Professional Development


13 - Ego states: positive and negative
It usually occurs that, at first sight, a person tends to become enamored with one of these ego states and, for example, they decide that they would rather be a nurturing Parent than a controlling Parent or that they would rather be a free Child than an adapted Child. The subject is not that simple, and all the ego states have aspects that are positive and not so positive. The positive controlling Parent is honest, it corrects and guides; in fact, without the controlling Parent there would be no self-growth, although the controlling Parent, in its negative aspect, can persecute, humiliate, put down, etc. The nurturing Parent has some very positive aspects: it protects, gives affection, but also, as a negative aspect, becomes overprotective, the extremely nurturing Parent can end up causing immaturity or a lack of growth in the people around them.In its positive aspects the Adult offers us the behavior of a calm, sensible, ethical person; in its negative aspects it can be cold and calculating. The adapted Child not only has positive aspects, it can also be conformist and unimaginative. In its positive aspects the resistant Child reforms, innovates, tells the truth, while in its negative aspects it can be resentful and aggressive. On the other hand, as positive aspects of the free Child we can highlight that it is friendly, happy, expressive, creative; in its negative aspects it may display rude behavior and selfishness.