Saturday, November 26, 2011

Notes on Preface to I'm Ok - You're Ok by Thomas Harris

There are times when practitioners, users and theoreticians are dissatisfied with their subject content. New paradigms arise out of such discontent in a field.

Thomas Harris says in the preface, that he was one the psychiatrists who are impatient with their subject. Harris advocates that transaction is an answer. It provides answers to questions about how mind operates, why people do what they do and how they can be helped to stop doing, if they wish. This analysis informs the patient that he is responsible for his choices now and the results in the future, no matter what happened in the past. Thus it facilitates people to have self-control and self-direction through the freedom of choice.

Eric Berne's paper "Transactional Analysis: A New and Effective Method of Group Therapy" presented in 1957 at the Western Regional Meeting of the American Group Psychotherapy Association of Los Angeles is the foundation for this approach to psychiatry.

An interesting observation of Herman Melville
"A man of true science uses but few hard words, and those only when none other will answer his purpose: whereas the smatterer in science...thinks that by mouthing hard words he understands hard things'.

Transactional analysis is a teaching and learning device.

"The problems of the world-and they are chronicled daily in headlines of violence and despair - essentially are the problems of individuals. If individuals can change, the course of the world can change. This is a hope worth sustaining." (Thomas Harris)

Notes on Ch 1. Freud, Penfield, Berne

Man can aspire to and achieve goodness thought many throught the history.
Goodness of course was defined differently by different people. Moses saw it as justice, Plato saw it as wisdom and Jesus saw it as love. But all them found that there was something in human nature that at war with that goodness in inherent in human nature. What is that something that is hindering or masking the goodness in humans?

Freud contributed to the understanding of the subject by developing the theory that warring factions existed in the unconscious. Superego was the restraining force and id is the instinctual drive and ego is defined as a referee operating with enlightened self-interest.

Experiment of Penfield

Dr. wilder Penfield, a neurosurgeon from McGill University in Montreal in 1951 developed the idea that when certain parts of brain (actually temporal cortex of the brain) is stimulated by a weak electric current through a galvanic probe, certain memories appeared in a flash unconsciously. When point 19 is touched certain memories came out and when point 16 is touched certain other memories came out of the experimental subject.

The conclusion made was that past events along with the feelings associated with that event were recorded in the brain and those two are inextricably locked together and they are evoked simultaneously. Recollections are evoked by stimuli of day-to-day experience in much the same way they were evoked artificially by Penfield's probe. The subject may be able to recall consciously, but still the record continues.

"Another conclusion we may make from these findings is that the brain functions as a high-fidelity recorder, putting on tape, as it were, every experience from the time of birth, possibly even before birth." But the process of information storage in the brain has undoubtedly chemical process also.

It is important to note that temporal cortex is obviously utilized in the interpretation of current experience.

Berne's contribution - A basic unit for psychological observation for interaction

Eric Berne has defined the basic unit for observation of interaction of a person with another person. It is called the transaction wherein "I do something and you do something back".

Berne developed his theory further. Parent, Adult and Child are important concepts in the theory of transactional analysis. (Theory is composed of number of theorems or theoretical propositions which answer the questions how, why, and when regarding a phenomenon - In this case the phenomenon is human behavior).

In the next, the concepts of Parent, Adult and Child are explained.

Notes on Ch.2 Parent, Adult, and Child

Cultural observation has supported the assumption that three states exist in all people.

Berne has given them the names, Parent, Adult and Child. Berne states that three concepts are psychological realities, phenomenological realities. These three states are produced by the playback of recorded data of events in the past, involving real people, real times, real places, real decisions, and real feelings.

Parent



Parent is a huge collection of recording in the brain of unquestioned or imposed external events perceived by a person in his early years. This can happen up to five years of life. Parent data or recording comes from more sources than physical parents alone. A three-year old watching television shows records what she or he sees. Parent data is full of taught concepts in life.

Child


The responses of the little person to what he sees and hears are recorded in the brain of the people and these are associated with child concept of state. It is the feeling and understanding that a person develops by seeing and hearing various events. Especially the feelings that come when a person is helpless is part of Child state recordings. When a person is in the grip of feelings, we say his child has taken over.

