found yourself playing one of the Seven Dysfunctional Dwarfs
(Sulky, Moany, Shouty, Crabby, Martyr-y, Touchy and Petulant),
even when you know you should know better, you get the point.
When this happens, Karpman says, we’re bouncing around
between three archetypal roles—Victim, Persecutor and Rescuer—
each one as unhelpful and dysfunctional as the other. As you read
the descriptions of each role below, do two things: bring to mind
someone who’s particularly adept at each role, and bring to mind
the circumstances in which you most commonly play each role.
Victim
The core belief: “My life is so hard; my life is so unfair. ‘Poor me.’”
The dynamic: “It’s not my fault (it’s theirs).”
The beneˁts of playing the role: You have no responsibility for fixing
anything; you get to complain; you attract Rescuers.
The price paid for playing the role: You have no sense of being able to
change anything—any change is outside your control. You’re
known to be ineffective. And no one likes a whiner.
Stuck is: “I feel stuck because I have no power and no influence. I
feel useless.”
Persecutor
The core belief: “I’m surrounded by fools, idiots or just people less
good than me.”
The dynamic: “It’s not my fault (it’s yours).”