Personality Executive, Jailer or Change Agent I

The personality executive is that ego state which plays the dominant role in somebody’s psyche. The preferred Executive for an adult is the

Adult-Ego. However, although many people do operate from an Adult-Ego state, most have personalities which are managed by the other ego states for a large part or most of the time.

Of course, there is nobody who operates only from the Adult-Ego state; even very mature people need to allow the Natural-Child ego to take the driving seat. This is therapeutic if it is the joyous, loving, Child. People like the Dalai Lama spend a lot of time with the Natural-Child ego in charge.

In fact, he seems to operate only from the Adult-ego and Natural-Child states. I’ve not heard of him lapse into the Parent- Ego. Unfortunately, many people have a manipulative “Little Professor” as personality executive for much of the time, such as salespeople and politicians. Many business executives have a Parent-Ego as dominant, at least while at work; even if this is not their natural inclination, they may feel they need to assume this ego state to assert dominance.

In terms of politicians, those who have an Adult-Ego as their personality executive usually make a good impression, as this does not arouse resistance in members of the public. The many that have a public persona with a dominant Parent-Ego tend to provoke the ill-feelings that many voters have towards authority figures.

The public or work persona may differ markedly from that in the home. A gentle, kindly seeming person in public can turn out to be demon at home, or a very dominant person could be Casper Milquetoaste at home. It is often difficult to decide which is truly the overall personality executive, as it may depend so much on circumstances. You can't judge just from seeing a person in one environment.

Most people with an Adult-Ego as the personality executive are much less likely to be so different under different circumstances. They may allow the Natural-Child more time when they are at home, but not necessarily. Somebody with a well-rounded Adult-Ego personality executive could perhaps allow the caring Parent-Ego through when appropriate, but should avoid the harsh, critical Parent and the “Little Professor” and Adapted-Child. This is a counsel of perfection, and I’m sure not many people do behave as well as this in practice.

(continued)