Chapter 5 - Rackets and Racketeering
Summary
TLDRThe transcript discusses the psychological concept of 'racketeering,' where individuals present substitute feelings—often repetitive emotions like sadness, anger, or happiness—rather than their real, underlying emotions, which were suppressed in childhood. This can create frustration as others respond to the surface emotions without addressing the core feelings. The speaker also reflects on personal experiences and therapy, explaining how unacknowledged emotions impact behaviors, and how therapeutic approaches can help people identify and express their true feelings. The conversation touches on psychoanalytic therapy and group therapy, illustrating real-life cases.
Takeaways
- 🌽 The term 'racketeering' in therapy was initially related to repetitive behaviors or attitudes, often seen as a substitute for genuine feelings.
- 🔄 'Racketeering' in therapy is a concept where individuals seek validation or 'strokes' for substitute feelings, which are not genuinely felt but are expressed to gain attention or approval.
- 👨⚖️ The concept was developed as a critique of traditional psychoanalytic approaches that the speaker felt were too accepting of these substitute feelings without challenging their authenticity.
- 👶 Substitute feelings or attitudes often originate from childhood experiences where certain emotions were prohibited, ignored, or discounted by caregivers.
- 🔄 The speaker suggests that these substitute feelings are a form of 'racketeering' because individuals are never truly satisfied by the attention they receive for these inauthentic expressions.
- 👥 Group therapy can be particularly effective in identifying and addressing substitute feelings, as group members can provide diverse perspectives and challenge each other's behaviors.
- 📝 The speaker wrote an article detailing the concept of 'substitution factor', where substitute feelings are seen as a coping mechanism developed during childhood to meet emotional needs.
- 👩⚕️ Therapists using this concept aim to help clients recognize and express their genuine feelings instead of relying on substitute feelings for validation.
- 🔄 The concept of 'racketeering' is used to explain certain repetitive and unsatisfying patterns in client interactions, such as always being angry or sad, which may mask deeper, unacknowledged emotions.
- 👪 The speaker shares a personal anecdote about how their own substitute feelings of courage masked underlying fears, highlighting how these patterns can be deeply ingrained and不易察觉.
Q & A
What is the origin of the concept 'racketeering' in the context of the transcript?
-In the context of the transcript, 'racketeering' is a term used to describe a pattern of behavior where individuals repetitively exhibit certain feelings or attitudes as a substitute for real feelings that were prohibited or ignored during childhood. The term was borrowed from the criminal world, where it refers to the act of extorting money from businesses, and was adapted to describe this psychological phenomenon.
How does the concept of 'racketeering' relate to the idea of seeking 'strokes'?
-The concept of 'racketeering' is related to seeking 'strokes' in that individuals who engage in racketeering are often doing so to extract strokes or attention from others. They display repetitive feelings or attitudes to elicit a response, such as sympathy or admiration, which they may not receive for their genuine emotions that were suppressed or ignored in the past.
What is the significance of the term 'substitute feelings' as mentioned in the transcript?
-The term 'substitute feelings' refers to the emotions or attitudes that individuals display as a cover for their real, underlying emotions that were not allowed expression during their formative years. These substitute feelings are often repetitive and serve as a means to seek validation or attention, which they may not have received for their genuine feelings.
How does the concept of 'racketeering' challenge traditional psychoanalytic approaches according to the speaker?
-The concept of 'racketeering' challenges traditional psychoanalytic approaches by suggesting that the feelings or attitudes patients present in therapy are not always genuine but are often substitutes for real feelings that were suppressed. This perspective differs from the psychoanalytic view that emotions expressed in therapy are authentic and should be supported, even if they are negative.
What is the role of the therapist in addressing 'racketeering' behavior according to the transcript?
-The role of the therapist in addressing 'racketeering' behavior, as per the transcript, is to recognize the repetitive substitute feelings and attitudes presented by the patient and to work towards helping the patient acknowledge and express their real, underlying emotions that were previously prohibited or ignored.
Why did the speaker feel 'burned out' in their therapeutic practice, as mentioned in the transcript?
-The speaker felt 'burned out' because they were constantly supporting and validating substitute feelings or attitudes in their patients that they believed were not genuine but were instead a result of the patients' need for attention or validation. This repetitive process did not lead to real emotional growth or change, which the speaker found exhausting and unfulfilling.
What is the significance of the 'substitution factor' as discussed in the transcript?
-The 'substitution factor' refers to the process by which individuals replace their real feelings with substitute feelings or attitudes that are more socially acceptable or less threatening. This substitution is a coping mechanism developed during childhood to deal with feelings that were not allowed expression, and it often leads to repetitive patterns of behavior in adulthood.
