Here is a simple, clear, student-friendly explanation of all the Transactional Analysis (TA) Life Positions with college-level examples and a short write-up for each.
✅ Transactional Analysis – Life Positions (With Examples for College Students)
Transactional Analysis (TA) explains how people see themselves and others.
There are 4 life positions → each affects confidence, relationships, teamwork, and communication.
Below are all five situations you mentioned (four classic TA positions + one extra combined state).
---
1️⃣ I Am OK – You Are OK
⭐ Healthy, confident, respectful, best mindset.
Write-up:
This is the ideal life position. Students who believe “I am capable, and others are capable too” behave with confidence and cooperation. They communicate well, accept responsibility, and build positive relationships. This mindset creates teamwork, learning, and leadership.
College Example:
A student gets average marks but thinks:
“I can improve. My classmates are also doing their best. Let’s study together.”
They collaborate in group projects, respect others’ ideas, and stay calm in conflicts.
---
2️⃣ I Am Not OK – You Are OK
⭐ Low self-esteem, admiration of others, feeling inferior.
Write-up:
Students in this position think others are better than them. They feel insecure, avoid leadership, and doubt their abilities. This may lead to stress, overthinking, or depending too much on others.
College Example:
A student sees friends scoring high and thinks:
“They are smarter… I am not good at anything.”
They hesitate to answer in class even when they know the answer.
---
3️⃣ I Am Not OK – You Are Not OK
⭐ Hopelessness, frustration, “nothing works” mindset.
Write-up:
This position reflects deep discouragement. The student feels they can’t achieve anything AND others can’t help either. This often appears after repeated failures, stress, or burnout. Motivation becomes low and they may disconnect from activities.
College Example:
A student fails multiple exams and thinks:
“I am useless… Teachers don’t teach properly… Friends don’t support… Everything is pointless.”
They withdraw from group work and feel stuck.
---
4️⃣ I Am OK – You Are Not OK
⭐ Overconfidence, arrogance, blaming others.
Write-up:
People in this position believe they are right and others are wrong. It can lead to ego, dominance, or disrespect. While confidence is good, overconfidence creates conflict and reduces teamwork.
College Example:
A student tells teammates:
“You all don’t know anything. I will do the project alone.”
They criticize others but never accept their own mistakes.
---
5️⃣ We Are Not OK
⭐ A shared negative state — group frustration or mutual discouragement.
Write-up:
This is not part of the classic TA model but reflects situations where everyone feels stressed or unprepared. Both self-confidence and team trust drop. This usually happens during pressure situations, confusion, or failure.
College Example:
Before exams, a whole group says:
“We didn’t prepare properly… The teacher didn’t teach well… We are all going to fail.”
The group loses motivation instead of helping each other improve.
---
✨ Conclusion for Students
Life positions influence:
✔ Communication
✔ Confidence
✔ Friendships
✔ Teamwork
✔ Problem-solving
College life becomes healthier when students aim for the “I am OK – You are OK” mindset:
Believe in yourself
Respect others
Learn, collaborate, and grow.
Here are simple, engaging, ready-to-use classroom activities for college students to understand the five life positions in a fun and practical way.
🎯 Classroom Activities for Life Positions (TA)
Duration: 40–60 minutes
Group type: College students (any stream)
Materials: Paper, markers, chart paper (optional)
1️⃣ Role-Play Corners Activity (Most Effective)
Objective: Experience each life position through real-life scenarios.
Steps:
1. Create 5 corners in the classroom with labels:
I’m OK – You’re OK
I’m Not OK – You’re OK
I’m Not OK – You’re Not OK
I’m OK – You’re Not OK
We Are Not OK
2. Divide students into 5 small groups.
3. Give each group a scenario and ask them to perform that scenario from the perspective of their assigned life position.
Scenario Ideas:
Group project disagreement
Student asking doubts to a teacher
Two friends discussing exam results
Planning a college event
Complaint about class schedule
Outcome:
Students clearly see how attitude changes behavior, communication style, and outcomes.
2️⃣ Life Position Cards – Matching Game
Objective: Improve conceptual clarity.
Steps:
1. Create 10–15 cards with short situations.
2. Create 5 title cards for the life positions.
3. Students work in pairs to match each situation with the correct life position.
Sample Situation Cards:
“Everyone is better than me.”
“Only I can do things correctly.”
“We won’t be able to complete this assignment.”
“Let’s work as a team.”
“No one helps me, and I can’t help anyone.”
Outcome:
Students learn to identify mindsets in everyday life.
3️⃣ Wheel of Reactions (Fun Activity)
Objective: Understand different reactions to the same problem.
Steps:
1. Teacher writes one challenge on the board.
Example: “You failed an important test.”
2. Spin a paper wheel (or pick a chit).
3. Whatever life position is selected, a student must respond from that mindset.
Sample Responses:
I’m OK – You’re OK → “I’ll study harder; I can improve, and teacher will help.”
I’m Not OK – You’re OK → “I’m so dumb, others are smarter than me.”
I’m OK – You’re Not OK → “Teacher doesn’t know how to teach; I would pass otherwise.”
I’m Not OK – You’re Not OK → “What’s the point? Neither I nor the teacher can fix this.”
We Are Not OK → “All of us did badly… exam was too tough.”
Outcome:
Students realize that same situation = different interpretations.
4️⃣ Group Story Building
Objective: Apply life positions in storytelling.
Steps:
1. Split the class into 5 teams.
2. Each team receives a story starter, e.g.,
“A group of students is preparing for a festival event.”
3. Teams must write a short 1–2 minute story showing their assigned life position.
Outcome:
Enhances creativity + deep understanding of attitudes.
5️⃣ Self-Reflection Worksheet (5 minutes)
Objective: Students identify their own life positions.
Prompts:
When do I feel “I’m OK – You’re OK”?
Do I sometimes feel inferior? Why?
Do I blame others for mistakes?
What situations make me feel “We are not OK”?
How can I shift to a healthier mindset?
Outcome:
Promotes emotional awareness and self-improvement.
6️⃣ Positive Shift Activity (Mindset Repair)
Objective: Learn how to move from a negative to a positive life position.
Steps:
1. Students write one negative statement (e.g., “I can’t do it”).
2. Partner rewrites it as a positive, balanced TA mindset (e.g., “I can learn it with help”).
3. Discuss how language shapes confidence.
Outcome:
Students practice transforming thoughts into I’m OK – You’re OK.
Ashish Shah,
Where r u all. Which situation you always?
