Tom: “Where is the xyz file?”
Mary: “Where do you think?  You had it last.”
Scott: “Come on Mary, why can’t you just answer a straight question without jumping down someone’s throat?”

The drama triangle is a model of dysfunctional human interaction that most people can relate to. Outlined by Stephen Karpman and based on the theories of Transactional Analysis (TA), it remains one of the ultimate games people use to sabotage communication for their own psychological needs.  These games are played out through roles which reflect the way we see ourselves in life, or in relation to a specific person we are talking to.  The three roles consist of the victim, aggressor and saviour.  In the short dialogue above, the three people are interacting in terms of these three roles.  Mary is being aggressive to Tom, and Scott is trying to save Tom from being victimised by Mary—all contribute to perpetuating the drama triangle.

However, the triangle can be turned into a positive model, with positive roles complementing the position of victim, savior, and aggressor.  This is what coach and speaker David Emerald refers to as The Empowerment Dynamic , or TED.

Making the Triangle Positive – Creator

While there is no central role in the drama triangle, the victim is considered to be the apex of the triangle: the two other roles are extremes that feed off of interaction with the victim. The Empowerment Dynamic’s positive complement to this role is the creator, who, as the name suggests, facilitates motion and creation. The victim blames circumstances and others for not being able to progress; the creator firmly establishes goals and recognises that reaching them requires deliberation and focus. A creator has an image of what he wishes to achieve, be it a single project or a general life goal and he moves towards this purpose, dealing with any challenges that may present themselves.

Challenger

In fact, the creator enjoys challenges, which is where the challenger comes in. The challenger is the complementary role to the aggressor. The aggressor pushes the victim and blames him for bowing under his own weakness, often to offset his own feelings of inferiority or insecurity. The challenger pushes the creator as well, but in a positive direction: to strive and grow. Though the creator holds the power to make something into reality, the challenger encourages this power, and to improve, or to move in new directions not previously thought of.

Saviour

The final role is the coach…

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