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I'm not OK - You're OK, depressive Philosophy

One of the core values of Transaction Analysis is  built on the philosophy of John Locke, who theorized that all individuals are 'inherently good'. In the same way, the philosophy of Transaction Analysis is positive and humanistic. People are seen to have a basic core which is loveable and all individuals have the potential and desire for growth and self-actualization. They have worth, value and dignity and are therefore OK. Eric Berne , who is responsible for the Transaction Analysis philosophy believed this 'OK-ness' even extended to criminals as they are not responsible for their genes or their early experiences which bring them to that state.

Transaction analysis speaks about 4 'life positions', one of them being I'm not OK - You're OK (I-U+). As the name suggests, this is an asymmetric position wherein an individual experiences stress due to his perception that he is not doing as well as another person or other people. This manifests itself in a number of ways, the most intense of these being depression and suicidal tendencies.

The position of I'm not OK - You're OK is a reaction to the environment and is temporary. This means that it is quite possible for an individual to change his position as it is not permanent and can be controlled by the individual himself. As the core value of Transaction Analysis is that every individual is 'OK', the state of being 'Not OK' is not a natural state but a deviation from the natural state and hence is not permanent and can be brought back to the optimum normal state, I'm OK - You're OK.

In the work place, this position may sprout in an individual when he feel his peers are doing better than him within the organization itself or in other organizations. This may lead to low self esteem and a lower perception of self worth. The consequence is a downward spiraling of a well functioning individual due to the stress caused by this position.

As with all solutions , clear channels of communication must be made available to all individuals so that assymetric positions such as I'm not OK- You're OK are nipped in the bud. Questioning these perceptions and drawing the individuals attention to areas that they are performing well or opportunities for them to learn more and perform better are ways in which a manager can bring the individual back to the symmetric state of I'm OK- You're OK.

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