How does the concept of 'racketeering' relate to the development of 'games' in transactional analysis?
-In the context of transactional analysis, 'racketeering' relates to the development of 'games' as it describes a series of transactions where an individual repeatedly seeks strokes or attention for substitute feelings, which ultimately leads to unsatisfactory outcomes. These repetitive patterns of transactions are what constitute 'games' in transactional analysis, which are often unproductive and maintain the status quo of unmet emotional needs.
What is the example of 'Tia' mentioned in the transcript and what does it illustrate?
-The example of 'Tia' in the transcript illustrates a case where an individual chronically displayed sadness as a substitute for other feelings. Through therapy and support, Tia was able to allow herself to feel happy and cheerful, which were the real feelings she had been suppressing. This example demonstrates the process of uncovering and addressing substitute feelings to access and express genuine emotions.
How does the speaker's personal experience with 'racketeering' as a child influence their understanding of the concept?
-The speaker's personal experience with 'racketeering' as a child, where they were expected to feel happy and courageous instead of expressing their fear and sadness about leaving their home, influenced their understanding of the concept by providing a personal insight into how substitute feelings can be ingrained from an early age. This personal history helped the speaker to empathize with clients who exhibited similar patterns of behavior.
Outlines
🌟 Understanding Racket and Emotional Substitution
This paragraph discusses the concept of 'racketeering' in psychology, which refers to repetitive behaviors or attitudes that are substitutes for real feelings. The speaker explains how some individuals exhibit exaggerated emotions to elicit responses from others, particularly therapists. The term 'racket' was coined by Eric Berne, who likened these behaviors to the extortion tactics of gangsters. The speaker reflects on Berne's views and how they challenged the psychoanalytic establishment's expectations of supporting all feelings presented by patients. The paragraph also touches on the speaker's disagreement with Berne's approach, emphasizing the importance of understanding the origins of these repetitive attitudes in childhood.
📚 The Substitution Factor in Emotional Expression
The speaker delves into their article on the 'substitution factor,' which explores how individuals substitute their real feelings with others due to childhood experiences. They provide an example of a chronically sad colleague who was unable to allow herself to be happy, illustrating the concept of emotional substitution. The paragraph explains how these emotional substitutions often stem from early developmental stages and are a response to parental expectations or societal norms. The speaker also discusses the impact of these substitutions on therapy and personal relationships, highlighting the importance of recognizing and addressing the underlying, unacknowledged emotions.
🔄 The Dynamics of Racketeering in Relationships
This paragraph examines the transactional nature of 'racketeering,' where individuals seek validation or 'strokes' for their substitute feelings but remain unsatisfied because the real feelings are unaddressed. The speaker contrasts this with Berne's concept of 'game,' which is seen as a series of transactions leading to a predictable outcome. The paragraph also touches on the speaker's transition from psychoanalytic therapy to a more transactional approach due to feelings of burnout. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding the underlying real feelings and the role of the therapist in addressing these, rather than just supporting the substitute feelings.
🎁 The Role of Envy and Jealousy in Emotional Racketeering
The speaker recounts a group therapy session where a new client, Anna, gives a departing member, Susie, an expensive gift in an attempt to gain recognition and admiration. This act is identified as a 'racket,' where Anna's underlying emotions of envy and jealousy are masked by a gesture of generosity. The paragraph highlights the importance of recognizing and addressing these underlying emotions, rather than just the substitute behavior. The speaker also discusses the benefits of group therapy, where other group members can provide insights and support in understanding and confronting these emotions.
👶 Childhood Influences on Adult Emotional Racketeering
In this paragraph, the speaker reflects on their own emotional 'racket,' which involved substituting fear with a more acceptable behavior of courage or denial. They share a personal story of moving from Romania to Turkey as a child and feeling a sense of loss for their grandparents, which was not acknowledged by their mother. This led the speaker to suppress their fear and adopt a façade of courage. The paragraph concludes with the speaker's realization of how childhood experiences shape adult emotional responses and the importance of recognizing and addressing these early emotional patterns.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Racketeering
💡Strokes
💡Substitute Feelings
💡Transactional Analysis
💡Burns
💡Developmental Stage
💡Substitution Factor
💡Psychoanalytic Establishment
💡Denial
💡Group Therapy
Highlights
The concept of 'racketeering' in therapy is introduced, relating to repetitive behaviors or attitudes.
