Date:         Wed, 2 Apr 1997 00:20:07 -0500
From: quiet tink <mbarker@MIT.EDU>
Subject:      TECH: Watch Out for the Drama Triangle

Have you ever worried about getting out of the drama triangle?

What happens when your characters get trapped in the drama triangle?

Today in the seminar I'm attending the instructor mentioned the "Drama
Triangle."  (the seminar is on project management!)

This was apparently "invented" by Eric Berne who was studying soap
operas, trying to explain their continuing popularity.  Essentially, he
noticed that there is a dynamic built around three people that repeats
and repeats.  (it just keeps going and going and going...:)

The dynamic is built around three roles--persecutor, victim, rescuer.
But part of what happens is that these roles shift.

E.g., John (the boy) says "I bought 2,000 shares of Garbage Investments
International yesterday."

Harold (the father) responds with "What kind of an idiot buys that
junk?"

[The persecutor has just attacked the victim.]

Martha (the mother) at this point pipes up with something like "Now,
Harold, you shouldn't say things like that to the boy."

[And the rescuer steps in.]

John then says, "Oh, Mom, why do you butt in when we're trying to have a
man-to-man talk?"

[And the roles shift, as John turns into the persecutor of his mother,
who is now a victim, awaiting rescue from...you got it, Harold, the
father.]

Beware the were-roles of the Drama Triangle!

Although any dynamic sequence that can keep on keeping on as well as
those soap operas do can't be all bad.

What happens when your characters get trapped in the drama triangle?

This is the story that never ends, it just goes on and on my friends,
someone started writing it not knowing...

set sail that day on a three-hour tour, a three-hour...

"Warning!  Will Robinson!  Warning!"

go ahead and spin that triangle a few times.
there's probably still some drama in it:)
tink