The Inventory of Fear That Outlived the Drink – Joe B.

About This Speaker Tape

Big Book Workshop - 1988

A drunken burglar's run-in with a German Shepherd sets the stage for a deep dive into the wreckage of the mind. Joe M. and Charlie P. dismantle the inventory process arguing that resentments and fears are not just lists but lies that mask the root causes of spiritual illness. Joe M. gets gritty with the details of his own Fourth Step admitting to cheating on his taxes and using sex to prop up a fragile ego—what he calls 'John W.-ism.' He describes the mental storehouse as a place of 'damaged and unsaleable goods' that must be cleared out to make room for courage. The conversation shifts from the mechanical act of writing columns to the psychological shift of moving from being 'under-secured' to relying on a Higher Power emphasizing that the only way to truly escape the prison of self is to get lost in the service of another alcoholic.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Charlie P. opens with his sobriety date and a joke about the non-smokers in the room.
• 2:15 Laughter: The punchline of the 'drunken burglar' joke.
• 10:45 Joe M. explains the purpose of analyzing resentments to find the root cause.
• 22:30 Discussion on the inventory of fear and the danger of 'macho' attitudes in men.
• 35:10 Joe M. shares a concrete example of fear regarding the IRS and his wife, Barbara B.
• 48:20 Joe M. describes the 'damaged and unsaleable goods' in his mental storehouse.
• 55:15 A humorous comparison between human sexual dysfunction and the instincts of animals.
• 72:40 Analysis of 'John W.-ism' and using sex to build self-esteem.
• 85:10 Joe M. discusses the 'ultimate weapon of escape from self': helping another alcoholic.
• 94:00 Closing thoughts on the three ways emotional problems manifest: anger, fear, or harm to others.