Racketeering is likened to a transaction where individuals seek validation for substitute feelings instead of their true emotions.
The origin of the term 'racketeering' in therapy is discussed, drawing a parallel to the behavior of gangsters extorting money.
Therapists are encouraged to recognize and address the underlying true feelings behind a patient's substitute emotions.
The concept of 'substitution factor' is introduced, explaining how certain attitudes are adopted as substitutes for real feelings.
An example is given of a patient who was chronically sad, illustrating the substitution of real feelings with sadness.
The development of substitute feelings is often rooted in childhood experiences where certain emotions were ignored or discouraged.
The impact of family dynamics on the formation of racketeering behaviors is explored.
The speaker shares a personal anecdote about their own experience with substitute feelings, specifically the substitution of fear with courage.
The concept of 'rackets' is expanded to include not just emotions but also attitudes and behaviors that are substitutes for real feelings.
The importance of recognizing and validating a patient's true feelings rather than their substitute emotions is emphasized.
A case study is discussed where a patient's substitute behavior led to relationship issues with her boyfriend.
The speaker's article on the substitution factor is mentioned, which delves deeper into the concept and its implications in therapy.
The idea that substitute feelings can be a form of self-protection against more vulnerable emotions is presented.
The concept of 'racketeering' is linked to the broader therapeutic process, including the role of group therapy and the dynamics within it.
The speaker reflects on their own therapeutic approach and how it differs from traditional psychoanalytic methods.
The impact of the concept of racketeering on the speaker's personal and professional life is discussed.
The transcript concludes with a discussion on the broader implications of substitute feelings and racketeering in therapy and personal development.
Transcripts
okay so funny though we still have some
some of your concepts which we haven't
one of us made a very important concept
of racketeering so it's in origin it's
not it's related to corn is it right or
yes actually what happened is there was
a category of patients or clients or
people who exasperated and there were
the people who exhibited for me
attitudes or feelings and I think
everybody is it's a wonderful day I'm so
happy oh we all need to be the video
happy you're glad what life is wonderful
and so on and you hear that it's falling
and it's exasperated but they keep going
on living it's repetitive or the earner
another kind of person is going to be
repetitive about sad things on you know
I'm sorry I just can't enjoy things yes
you go ahead and enjoy but my life is
whatever and these are repetitive
feelings and they were sort of looked
like I exported to extract strokes
I mean indications to the other person
especially to the therapist in order to
say oh when happy person
oh yes it's wonderful that you can look
at life this way
stroke the person for that or else the
person or the angry person
yes I'm just a little angry however and
so on there would be a lot of time on
them
well this is falling of course he
believed that if he explained really
people stayed hey look this is only an
exaggerator then who said that so many
times and he sort of got to come to the
out of it
and finally he said these are rats and
the world records as most people know
that is a food of gangsters who extorted
money from businessmen for the
and he used to be quite a leader Ian you
know we refused to offer strokes or
sympathy or whatever or admiration
whatever the case and I always felt a
little uncomfortable because look
patients didn't believe that they have
these feelings burn claim they do we do
not feel this way and indeed well go
back to that I was going to say that
indeed very many people come into
treatment because they have exactly and
I think it was a part of burns fight
also the psychoanalytic establishment
because you thought that the service is
expected to show support for feelings or
not accused which he felt were for real
which did sound and appear to be for
real okay and this was kind of a running
argument as we know
no I trained with Bernie and I was
already mature therapists have worked
for a number of years it was difficult
for me to always agree with him but I
think we quite know how I disagreed and
why I disagreed the buckler active state
I felt but about these are active
supporters
meaning people are fanatics so at the
conclusion of my therapy oh my training
was brooding about this and I realized
in working with other clients that
brackets what he called rapid these
repetitive folding feelings which would
be the nominee and attitudes that these
were substitutes for other feelings that
suppose he didn't there yes and as you
know my emphasis was on how we adopt for
instance about survival conclusions our
certain attitudes repetitive attitudes
refer to certain attitudes of feelings
that was cooked in the past during
childhood and this looked to me as
though that's what he called methods
were substitutes for other feelings
which
and I have an article like them and so I
ended up writing an article which I
wanted to submit to burn and this is my
first article on the subject it's called
the substitution factor brackets and
with real feelings and we have a link on
this journal and in it I describe the
piece of there who was a friend a
colleague who was chronically sad sad
sad sad and I realized at the certain
point that she never allowed herself to
be happy and cheerful and I realized
this is detailed in the article that
really got a sadness Otto keen on that
