Sandy B. on Step 4, the Five-Column Inventory, and Personality Change — Part 10 of 13

About This Speaker Tape

JOE McQUANY & CHARLIE PARMLEY BIG BOOK WORKSHOP “A JOURNEY THROUGH the STEPS” @ Sacramento, CA 1999 Joe McQuany,Charlie P. Big Book Workshop Journey Through the Steps Sacramento, CA 1999 - 2025

The speaker dismantles the mechanics of the Fourth Step inventory, treating it as a surgical process to remove the wreckage of resentments, fears, and sexual misconduct. He maps out the five-column system, arguing that we must analyze the wreckage from the outside in to discover the internal character defects—the 'exact nature of the wrongs'—that drive us toward the bottle. He warns that without this personality change, the alcoholic is doomed to repeat the same cycle of hurting others and retaliating. The talk shifts from the clinical to the gritty, exploring how fear is often a mask for insecurity and how sexual dysfunction is frequently a tool used to buy self-esteem or material security. He frames the inventory not as a moral condemnation, but as a way to stop being 'sick' and start being sane, replacing a vacuum of fear with faith and courage.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 The speaker discusses a prison experience and the role of character defects in landing there.
• 4:15 Discussion of Dr. Jung and the casting aside of old ideas and attitudes.
• 5:30 Laughter: Joe's joke about having a headache and postponing sex.
• 10:20 Detailed breakdown of the fear inventory and the five-column process.
• 16:45 Analysis of the root causes of fear: losing something, not getting something, or fear of discovery.
• 22:10 The speaker explains how fear is replaced by faith and courage through prayer.
• 28:30 Discussion on the 'sexual revolution' and the lack of formal sex education in childhood.
• 34:15 Detailed walkthrough of the sexual conduct inventory (Step 4).
• 41:00 The 'John Wayneism' of using sex to build self-esteem.
• 48:50 Warning against taking sexual or financial advice from other AA members.
• 53:10 Closing thoughts on the overlap of names across resentment, fear, and harm sheets.