Self Centered People are Producers of Confusion

Step we are on: Three

Chapter: 5 "How It Works"

Subject: Playing God, resentment, self-pity, self-centeredness, The Actor, Anger

• How do his actions affect the other people in his life?

And do not his actions make each of them wish to retaliate, snatching all they can get out of the show?

• What is usually the product of his efforts?

Is he not, even in his best moments, a producer of confusion rather than harmony?

• What would people call our actor?

Our actor is self-centered - ego-centric, as people like to call it nowadays.

• He can be compared to whom?

He is like the retired business man who lolls in the Florida sunshine in the winter complaining of the sad state of the nation; the minister who sighs over the sins of the twentieth century; politicians and reformers who are sure all would be Utopia.

Utopia – any conception of an ideal state

The Winston Simplified Dictionary – 1938

Page 62

  

• With our fussing and complaining, what are we really concerned with?

Whatever our protestations, are not most of us concerned with ourselves, our resentments, or our self-pity?

Pity is a feeling of sorrow for the distress of others. Self-pity can be seen as a feeling of sorrow for the distress of one’s "Self".

Peace and  Love,

Danny S – RLRA

Real Live Recovered Alcoholic

http://stepelevencomesalive.blogspot.com/

Anger - Evidence of Playing God

Step we are on: Three

Chapter: 5 "How It Works"

Subject: Playing God, resentment, self-pity, self-centeredness, The Actor, Anger

Good morning.

SPOILER ALERT:

The co-authors are leading up to a point with this comparison of men and women with the actor. Here is a guy who likes to play God. Watch what happens to him as he does.

• Who gets the blame?

Admitting he may be somewhat at fault, he is sure that other people are more to blame.

Outward 'admittance' even sometimes self-deprecation - while secretly fuming ("he is sure") over the injustices caused by others is something alcoholics and all spiritually ill people do.

• How does this make him feel?

He becomes angry, indignant, self-pitying.

(Note:  Was this the way it was with you?)

Anger has gotten into him.  (This is going to be important to know later on)

• What is his basic trouble? Two sentences

What is his basic trouble? Is he not really a self-seeker even when trying to be kind?

'Self-seeking' means seeking one's own happiness or interests or giving undue attention to one’s own interests or advantage over others.

~ The Winston Simplified Dictionary – 1938

 

• He is the victim of what illusion?

Is he not a victim of the delusion that he can wrest satisfaction and happiness out of this world if he only manages well?

“If only <fill in your favorite injustice> could be <fill in your favorite solution>. Then I would be happy.”Trying to control others in order to install personal peace and happiness to oneself is a very time-consuming pastime.

Have you ever done this? Do you do it now? Do you ever seek to restore the good old days?

• What should be evident to all the other people in his life?

Is it not evident to all the rest of the players that these are the things he wants?

"Looking out" for everybody else is a huge distraction from one’s own angry, dissatisfied condition.

Peace and  Love,

Danny S – RLRA

Real Live Recovered Alcoholic

http://stepelevencomesalive.blogspot.com/

The Actor

Step we are on: Three

Chapter: 5 - "How It Works"

Subject: Playing God, resentment, self-pity, self-centeredness, The Actor

 Good morning. The co-authors are still comparing people (Not only alcoholics, but most people, all of whom are self-propelled) with an “actor” in the show, trying to run it all himself.

• What usually happens? Two sentences

What usually happens? The show doesn't come off very well.

• What does he begin to think?

He begins to think life doesn't treat him right.

• What does he decide to do?

He decides to exert himself more.

• How does he change his approach?

He becomes, on the next occasion, still more demanding or gracious, as the case may be.

• Is he now pleased with the results?

Still the play does not suit him.

TOMORROW:

• Who gets the blame?
• How does this make him feel?
• What is his basic trouble? (2 sentences)
• He is the victim of what illusion?
• What should be evident to all the other people in his life?

Peace and  Love,

Danny S – RLRA

Real Live Recovered Alcoholic

http://stepelevencomesalive.blogspot.com/