she really wanted to be cheerful and
happy and so I don't thought this
article and I don't talk about other
typical so-called records or hostility
record for instance Joe is always angry
always my son has a chip on his shoulder
yes this makes me throw fearless and
actually sometimes it was because Joe
was touched and warmer feelings
so it's loose records are often
established at this very sensitive
developmental stage between two and four
and five and they are substitutes this
is now my definition which was not
Byrnes definition rackets are
substitutes for real feelings and
attitudes which are prohibited which
were prohibited or ignored or discounted
during childhood mother or father or
whoever was with catechist to create you
don't really feel this way
name the feeling better so typical
following a typical cheating or attitude
for instance would be jealousy and
instead the older child looking at the
younger child and feeling envious or
jealous or competitive or whatever and
it would be happier painful man or
father or somebody to mean I want to see
you descend on you're jealous so you
don't like the fact that Susie is
getting all this attention it's kept
mother and father would ignore it and
say oh you're really loving each other
love your little sister brother you are
oh it's so personal for being loving and
so the grown up Susie would show how a
loving she was whenever she was jealous
well how'd you notice she was whenever
she's somewhere just the opposite
behavior issues she has to show actually
teaching yeah oblige yourself yeah
that's right that's right and this same
poses a lot lots of problems for the
Bruno for instance I remember a client
who had a lot of problems with the
fiancee with her boyfriend because he
wanted to do something nice for her and
he invited her to dinner and gave her
his order favorite dish which he had
smiled and said was favorite dish
actually she eat at that dish but she
did not allow herself to didn't know
that she disliked that and she could not
be honest and open with him so I said
before I wrote this article and they get
a full burn but and was going to prison
him to be there for some accountants of
1970 and he died just before the summer
conference in 1970 and he had set up he
had set up the journal was going to
start before that he had a bulletin yes
anyway so the new editors of the German
have no articles to publish and so they
insisted on publishing this article and
so they published this article
substitution factor in one issue and
then another part of the article would I
detail other substitute feelings in a
second issue of the journal and I some
of it is outdated when you read it but I
think you'll get a kind of sense about
this substitute and also you'll get the
example of Tia who substituted in that
time do you have an and the words
racketeering became I would think we
have not yet not use the word
racketeering you said they're playing it
either so this is a
racketeering and racketeering is the
transaction whereby a person once
strokes for the substitute feeling but
since it's a substitute presentation and
they get stopped for the rori feeling or
attitude they're never satisfied
and this is why it's competitive and so
the cause although the protectiveness is
precisely the fact that the expression
of this feeling and attitude is stored
on an expression and does not gratify
well yes because as a result of thank
you for Sandra because as a result of
developing this concept of racketeering
which is a transaction on the apparatus
a suit I I spelled out how my concept of
beings is very different and that the
beam ending is not very planned as burn
implies win but is the unfortunate
result when a transaction is crossed
because the partner is sick and tired of
offering strokes for something which is
felt and is obviously of course
artificial kind of
the article that I would like you to
read now if you want to pursue the topic
yes the article practice as as rackets
in relation to games and this is also to
this presentation if you want to
understand the topic I think that that's
that's the way to read it and that
explains also how I conceptualize games
that it is like now about you son of a
is the end of a series of
transactions where the racketeer fails
together strokes he or she wants for the
real feelings and keeps going business
and I mentioned a business before some
business world as well
whatever chanting and so very first
minutes somebody as they are racketeer
sometimes they play the best of Ortega
Hannah what I think would be the best
but their fears follow and it doesn t
years exactly substantial and that one
of the points but you get coaching you
know we are looking for what kind of
racketeering
that's the coachee very moment but
usually able to try or she would try to
to get some strokes or some
acknowledgement from from the coach is
paid for yeah acknowledgments that and
therefore you get racketeering game I
would say yeah in fact with hindsight I
know that the main reason why I switched
from psychoanalytic therapy
it's not called psychoanalytic supported
to is because I was beginning to feel
burned out and I was feeling burned out
this is a kind of a message I'd like to
be able to purchase and to
- therapist that very often approach
your therapist talk about myself I began
to feel burned out because I was I was
the wife was difficult and so I would
say yes yes understand and my patients
were happy to keep paying for these
sessions we paid on and on and they said
they did he placed me that he hurt me
and I hated the sense of constantly
supporting what I now know was about
like that or that the process of
appearing I can accept you show me some
tea or should I give you an example of
funny then we just tell you a story and
then through the group and we have Susie
who's ending her group attending and
it's our last session and she's saying
