Every so often I'll read something which affects the way I see the world. Reading a book on design, for instance, changed my outlook on simple things like taps and door handles because I had gained some tools to enable me to see them more critically than before. Reading a book on manipulating human relationships was also quite illuminating, though I should stress that I only read some of it (so far) and have no intention to practise it, which in turn would require a lot of rehearsal.

The latest subject to intrigue me is transactional analysis. In brief this seems to suggest that we interact with each other in one of three behavioural states. There is Parent, a controlling and conditioned force of authority. There is Adult, a logical thinking being. Then there is Child, a self interested bag of need. It seems like I act in the Child state as often as I can. This can be good, as in a child to child interaction, where both people have fun. It can be quite bad, as in the child parent interaction where I need either telling off or praise. It depends. I am, however, clearly the kid that didn't grow up.

Then I wonder about the writing of this. On the one hand it is written by the adult in me, with occasional influences from the parent or child. Overall, though, the very act of writing this is to get a free ego stroke as is clearly required by the over active child side of me.

Some would say that this is a sound critical analysis, but I think it's shit.