Success Through Transactional Analysis

By Jut Meininger

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451078403
• ISBN13: 9780451078407
• Release Date: May 1974
• Publisher: Signet
• Length: 212 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 5.0" x 1.0" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

Owner's manual for your ego and its relationships

This book is my first exposure to Transactional Analysis (TA) and I have found it very insightful and useful. I am already beginning to recognize the three ego states in some of my own conversations and those around me. I also recognize the large scale "games" I have been in, as well as others I have seen repeatedly in my office career. Meininger is a good writer using clear language and he avoids topics that do not directly illuminate the point he is making. He uses short, crisp sentences in the active voice. This book is accessible to any intelligent adult really interested in the psychology occurring in human interactions. The overall message of the book is TA provides a way to manage a lot more of our thoughts than we typically imagine and this is the key to an improved life. TA is post-Freudian. Instead of trying to dissect what is occurring within the individual psyche, it analyzes the egos interactions with other people's egos and seeks to improve those interactions. "I'm OK, You're OK" and "Games People Play" popularized TA, and I intend to read those as well. But Meininger is of particular interest to me because of his experience consulting with business executives. Even though the book's examples are now about 35 years old, they are still completely relevant today. They seem to be real-life examples from the author. His experience flows off the page with both a what-not-to-do followed by a better TA informed what-to-do variation of conversations. There are literally dozens of independent examples - excellent in this regard. I like the TA observations a lot, but it makes some profound claims and therefore deserves some scrutiny. Here are some of my broader questions about TA: First, how well can a person objectively interpret their own behavioral data (using their Adult ego state) when according to TA, their own Parent ego state has so much to do with overall worldview, especially of ourselves? Since there is no data that literally speaks for itself apart from interpretation, how objective can a person really be? The book does try to guide you through this process. This is mostly an epistemological question, how do you "know" you are being more "objective"? More practically speaking, relationship improvement may just be a matter of personal practice, whether you are actually being more objective or not. But the question from the philosophy of mind still remains. Second, there is a theme of avoiding the "seductive slogans" of the Parent ego state. TA encourages evaluating each situation on its own merits using our Adult facilities, but this would seem to pose a problem for ethical standards. Who is to say one evaluation is more appropriate than another if traditional messages are consistently challenged as part of the system? I do not want to go too far in this objection. Nowhere in this book does TA directly try to undermine ethics, but nowhere does it really provide much guidance either. I see a loophole where it coul

Improve Your Life By Your Thoughts

Meininger tells us, "The fact is that we in truth do not have to be branded for life by our past." This book helps a person overcome the past and more on to a productive, enjoyable life. It is acheived by thinking the proper thoughts. As active participants we can consciously take control of our thoughts. We do not have to passively receive thoughts that randomly come to our minds.Other people benefit when we are in a more positive frame of mind. People who feel negative about themselves usually do NOT positively reinforce other people. As a result, a win for the individual is a win for other people.There's some technical language in this book, but the terms are clearly defined and any reader would not be lost in the explanation.Self-fulfilling prophecy is something we hear a lot about. Its helpful to have this phenomenon addressed in this book. Even though we all basically have a working knowledge of it, it's pertinent to the central theme of this book. A person unconsciously sets up circumstances to confirm what he or she believes will occur. A script exists in the persons mind and they see people to play the roles for the characters in the plot.In the section on living in the now, fresh insight is expressed on how to relish life free from the distractions of the past or unneccesary concerns about the future.A life defining question is posed: "What do you get out of what you are doing?" In addressing this issue he asks you to notice how you're spending your time and energy, two valuable assets. What kind of a return are you getting on your investments?This book helps you to reflect on who you are, where you're going, and what your life is about.