goodbye to everybody and she's obviously
very fortunate she's got a good
boyfriend and she's happy and living and
gotten children gifts from the
and this is Emma who is a new client I
was just coming in I has a lot of
problems and these financial problems
and all kinds of other problems and I
know where there's a very beautiful belt
which she had mentioned that she had
bought with her savings and a lot of
money and as Suzy leaves Anna goes up to
her and says Suzie I want you to have
this gift for me the belt and I
start up this was totally soft I mean
there was no reason for a lot to give
Susan them present they weren't friends
they just met and I was showing off so
this was a typical racket and poor Anna
was hoping to get lots of strokes
worship and recognition for this great
generous gift this was going to show how
to generous she was but underneath it
there was an to be some kind of healing
so of course I guess that's the that's
the challenge for the couch all of this
I guess that she was feeling images of
Suzy
I mean Suzy has everything and Suzy has
everything in her and booze and gives
her walk worship or others nothing
so instead of being able to articulate
even for herself
I'm how to deal with it yeah yeah yeah
if you want to talk to work with the
best visit the flash of intuition
I'm hardly knew her I said that you had
a younger sister because I thought that
there's a parallel yes she said and how
did you get along oh we got a lot of
beautifully anybody thought we were
twins she was a year younger than me
to the same class but people thought we
were twins and I was so proud of her for
being so smart I mean look at that how
could she be proud of her
well obviously it had been instilled
into her that she had to be proud
instead of Jerusalem and I said oh no
such thing
now this woman back professional was a
sociologist she knew the words she did
not know it for herself she was shocked
by my reference to envy and jealousy
that's funny because she knew is
radically so we talked about in a
professional sense that's right that's
right and more in general I think is to
discover what is the feeling emotions
with the underlining emotions and - yeah
please for having some kind and
supportive and whatever else now this
has nothing to do exactly with rockets
but I'll put in a little point there
about the advantage of working in groups
because it was so good to have other
people in the group say oh I would have
felt few yourself like jealous envious I
would have felt this that the other
and I was looking with Greek eyes he
couldn't imagine that she could not walk
this way anyway so here is an example
and treatment office also
for it and the story of CI which when
you will read it in in this article
shows you how with support via allowed
herself to feel good and happy at times
not always whenever when at times where
she felt obliged to feel sad because
this was expected of her in childhood
but I'll say one more thing the funny
thing is that you know the teen
community I am known as the person who
is the expert on brackets but I'm not
but records are not well-defined very
many people we find amazing is there are
repetitive feelings or attitudes or
fourth season which come in and are
expressed and articulated as substitutes
for some kind of a thought or feeling
which was not permitted
and not even
thank you here's a little personal item
as long as we're doing all this charlie
so this is let's say my my theory and my
contribution its years later that I
realized that I carry the baggage and my
rabbit was the rapid approach for fear
substituting for fear and I don't know
how distracted originated now I'm
letters were preserved myself as a
finish here and that had to do with the
fact that we moved rather precipitously
from Romania we mean my mother and
father and my son to Turkey when I was
four years old and for me my my
grandfather so it was very difficult for
my mother to accept the fact that I felt
very centered about my aunt and
grandfather and really was not happy now
to that we were a reconstituted family
and that I now had my mother and father
the father who I just met when I was
four years old instead of the
grandfather my daughter didn't want her
to leave behind so my mother would keep
saying it'll get wonderful with her
family
we are not there isn't that great and
expressing
and so I was courageous or whatever it
was I was sort of accepting what was she
pleased me for that and whenever I said
something implied that I missed it
and the funny thing is that you can
define the way I subsequently behave now
as a grownup as denial that during the
war instead of fear I often just sort of
shrugged it off and said well you know
it's not so scary after all and I know
that it was about it and I didn't know
it was so my point here is that as I
useful maybe character and talents which
are really strong very useful sides but
if you play too often looks like
and quite appropriate behavior but but
it isn't anymore
yeah in its terms in racketeering so
right so there's both sides of balance
yes and they're forcing particulars and
all board a story in in France and money
additive free to fly yeah that was very
helpful that you were correct yes and
even when you suppress you yeah clean
that I was not afraid
no that was afraid yeah and therefore I
think yes after look very sensitive yeah
on what isn't something the strong sighs
the strong certain sometimes a strong
transom all right here that's right and
nowadays my daughter accuses me very
portion of the arm which is very funny I
never connected denial what that classic
psychoanalytic Bihar with rackets but
actually denial is a denial of cert
feelings is other all right
that's kind of a new contribution I have
never quite described it before thank
you
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