Discounting is defined as unwarily ignoring information relevant to the solution of the problem.
A discount is a crossed transaction in which the discountee emits a stimulus from his adult ego state to another person’s adult and that person responds from his parent or child.
Whenever a person is attempting to establish or maintain a symbiosis, she is ignoring or distorting some aspects of her internal or external experience. This is called discounting.
Example 1 : I am waiting at a bus stop to catch a bus to take me for an urgent client meeting. I am aware that reaching on time is important but I continue to stand and wait for a bus ,and not take the decision to take a cab. I am discounting my ability to think of a different option to reach my destination.
Example 2:I have a headache for two days and keep ignoring the existence of the headache and how it is impacting my wellbeing. Here I am discounting the existence of the headache and not doing anything to relieve me of the discomfort.
(A)Discounting :When our perception of reality matches the popular view, then what we perceive is a consensual reality. If it does not, then our perception is different form the consensual reality. This error in perception occurs because of discounting. In discounting, some aspects of the reality have been ignored, overlooked, perceived larger / stronger / more powerful / more difficult than actual or perceived to be smaller / weaker / less powerful / easier than actual. In either case a distortion has occurred.
Areas of Discounting :People can discount self ,others and the situation.
Three types of discounting take place and each type has four levels. The levels are also called modes or ways. When these are combined a matrix is generated. It is called the Discount Matrix or the Discounting Matrix. When we wish or desire to implement change, we can do something about it once we are able to identify the point of our stuckness as also how to proceed in the matter. The discount matrix helps us to identify our stuck point and also provides the means to resolve it.
The three types of discounting are when a person discounts the stimuli, the problem or the options in example 2 above I was discounting the stimuli, headache and how it was affecting me. I may also choose to ignore the problem that I might face due to a headache e.g. I am not able to complete my task within stipulated time. Here I am discounting the problem. I might have the option or choice of delegating the work to somebody and ensure the task is completed on time, but I don’t do that. Then I am discounting the option and remain stuck with my problem.
The levels of discounting are also called modes. The four levels are existence, significance, change possibilities and personal abilities. When I refuse to acknowledge the presence of headache ,I am discounting its existence. When I do not understand how the problem could impact me adversely ,I am discounting the significance of the problem. When I do not keep an open mind and think of possibilities to counter the issue, I am discounting the change possibilities. When I do not think about what must I do to go and solve the headache, I am discounting my personal ability to solve the problem.
In order to discount in any of these ways the parents must be operating(1),From a misinformed or uninformed adult, 2)From a contaminated adult or 3) by excluding the adult and cathecting an unhelpful Parent or child .
(B)The negative advantages of discounting :One needs to understand that by denying power to one entity (person or situation), it is invested in, or is granted to or assigned to or in another, this aspect is called grandiosity. Discounting is accompanied by grandiosity. Grandiosity provides justification.
Thinking Disorders: Over-detailing and generalization are two types of thinking disorders.
Over-detailing: In over-detailing the person uses unnecessary details to convey information. In grammar it is called using redundant. An example: “Actually what I want to tell you, and I should have told this to you yesterday, is that I am not coming tomorrow.” Instead of “Sir, I am not coming tomorrow”.
Generalization: Generalization is displayed when something related to one is viewed or conveyed to be of many. For example: If one person or a few persons do not follow traffic rules I say: “the traffic is chaotic because people do not follow traffic rules.”
(C )Grandiosity :Every discount is accompanied by Grandiosity. This is an exaggeration of some features of reality. It about “making a mountain out of a mole hole.)One feature of the situation is blotted out or diminished through discounting , so another feature is blown up out of proportion by grandiosity. Grandiosity is the act of purposefully exaggerating about self or others or the environment in order to maintain the passivity. This can give us at least two information. The first one being that people might miss and ignore information. The second one is that it helps us see when these people might not be taken seriously. Words indicating grandiosity can be never, always, naturally, absolutely, all or evident. Take for example a sentence “my clients never complain”, “Our clients’ interests always come first” or “We stress teamwork in everything we do”.
Example of Grandiosity : I am sitting in a restaurant feeling hopeless because the waiter wasn’t serving me my dinner that I had ordered. Here I am discounting my own options as well as giving more power to the waiter,which he in real life didn’t have,the power to decide whether I should get my dinner on time or not. My friend was sitting besides me in the restaurant. Seeing the waiters lack to response to my gestures, she also gets very angry. She tells me, “ That waiter is incompetent I were his manager ,he would be sacked for such delayed service.”.Here my friend was discounting the waiters competence and was being very grandiose about herself. She was taking on herself the role of judge and jury although she had neither adequate evidence nor responsibility to do so.
Discounting relation with TA concepts:
Discounting and strokes :It is important to distinguish between a straight negative stroke and a discount. A discount always entails some distortion of reality, e.g. “You’re hateful” – Discount “I hate you” – Negative stroke “I can see you can’t spell” – Discount “You’ve spelled that word wrongly” – Negative stroke A discount gives no signal on which to base constructive action.
Discounting and behaviours: A discount itself are not observable. But there are four types of behaviour which always indicates that the person is discounting. These are called Passive Behaviours: • Doing nothing • Over adaptation • Agitation • Incapacitation and/or violence
Discounting and contamination and exclusion When a person shuts down one or more ego-states this called exclusion. There are three possibilities:
- Excluded Parent means that the person will not have any ready-made rules about the world. They make their own rules in every situation.
- Excluded Adult means that the person does not reality test. There is a constant internal struggle and behaviours may seem bizarre.
- Excluded Child means that the person will shut out the stored memories of their own childhood. Feelings are often expressed from our Child ego-state. Therefore, those who exclude the Child may appear cold and distant.
Discounting and Symbiosis :In unhealthy symbiosis ego states are discounted in two ways. In one way by not using those that are available for use and in another way by using those of another. There is sharing. Though dysfunctional, this sharing provides a sense of comfort to both parties. The unused ego states are excluded contextually, meaning in the moment and for the topic prevailing and purpose. Both parties experience psychological gain in the process.
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