The feelings that a child get are positive as well as negative. There are feelings related to creativity, curiosity, desire to explore and know, the urge to touch and feel, the pleasure of discovering new things and experiences.

Do the recordings of parent and child states continue indefinitely? Do they stop at around age five? Almost all the possible situations in life are encountered by the time five years age is reached and any further recoding will be only reinforcement by further experience or by expression of the state. The author refers Aristotle and says expression, leads to further impression.

The Adult


At around 10 months, the child starts moving on his own. The mobility allows and starts giving an opportunity for the infant to put into practice his feeling of touching an object. He develops a freedom of choice. The adult state is recording based on experience. It not taught concept, it is not felt concept to what is seen and heard but it is concept based on experience. The adult state recordings are the result of data processing that comes from recordings in the three states - Parent, Child and Adult.

Probability estimating is also part of Adult state activity.

Another point made in the chapter is that creativity requires computer time of the brain.

Notes on Ch. 3. The Four Life Positions

Very early in life every child concludes, I'm not OK. He also makes a conclusion about his parents, You're OK. This is an unconscious conclusion not based on lot thinking based on words. But it is based on his circumstances and observations. In the same unconscious manner the conclusion can change later on to I'm not OK, You're not OK or I'm OK, You're not OK.

The shift to I'm OK, You're OK is based on reasoning and thought. The purpose of transactional analysis is bring more people into this life position. This position is a consciousand verbal decision. The reasoning is based on an infinitely greater amount of information about individual and others and also the incorporation of not-yet-experienced possibilities which exist in the abstractions of the philosophy and religion. The first three positions are based on feelings. The fourth is based on on thought, faith, and the wager of action.

Notes on Ch.4. We Can Change

Goal of TA - Freedom of Choice for the Person



The goal of Transactional Analysis (TA) is to enable a person to have freedom of choice, the freedom to change at will, to change the responses to recurring and new stimuli. This freedom is lost in early childhood by some people they become neurotic. People afflicted with neurotic process continually involve themselves in solving archaic problems in stead of dealing with today's reality.

Restoration of freedom to change is the goal of Psychotherapy or treatment using TA.

In Child state people demand certainty. In Adult state they accept probability.

Accepting the probabilistic nature of future is important trying to discern probabilities is also important.

The statement of philosopher Elton Trueblood is appropriate here.

"The fact taht we do not have absolute certainty in regard to any human conclusions does not mean that the task of inquiry is fruitless. We must, it is true, always proceed onthe basis of probability, but to have probability is to have something. What we seek in any realm of human thought is not absolute certainty, for that is denied us as men, but rather the more modest path of those who find dependable ways of discrning different degrees of probability."

Does Man Have a Free Will?



Human beings even though caught in cause-and-effect drama, have become more than what it was implied by cause and effect analysis. The evidence of evolution - and of personal experience - convinces us that many has become more than his antecedents. (The present decisions and actions have also a role in determining the outcome).

Man does what he does for certain reasons, but those reasons do not all lie in the past. Man, through thought, is able to look to the future. It is described by Charles Harteshorne as 'creative causation'. Elton Trueblood emphasized this point by proposing that causes for human behavior lie not only in the past but in man's ability to contemplate the future (in deterministic terms or estimate probabilities). Man is a creature whose present is constantly being dominated by reference to the nonexistent, but nevertheless potent, future. Most of the thought of the man is concerned with what might be produced, provided certain steps could be taken.

Thinking is very imporant. A genuine novelty can emerge in the very act of thinking. Thinking is a true and creative cause. Something happens, when a man thinks, which would not have occurred otherwise. This is what is meant by self causation.

What Makes People Want to Change?



Their thoughts and actions hurt them sufficiently big.

He is bored with his thoughts and actions.

Awareness that they can change for better.

Notes on Ch. 9 P-A-C and Children

Chapter 9 of I'M OK - YOU'RE OK by Thomas A. Harris, M.D.


