From a Transactional Analysis (TA) perspective, when examining patterns of behavior by individuals seeking government assistance in America, it is important to do so in psychological—not racial—terms. TA focuses on ego states, scripts, and games that people use to navigate life situations. These, according to Eric Berne, are learned behavioral strategies rather than traits of any racial or ethnic group.
The documents on patterns of behavior among individuals seeking government benefits describe several recurring behavioral tendencies related to systemic incentives, early life conditioning, and adaptive strategies [1][2][3][4][5]. These behaviors often reflect scripts—life patterns learned from formative family or social environments in which dependence on external authority (such as government institutions) replaces self-reliance.
Common games observed in such contexts, across various groups, include:
- “Poor Me” – A Victim-position game where the individual consistently seeks rescue or support to gain sympathy or external help, reinforcing a dependency script rather than Adult autonomy.
- “If It Weren’t For Them” – A justification game in which social systems or authority figures are blamed for personal hardships, preserving the internal script of helplessness.
- “Look How Hard I Tried” – A self-defeating game that ends with failure but enables the player to maintain self-respect by proving effort without accountability.
- “Kick Me” – A pattern where the person unconsciously invites rejection or criticism to affirm a negative self-script established early in life.
Script analysis within TA suggests that these patterns evolve through early programming—the Parent ego state internalizes messages such as “the world owes you” or “it's wrong to question authority.” These can lead to life decisions that anticipate dependency rather than initiative [3][4].
It is essential to clarify that TA does not attribute these games to race or ethnicity. Rather, such dynamics arise from individual psychological programming, family culture, and socio-economic context. Behavior patterns are determined early in life, typically before age seven, through transactions between Parent, Adult, and Child ego states modeled by caregivers [2][5].
In conclusion, some people—regardless of racial background—may engage in dependency-oriented “games” when seeking benefits, driven by unconscious life scripts and reinforced by systemic structures. TA helps decode these patterns to foster autonomy, self-awareness, and responsible Adult behavior.
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In addition:
Beyond the previously mentioned “Poor Me,” “If It Weren’t for Them,” and “Look How Hard I Tried,” several additional games described in case analyses and social research appear among people facing economic or institutional dependency situations:
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“Try and Stop Me” – A game of defiance in which a person challenges authority or social systems, seeking both the excitement of rebellion and the security of being “contained” by rules. It allows the player to maintain autonomy while still relying on institutional support [1].
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“Why Don’t You—Yes, But” – Common in caseworker–client relationships, where advice is repeatedly sought but rejected. The payoff is to reinforce the belief that “nothing works” and maintain the life script of helplessness or victimhood [2].
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“Courtroom” – This game frames every interaction as a moral confrontation: one party defends personal hardship while accusing the system or others of neglect. The hidden payoff lies in moral justification and emotional vindication [3].
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“Kick Me/Reparations” – A pattern in which the individual expects rejection or inadequate assistance, unconsciously provoking conflict to confirm the internal script “They don’t care about us.” This sustains the Victim role but also preserves group solidarity and moral superiority [4].
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“One-Upmanship” – An adaptation described in community assistance dynamics where recipients compare hardship stories, competing for sympathy or status as the “most deserving.” The payoff is emotional validation rather than material gain [5].
According to structural analysis, these games are transactions between ego states that reinforce dependency or resentment patterns—often involving a Parent–Child dynamic, where external authority represents the “Parent” and the individual responds from the “Adapted Child.” Over time, such reinforcement becomes part of the life script, determined mainly in early childhood through family narratives, community expectations, and systemic validation [6].
From a TA perspective, these games occur not because of race, but because of early programming that trains people to extract recognition, stability, or identity from authority systems rather than their own Adult autonomy. Recognizing and replacing game transactions with Adult-to-Adult realities is what ultimately leads to empowerment and the breaking of dependency cycles.
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Finally:
Reparations
Within the framework of Transactional Analysis (TA), “games that involve reparations” refer to recurring psychological interaction patterns in which a person, group, or institution attempts to resolve or symbolically correct perceived injustices, guilt, or losses through repetitive, emotionally charged exchanges rather than through Adult-to-Adult negotiation and rational resolution. These games reflect deeper life positions, scripts, and ego state transactions between parties seeking emotional payoff or moral restoration rather than objective repair.
According to Bernean theory and related scholarship [1][2][3][4][5][6], reparations-type games often manifest between the roles of Victim, Rescuer, and Persecutor within the Karpman Drama Triangle. The common underlying format involves one party identifying as historically or personally wronged (Victim), another adopting moral or compensatory responsibility (Rescuer or Giver of Reparations), and a third position—real or symbolic—that represents accusation or opposition (Persecutor).
Main “Reparations” Game Patterns in TA
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“See What You Made Me Do” – A moralistic exchange in which a person (or group) justifies retributive or compensatory demands as a response to past oppression. The psychological payoff lies in transferring guilt to the other party, keeping both sides locked in a Parent–Child dynamic rather than achieving Adult-level reconciliation [1].
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“Now I’ve Got You, You…” – A confrontation game where a party “catches” the other in an admission or mistake, gaining the right to claim moral or material compensation. The hidden motive is moral supremacy rather than genuine repair, reinforcing the persecutory role [2].
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“Indebtedness” – This reparative game centers on one side’s continual confession and promise to make amends, while the other side reaffirms its injured status. The unconscious contract sustains dependency rather than mutual liberation. The payoff is the perpetuation of guilt (for the giver) and validation (for the receiver) [3].
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“Kick Me” (Reversed Reparation) – Here, the party seeking reparations unconsciously invites rejection or humiliation to confirm the life script “They’ll never truly repay what was lost.” The final feeling is bittersweet justification rather than healing [4].
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“If It Weren’t for You” – A script-based complaint game used to sustain helplessness or dependency by citing historical wrongs as justification for current limitations. The payoff is the avoidance of Adult responsibility while maintaining moral high ground [5].
Script and Structural Analysis Perspective
Reparations-type games arise from Parent ego state programming (“You owe them,” “They owe us”) and Child state emotional scripts (“I must repay to be good,” or “I deserve what was denied”). When both parties function from these complementary ego states, the exchange recycles resentment and guilt rather than fostering actual restitution.
Script analysis shows that these patterns are molded in early moral and social messages about justice, victimhood, and redemption. Structural analysis indicates that real reconciliation only emerges when all sides engage from the Adult ego state, replacing drama transactions with honest assessment and contract-level agreements [6].
In short, TA views “games involving reparations” as repetitive symbolic negotiations aimed at emotional closure, yet they often trap both sides within entrenched life positions of guilt, blame, or dependency until an Adult-to-Adult reframe breaks the cycle.
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