two principal contributors to the topic of Racket. Berne calls 'Racket' a favoured feeling that becomes a sort of conditioned reflex which may persist for the rest of one's life. (Berne E. What Do You Say After You Say Hello Chapter 8). He uses the roulette wheel theory to explain how feelings of anger, hurt, guilt, scared, inadequacy, righteousness or triumph are triggered.* Fanita English has elaborated on 'Racket' in her articles, talks and You Tube Videos. Two of them are: "Rackets and Real Feelings.pdf" and "Rackets and Racket Feelings as the Root of Games". TA Literature classifies rackets as feelings and behaviours. In my view a racket is any activity that is scripty and therefore involves a discount. Rackets aid stamp collection and reinforce script belief (eg. no one loves me).

Characteristic Features of Rackets: Rackets are inauthentic, repetitive, stereotyped and manipulative. Rackets are attention seeking, manipulating and pop up unawares. Rackets are precursors to 'Game'. My characteristic rackets were: Driving rash when my wife was a co passenger in my car. Hurting myself while chopping. Hiccups while sipping hot tea. Spilling tea or water when ferrying it in the house. Scorching my mouth by sipping hot soup. Having a cough by talking while eating. Keeping mind over-occupied leading to inattentiveness. Speaking out of the box to embarrass others. Being judging and blaming. Engaging in smoking as if to relieve stress. Engaging in other activities while going down steps. Providing solutions uncalled for. Rescuing and offering help uncalled for. And many more. They are ineffective in ending situations and problem solving. This means that they are not empowering. This means that they exclude the Adult and are  regressive in nature. They manifest as:

• feelings of anger, hurt, pain, guilt, sorrow, scared, inadequacy, righteousness or triumph;
• acts, modes of behaviour or doing things; 
• speaking, expressing, listening, talking, walking, driving or moving; 
• use of abusive bad language; threatening and accusing; 
• smoking and substance abuse; 
• expressing helplessness and being non cooperative; 
• moving to roles on drama triangle inviting another to participate in a game;
• cracking jokes on others; 
• driver behaviours; 
• forgetting, delaying, postponing (procrastinating), faltering leading to failure or loss; 
• inattentiveness or withdrawal of attentiveness in midst of activity; 
• multi-tasking leading to failure; 
• being lost in thought; 
• imagining and fantasising; 
• hoping against hope that some magical solution will come to hand; 

We happen to protect, justify, express helplessness or say it is my style, a family trait, a curse or express ignorance;

TA Practitioners are committed to bring rackets into conscious awareness and work on them endlessly.

*Berne says that a stimulus sets the roulette wheel to rotate. The childhood programming decides at which slot the wheel will stop. The number of the slot decides what feeling will be expressed. 

This is a blog by:

Ajit Karve

+919822024037

ajitpkarve@gmail.com

taforyouandme@gmail.com

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