A child is not built in a day. Most decisions that a child takes follow an accumulation of signals or experiences. The child will develop I'm OK decision based on the signals, messages, actions and reactions of parents apart from many other elders.

Introduction

A child is not built in a day. Most decisions that a child takes follow an accumulation of signals or experiences. The child will develop I'm OK decision based on the signals, messages, actions and reactions of parents apart from many other elders.

Important Messages

Jacqui Schiff in his Cathexis Reader stressed the importance of three messages from parents to child.

1. You can solve problems.
2. You can think.
3. You can do things.

Parents have to give don't do messages. But a good rule to follow is whenver a child is told what not to do, also tell them what to do. This will build their confidence in their own abilities and hence OK-ness. This will develop their capacity to solve problems.

Some of the Don't messages of Parents (with negative consequences)

Parents need to avoid these Don't messages

1. Don't: This implies a big NO to activity from the child.
2. Don't be: Parents saying what fun we had before the kids came.
3. Don't be close.
4. Don't be important: Parents belittling a child's activities and imagined and expressed achievements.
5. Don't be a child.
6. Don't grow.
7. Don't succeed: If parents get upset when their child wins an argument, this message goes out.
8. Don't be sane and don't be well: If a child gets attention only when he is sick.
9. Don't be you: Expressing the idea that they wanted a girl instead of a boy or a boy instead of a girl.
10. Don't trust.
11. Don't think.
12. You don't deserve it.

Some of the Do message Normally Given by Parents

1. Be perfect.
2. Be best.
3. Try hard.
4. Hurry up.
5. Be strong


A Child - Happy Achiever
Make your child a happy achiever.

A child is especially happy if his achievement brings the reward of parental stroking. When a child does a task in the hope of getting parental recognition and appreciation, and the stroke follows the achievement, the child would think " I made my parent proud of me." This experience and thought is a form of mastery that develops I am OK thinking.

A Child Unappreciated - Unhappy Achiever

Children feel betrayed when they achieve something that their parent wish for and still parents withhold appreciation. Parents have their own rationale and logic for withholding the expected stroke. But all such withholding develops a frustrated a child, an unhappy achiever.

1. Some parents withhold stroking thinking that success will go to the head of the child.
2. Some parents wants to convey don't rest on the present laurels but do more.
3. Parents do not understand the achievements of their children and do not care about them.
4. Parents sometimes says the right thing was not done.
5. Some parents look for perfection and notice shortcomings rather than the big picture of success.
6. The worst part played by parents is to steal the appreciation due for the child for his effort. Instead they proclaim, we prayed to God all along. God listened to us. God has enough praise. The child wants the praise. Instead parents want to praise themselves.
7. Achievements are downplayed by referring to something which could have been done but was not done.
8. Somebody who is excited with silver medal is told that there is gold medal also.

There is no pleasing for some parents. Parents needs are so great that there cannot reward their own children for their best efforts to please them. It is good if more parents are more aware of themselves.

Some Guidelines for Good Parenting

Awareness

Become aware of your motives and feelings and become aware of your child.

Acceptances

Provide unconditional love to your children.

Honesty

Provide honest answers to even difficult questions.
Talk straight and be consistent. Consistency develops a feeling of mastery in the child as he can predict.

Hope

Show hope that a solution is possible if one keeps searching for it.


References

Thomas A. Harris, I'm OK - You're OK, Harper and Row, 1969
Amy Bjork Harris and Thomas A. Harris, 1985





Original post in
http://knol.google.com/k/narayana-rao/good-parenting-developing-ok-child/2utb2lsm2k7a/2008#

Notes on Ch.9 P-A-C and Children

Good Parenting - Developing OK Child - Transactional Analysis Perspective

A child is not built in a day. Most decisions that a child takes follow an accumulation of signals or experiences. The child will develop I'm OK decision based on the signals, messages, actions and reactions of parents apart from many other elders.

Introduction

A child is not built in a day. Most decisions that a child takes follow an accumulation of signals or experiences. The child will develop I'm OK decision based on the signals, messages, actions and reactions of parents apart from many other elders.

Important Messages

Jacqui Schiff in his Cathexis Reader stressed the importance of three messages from parents to child.

