The Drama Triangle: Who Are You in Times of Conflict?
Ever wonder what kind of role you play when you handle conflict? Not a lot of people would give this a moment's thought unless directly asked. We tend to handle a range of different conflicts in our lives, from the personal to the professional, as we encounter them. Not being aware of how our mind chooses to solve problems is what drags us and our opponents into an endless dilemma known as the Drama Triangle, simplified as follows: What Is the Drama Triangle? All the way back during the late 1960's, psychologist Stephen Karpman described three basic roles (forming an upside down triangle) that people take on during complex interactions with one another. These roles do not define how people are generally; however, if they are not aware of their actions, they can easily be sucked into a never-ending cycle with no way out. Karpman's dreaded drama triangle limits our abilities to lead healthy stress-free lives. Our minds unconsciously feed on self-punishing or self-satisfying