Breaking the Triangle – Benefits and Practical Applications
This is the concluding post in the Breaking the Triangle series. You can find links to the other posts here:
Breaking the Triangle – The Main Actors
Breaking the Triangle – Examples in Action
Breaking the Triangle – How to Break the Triangle
Human Nature
The human mind and body have evolved to contain all of the neurological systems needed for us to be very active and effective players in dramas. Consider than in our hunter gatherer days, we could not directly fight with the animals that could kill and eat us, we had to outsmart them to win.
This outsmarting was done my creating social networks of humans who could collaborate to achieve a common goal. Social interactions are the domain of the drama triangle.
Now I am not saying that modern office politics fall in to the same realm as being chased by a sabre tooth tiger, what I am highlighting though is that humans have had an evolutionary leg up due to our immense cognitive abilities and social skills.
Addictive
In order to dominate other humans, to get our own way, or to boost our own self-esteem, we can use drama-based interactions to tear strips off others and stick them to ourselves like little prizes (for a Rescuer the prize is actually ending up with less strips!).
On the surface, drama-based interactions offer the promise of victory and dominance for the winner. They can give the participants and emotional or psychological fix; as such, it can be addictive
The reality is though, in the long term they are lose-lose.
Perspective
Personally, for me, when I started to learn about the drama triangle it gave me insight in to my natural starting role in the game and my social tendencies for taking part.
Who would have guessed that the guy writing a blog focused around self-improvement and growth would be a Rescuer!?
The information I acquired about the drama triangle game me a new perspective and you could even say understanding of myself and other humans.
It helped me to easier spot when I was operating on unconscious autopilot and listening to the whispers of the foreman – this is a phenomenon we explored in the tool of I and Me.
Context
You see, the Breaking the Triangle tool is a complimentary tool in the core of the introspection tool kit.
- I and Me is all about finding the real authentic you and living in the moment,
- In Rewriting the Script, we create awareness of the story of your life and will learn to spot the repeating patterns that could be holding you back,
- The Emotional Checkpoint tool is all about developing emotional awareness. Awareness that will lead to intelligence.
- Breaking the Triangle will help you see the dramas in your life through different eyes. Eyes which see the choices that you did not even realise you could make.
The next and final tool in the core of the introspection tool kit is Creating Congruence – it is about becoming aware of your definition of perfection and how you can use it to your advantage.
Each individual tool has value, but it is the combination of these insights when considered and applied together which will enable you to illuminate more of your inner world.
Your participation in the drama triangle is a way to measure how well you have understood and learned to apply all of the other tools.
Grab your torch of curiosity and shine the light into you inner world, all that touches the light is your kingdom.
Enjoy, for now.