Games People Play

It is uniquivocally rare that I do not finish a book - be it even ones with bad writing, confusing exposition, or ridiculous story beats. In this case, what I thought was going to be a book rooted in understanding people better that promotes self-awareness and self-improvement, instead turned out to be the equivalent of a clinical psychology textbook pointing everything to one's upbringing. But all of the reptitive deep psyche analysis and categorization becomes hard to follow or keep interest in, and it's even unclear how it all ties into some sort of Games People Play. The whole manifest seems like just a methodoloical way of explaining how world works and the dynamics at play and one might also give up before even the halfway point.

Overall a decent and short read. I'd only recommend this to those who enjoy technical reading or are interested in some history of psychology. The book's premise is interesting, but it is mired in overly technical and dated language. Additionally, those who follow trends of being over ‘politically correct' will find this book insufferable. I don't like the antiquated gender norms it portrays, but if you can look past them, you can derive deeper meaning from the text.

Much of the game descriptions (the middle majority of the book) can likely be skimmed, but the beginning, an introduction to games and psychological ego states, as well as the ending, an outline of the alternative to games, was interesting. Though the book's dated examples are apparent, there is a lot of value to be derived from it. Many people are stuck in these tropes - these Games – and they likely don't know an alternative. They may know they are playing Games and being inauthentic but don't know the ramifications of their actions and the psychological stunting it develops. None of us are immune from these, but adhering to a few principles makes them much easier to avoid. In particular, following Sam Harris' guidance against lying and adhering to a philosophy that focuses on self-attained values rather than external validation can essentially get you there.

Loses a point for being a bit homophobic, but overall very informative. This book can be key in helping you identify games that you personally play, in order to eradicate them from your lifestyle.