"Feelings leak. Reality is our most important therapeutic tool."
Building on the success of I'm OK - You're OK, Amy and Tom Harris provide more guidelines toward self-knowledge. It's surprising that I have been unknowingly applying the concepts they wrote about in this book through trial-and-error, and because I have done so, I have also felt at lot more at peace with myself.
The idea of trackdown alluded to in Meininger's Success through Transactional Analysis is also elucidated upon here:
1) I hurt.
2) Which part?
3) What would best describe it?
4) What happened (in the past)?
5) What is my Parent saying?
6) What can I do differently now?
7) What can I do differently next time?
It's eerily similar to Husserl's phenomenological bracketing, which is before speaking of something, one should be familiar with it: "Don't assume facts not in evidence."
The Parent Stoppers that the authors propose are also great in defusing internal tension and anger, even if temporarily. They allow the reality-based Adult to supersede the traditional and occasionally irrational parent. Parent stoppers include: breaking body set; being in the here and now; exaggeration of the problem; and, physical exertion. These just give enough time for the Adult to hold back the irrational drives of our parent, and for us to avoid doing something we'll forever regret. I have applied a few of these in my daily life, and they're extremely effective in putting things into perspective.
Staying OK is a great work and explication upon the central ideas of Transactional Analysis. Those who are open to see the flaws of their inherent assumptions, and address their mistakes should be helped by this incisive book.