Self-Will and the Failure of the Intellectual Plan – Sandy B.

About This Speaker Tape

"Your plan for living sucks." Sandy B. doesn't mince words. He describes the alcoholic arriving at the doors of AA with their ass on fire, wearing a wristband, and possessing a "game plan" that has left them puking in a jail cell.

For Sandy, the intellect is a liar; it’s the voice that tells you you're too smart for the steps while you're sinking. He compares the first drink to a chemical spiritual path—an instant conversion that turns the world into technicolor—and argues that the only way to beat the bottle is through the paradox of total surrender. You don't think your way out of this; you check your brain at the door and follow the "stupid plan" of the steps like a kindergartner.

By admitting powerlessness, the alcoholic stops the Russian roulette of the first drink and trades a delusional independence for a dependence on a Higher Power.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Sandy B. introduces the 12-week step study format and the importance of the traditions.
• 5:12 Laughter: Discussion on how alcoholics 'brag in the other direction' regarding arrests and rock bottoms.
• 12:45 The 'Lobster Allergy' metaphor explaining the difference between a physical allergy and mental powerlessness.
• 18:20 Sandy B. discusses the paradox of surrender: winning by giving up.
• 25:10 Step 2: The 'Great Debate' over the Higher Power and the necessity of changing one's mind.
• 31:40 The Jack B. story and the dilemma of choosing between jail and a spiritual path.
• 38:15 The 'Map of the World' metaphor regarding self-centeredness and the shift to a Higher Power.
• 45:30 The image of vodka bottles patrolling the grass outside the meeting.
• 52:10 Closing with the Lord's Prayer and a final call to surrender.