1. You can solve problems.
2. You can think.
3. You can do things.

Parents have to give don't do messages. But a good rule to follow is whenver a child is told what not to do, also tell them what to do. This will build their confidence in their own abilities and hence OK-ness. This will develop their capacity to solve problems.

Some of the Don't messages of Parents (with negative consequences)

Parents need to avoid these Don't messages

1. Don't: This implies a big NO to activity from the child.
2. Don't be: Parents saying what fun we had before the kids came.
3. Don't be close.
4. Don't be important: Parents belittling a child's activities and imagined and expressed achievements.
5. Don't be a child.
6. Don't grow.
7. Don't succeed: If parents get upset when their child wins an argument, this message goes out.
8. Don't be sane and don't be well: If a child gets attention only when he is sick.
9. Don't be you: Expressing the idea that they wanted a girl instead of a boy or a boy instead of a girl.
10. Don't trust.
11. Don't think.
12. You don't deserve it.

Some of the Do message Normally Given by Parents

1. Be perfect.
2. Be best.
3. Try hard.
4. Hurry up.
5. Be strong


A Child - Happy Achiever
Make your child a happy achiever.

A child is especially happy if his achievement brings the reward of parental stroking. When a child does a task in the hope of getting parental recognition and appreciation, and the stroke follows the achievement, the child would think " I made my parent proud of me." This experience and thought is a form of mastery that develops I am OK thinking.

A Child Unappreciated - Unhappy Achiever

Children feel betrayed when they achieve something that their parent wish for and still parents withhold appreciation. Parents have their own rationale and logic for withholding the expected stroke. But all such withholding develops a frustrated a child, an unhappy achiever.

1. Some parents withhold stroking thinking that success will go to the head of the child.
2. Some parents wants to convey don't rest on the present laurels but do more.
3. Parents do not understand the achievements of their children and do not care about them.
4. Parents sometimes says the right thing was not done.
5. Some parents look for perfection and notice shortcomings rather than the big picture of success.
6. The worst part played by parents is to steal the appreciation due for the child for his effort. Instead they proclaim, we prayed to God all along. God listened to us. God has enough praise. The child wants the praise. Instead parents want to praise themselves.
7. Achievements are downplayed by referring to something which could have been done but was not done.
8. Somebody who is excited with silver medal is told that there is gold medal also.

There is no pleasing for some parents. Parents needs are so great that there cannot reward their own children for their best efforts to please them. It is good if more parents are more aware of themselves.

Some Guidelines for Good Parenting

Awareness

Become aware of your motives and feelings and become aware of your child.

Acceptances

Provide unconditional love to your children.

Honesty

Provide honest answers to even difficult questions.
Talk straight and be consistent. Consistency develops a feeling of mastery in the child as he can predict.

Hope

Show hope that a solution is possible if one keeps searching for it.


References

Thomas A. Harris, I'm OK - You're OK, Harper and Row, 1969
Amy Bjork Harris and Thomas A. Harris, 1985

Posted from
http://knol.google.com/k/narayana-rao/good-parenting-developing-ok-child/2utb2lsm2k7a/2008#

Friday, November 25, 2011

Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Rural Industrialization, Wardha

Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Rural Industrialization
A National Institute under the Ministry of MSME,Govt.of India

http://www.mgiri.org/about/index.html

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Tips for Bloggers - 1

The post available on Blogger BUZZ

http://buzz.blogger.com/2011/09/tips-for-new-bloggers.html

by

Rebecca Brown


You can be a curator blogger also

Post by Lisa Ding

http://buzz.blogger.com/2011/07/creator-vs-curator.html

Blogger Community Manager

Lisa Ding

Blogger profile
http://www.blogger.com/profile/15460315271271333327

http://www.blogger.com/profile/15460315271271333327

http://blogsofnote.blogspot.com/

http://buzz.blogger.com/

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Yahoo Videos to become Yahoo Screen from December 2011

Yahoo is hosting videos through

http://video.yahoo.com

From 1 December 2011 it will move to

http://screen.yahoo.com/