Humility vs. Humiliation in the 12 and 12 – George G.

About This Speaker Tape

Recovery Audio - 2001

George G. maps out the pivotal shift from the 'immoral inventory' of his early days to the raw humility of the Fifth Step. He describes the terror of sitting across from another human being to unload his 'garbage,' admitting that for a long time he lived in a state of isolation convinced that no one truly understood his head. George recounts the grit of his first Fifth Step—a five-and-a-half-hour session at Pompano Beach with Larry L.—and the subsequent realization that he didn't have to carry his secrets alone. He cuts through the delusion of 'speaking directly to a Higher Power' with a cautionary tale about a gambler at a craps table arguing instead that the Higher Power speaks through the people in the rooms. For George the Fifth Step wasn't just a requirement it was the only thing keeping him from returning to a cardboard box.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:45 George discusses the Fourth Tradition and the 'right to be wrong' within a group conscience.
• 2:15 Reading from the Big Book regarding the 'life and death errand' of the Fifth Step.
• 4:30 Laughter: George reflects on the difference between looking down, out, and finally looking in and up.
• 6:10 George shares the advice from Bob and Larry L. on why we go to another human being for humility.
• 8:45 Discussion on the definition of humility versus humiliation, citing page 58 of the 12 and 12.
• 11:20 George talks about the 'boogeyman' of childhood trauma and the isolation of feeling different from others.
• 14:10 Story about the 28-page 'immoral inventory' and the encounter with Mike regarding the cops.
• 16:30 Details of the five-and-a-half-hour Fifth Step session at Pompano Beach with Larry L.
• 18:15 George discusses the need for different sponsors for different life experiences, like jail or being a roadie.
• 20:40 A heavy moment: George admits to putting a gun to a friend's mouth, and his sponsor's blunt response.
• 23:10 The cautionary tale of the gambler at the Indian reservation craps table.
• 25:50 George concludes on the danger of self-deception and the fear of returning to a cardboard box.