All problems are interpersonal relationship problems.
From social networks to excessive AI chatbots, tech is disabling our courage to speak with each other. We must relearn how to ask for help.
In the aftermath of the pandemic, universities are pushing us to go to therapy for a variety of issues. But sometimes all we need is a friend. You might have one therapist but 10x as many peers with a more similar experience to yourself. Our friends’ advice could help solve our problems, but we often fear sharing any personal issues. Yet, the first people we turn to in crisis are our friends, not our therapists.
We have developed a new application based on Enactivism, Individual Psychology, and Method Acting techniques. We will guide you to act like yourself even when it's difficult.
Welcome to Enact - role-play relationship problems with your friends, augmented by AI. So everyone’s problems can be heard by a human.
Difficult Conversations
A difficult conversation occurs when emotions are intense, opinions differ, and resolving the matter feels daunting. Often arising from unexpressed thoughts and feelings, these discussions can feel strenuous and uncomfortable. Whether due to unreadiness or the unavailability of the other party, not having this conversation might lead you to feel stuck in your relationship or situation.
Examples
💼 Your friend is forcing themselves to have a career in an area they don't like, and you witness how it is affecting their health. You have felt the need to speak your mind but "haven't found the right moment."
🐘 You don't get along with your roommate. Your lifestyles are vastly different, and you keep getting secretly annoyed at them and think they might do too. However, you both act nicely towards each other and avoid the elephant in the room.
👪 Your parents are pressuring you to live in the way they perceive as correct. You would like to live your life freely but feel guilty for not living up to their standards.
💔 You just broke up with your partner but prefer to stay friends and keep a working relationship. You don't know how this new form of your relationship will look, nor how to propose it without creating emotional harm.
What Enact helps you do
You enact a difficult conversation with a friend. You will play yourself, and your friend will play the person you are struggling to talk to honestly. We will guide you through this process, help you understand the role, enact the situation, and discuss your take-aways afterwards. Our AI system will record your voice and summarize the key points from each section to help you get another perspective and take your key learnings to the real-life conversation.
Purge, Play, and Practice (3 Ps)
Our method is based on three pillars of emotional reconciliation and preparation. We call them Purge, Play, and Practice. In any emotionally difficult situation, we first need to purge the emotional tension we have been holding inside. Acting out the situation with a third party, a friend, or even a stranger, leads to catharsis, i.e. the release and cleansing of buried emotions and thoughts. From a point of renewal, we can now play with the situation: try out new approaches, consider alternative perspectives, and learn to forgive. Finally, with all this knowledge and preparation, we can practice the scene with emotional maturity and sound arguments.
By Treyden & Dünya, 2023