OKness Revised: Analysis and Evolution of Berne’s Concept of OKness, the Basic Positions, and the Related Reenactments of Berne’s Internal World in the Transactional Analysis Community

Abstract

Ever since Eric Berne conceptualized basic positions, the concept of OKness has almost incomprehensibly changed. Considering each individual as inherently OK, the so-called moral OKness that today is one of the cornerstone principles of transactional analysis (TA), has little in common with Berne’s initial psychodynamic conceptualization. Adding to the confusion, yet another form, what could be referred to as social OKness, emerged. It has become a standard of interpersonal relating within the TA community and has since been institutionalized as one of the formal standards in the TA qualification process. This article revises Berne’s original basic positions and analyzes the related theory. Parallels with Fairbairn’s object relations theory are made. The author touches on potential causes for the theoretical vagueness of the concept of OKness. He questions Berne’s motivation and approach to some of his theory development, which appears to have been substantially influenced by Berne’s internal conflicts. The author argues that conflicts stimulated through Berne’s relationship with psychoanalysis added to his obsession with the development of TA—a theory that would derive its superiority from its differentiation from psychoanalysis and, as such, help Berne mediate his own sense of OKness. Berne’s internal conflicts have since been reenacted within the TA community. A substantial part of post-Bernean theory development reflects Berne’s tendencies toward oversimplification of what are innately complex concepts. This threatens TA’s wider recognition as epistemologically grounded theory, which can also be seen as a reenactment of Berne’s lack of recognition from the psychoanalytic community.

Keywords:

• OKness
• basic positions
• life positions
• Eric Berne
• Ronald Fairbairn
• Melanie Klein
• Sigmund Freud
• transactional analysis
• psychoanalysis
• dynamic ego state model

Disclosure statement

The author declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Additional information

Funding

The author received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Notes on contributors

Ales Zivkovic

Ales Zivkovic, MSc (TA Psych), Certified Transactional Analyst (psychotherapy), is a Provisional Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst (psychotherapy) and a psychotherapist registered with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). Ales has his private psychotherapy and clinical supervision practice in Central London (Marylebone) and is internationally active as a visiting trainer. In his clinical practice, Ales specializes in the areas of developmental trauma, personality disorders, and issues concerning identity. He also specializes in group and intergroup processes, cultural and collective identities, and the impacts diversity may have at clinical, organizational, and societal levels. Ales worked within the UK National Health Service as an individual and group therapist. He is also a member of the European Association for Transactional Analysis (EATA) and the International Transactional Analysis Association (ITAA). He can be reached at 85 Wimpole Street, London, W1G 9RJ, United Kingdom; email: [email protected].