ABSTRACT
This chapter explores what games are, and why we play them. It gives tips on how to stay clear of games, moving towards a more productive use of our time. It looks at some of the warning signs to enable people to be more alert to them. Stephen Karpman devised a simple diagram for analysing the games that people get into with each other. He uses three roles as in a play or drama Persecutor, Rescuer and Victim. People play different games as they have all had different families and different life experiences. The Drama Triangle is drawn with the Victim position at the bottom, symbolizing that it is precarious and unstable. To be effective and healthy in people's communication processes they need to ensure that they obtain strokes in healthy ways, rather than through game playing. In Drama Triangle model, the triangle is on its point and game players can move to any role on the triangle.
