Games People Play

Relatives
. An interesting byplay in "Alcoholic" is called "Have One." This was discovered by a 
perceptive student of industrial psychiatry. White and his wife (a non-drinking Persecutor) go on a 
picnic with Black and his wife (both Patsies). White says to the Blacks, "Have one!" If they have 
one, this gives White license to have four or five. The game is unmasked if the Blacks refuse. 
White, by the rules of drinking, is then entitled to be insulted, and he will find more compliant 
companions for his next picnic. What appears at the social level to be Adult generosity, is at the 
psychological level an act of insolence, whereby White's Child obtains Parental indulgence from 
Black by open bribery under the very nose of Mrs. White, who is powerless to protest. Actually it is 
just because she will be "powerless" to protest dial Mrs. White consents to the whole arrangement, 
since she is just as anxious for the game to continue, with herself in the role of Persecutor, as Mr. 
White is with himself in the role of Alcoholic, Her recriminations against him in the morning after 
die picnic are easy to imagine. This variant can cause complications if White is Black's boss. 
In general the Patsy is not as badly off as the name implies. Patsies are often lonely people who 
have a great deal to gain by being nice to Alcoholics. The delicatessen man who plays "Good Joe" 
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makes many acquaintances in this way, and he can get a good reputation in his own social circle 
not only as a generous person but also as a good storyteller. 
One variant of "Good Joe," incidentally, is to go around asking for advice about how best to help 
people. This is an example of a jolly and constructive game worth encouraging. Its inverse is Tough 
Guy, taking lessons in violence or asking for advice about how best to hurt people. Although the 
mayhem is never put into practice, the player has the privilege of associating with real tough guys 
who are playing for keeps, and can bask in their reflected glory. This is one species of what the 
French call un fanfaron de vice. 
ANALYSIS