Comments on: Four Kinds of Moral Inventory (by James R.)

By: Dick B.

Dick B. — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 06:09:53 +0000

Shoemaker, who taught Bill the step materials, did his “inventory” in 1919 and simply wrote down where he had fallen short on honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love. Simple, and Sam shared it with Frank Buchman in China. He felt the inventory and confession and his conviction and surrender were so important, he made a note in his personal journal each year after 1919 reminding him of what he did. Anne Smith’s Journal covers the whole idea of checking by the “moral” standards–the absolutes and does it well. As to the Big Book inventory, I’ve already pointed out that James R. omitted the “harms done” part which, in turn, is used in formulating the 8th Step. I personally found the whole process of self examination for resentment, self-seeking, dishonesty, fear, and harms done to be a healthy and sincerely followed challenge as I moved along toward recovery. Long questionaires, inadequate instructions, lack of simplicity, and failure to get Bill’s idea of looking for bad merchandise and tossing it out would have stopped me. Then I found the Oxford Group book “When Man Listens” contained the inventory framework found in Bill’s work. Once again, James, and for the last time, thank you for your pithy, precise layout of the four options you chose. God Bless, Dick B.

By: mike bruer

mike bruer — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 10:04:53 +0000

If you are so plagued with alcoholic insanity that you need to take inventory, is it realistic that you will be able to effectively analyze and choose form this list offered? A lot of people would start drinking again before they could get their head around James R’s comparisons. Not to say that this is bad information, but a new person in desperate need of recovery should be guided through the big book 4th step if they’ve chosen AA as their path. My own inventory taking is based on the 4 column inventory (with security in the 3rd column too) but has progressed to add some other things like identifying old ideas and a few other tweaks for more insight. I suffered from chronic relapse for ten years during which time people offered me variations of inventory, none of which revealed to me what the BB inventory does.

By: Dick B.

Dick B. — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 21:15:56 +0000

Brent’s idea of “action” is a useless simplification. If you wish to “take” the Steps that are suggested in the Big Book, then you need to know and follow the suggestions that are in the Big Book. I’m all for serving God and others, but personal opinions about how that relates to the specific instructions for “taking” the Steps are beyond the pale.

By: Dick B.

Dick B. — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 21:12:51 +0000

Congratulations to James R., who is listed as the author of the 4th Step inventory comments. Few people have done as careful a job of laying out options. With an exception or two, his discussion of the Oxford Group Four Absolutes is very good. Similarly, his discussion of the Big Book inventory correctly covers the items–except that it leaves out the written list of people we have harmed. This is a common error, but explicitly mentioned in the Big Book and forms the basis for the 8th Step list. Thus the Big Book “written” columns are Resentment, Fear, Selfish Sex, and People Harmed. The items within each column are mucked up in the Big Book by the insertion of the “emotions” matter and Bill’s “Mrs. Brown” stuff. I leave the other two categories to your readers because, like James R., I don’t think much of them. On the other hand, much of the confusion over what is “moral” and what is an “inventory” can be clarified when one looks at my Oxford Group book and discussion and Oxford Group writers like Cecil Rose, and also at Anne’s journal where she clearly talks about “moral standards.” Joe and Charlie confused the scene by defining “moral” as “true.” But if one knows that the four standards came from Robert Speer’s book The Principles of Jesus he will have a better understanding of how this all started with Dr. Speer and then with Professor Wright who added the “absolutes” idea. “True” is just a personal opinion that subtracts from understanding. In summary, your writer did a better job of this than I have seen; and I certainly struggled 24 years ago when it was apparent that neither my sponsor nor his sponsor had a clue as to how to do a 4th Step inventory although they regarded themselves as “big book thumpers.” Onward and upward.

By: Jane

Jane — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 19:28:28 +0000

Every resentment I have or harm I’ve caused that I’m aware of needs to be shared with another person (ideally a 12-step person or counselor who’s familiar with the 12-steps) Their insight can be invaluable especially in the beginning.

I would ask to learn about your sponsors personal experience in doing her 5th step, whether she has a sponsor now, where she is in her own 12-step process and how helpful the program has been for her overall.

The more I’ve come to understand how the program works, the more I believe the program is a blueprint for life. I agree with your sponsor that living the program matters and appropriate guidance is essential too.

I’ve focused on the AA program though my problems have long been more addiction related (mostly with food now and drugs previously).

By: 8YSTEM

8YSTEM — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 10:19:05 +0000

Let’s look up “inventory” in the dictionary!

It comes from the Latin word “invenire”. Invenire means “to find”.

For a helpful contrast, the word “invention” comes from the same root and means “findings” – as in discoveries. But “inventory” is commonly applied to a large number of physical objects so we can pinpoint the definition of inventory by saying it means “finding” in the sense of “noting an object”.

The common factor between the ideal and the introspective inventories is that both note definite and actual objects. The precise objects that all effective inventories take note of are resentments, fears, harms/guilt and sex harms/shame.

The word we overlook in this conversation is “moral”. While the original mob took their moral framework from the same cultural background as Christianity, we can choose to see in the 12X12 inventory Bill’s attempt to secularize the inventory process. Instead of the Four Absolutes, Bill there uses the Three Instincts. The common factor is that there be some moral ideas back of the inventory.

Many people could do with a nice simple Four Absolutes moral code. Because the steps don’t articulate a clear moral code (nor should they), in practice I believe most sponsees end up simply adopting their sponsor’s moral code in the Fifth Step.

But a simple external code, such as the Four Absolutes, the Christian Seven Deadly Sins, the Buddhist Five Vows and Three Refuges, are also enormously simple and practical guidelines for future 4th and 10th steps. Bottom line: external moral codes are simply not that fashionable right now!

By: theresa b.

theresa b. — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:54:05 +0000

Concerning sponsorship: Ive started my 5th step with my sponsor, but she says I need to live the rest of it…what…this is not the NA way is it? Just a little frustrated because I need the insight of my sponsor while doing my 5th step, and not her complacency…any advice?

By: Jane

Jane — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:08:35 +0000

True Brent that action is oh so important. On the other hand as an engineer by training who likes to understand how things work — I’m grateful for a website which offers insight and sheds light on 12-step history, processes, and approaches.

By: Brent

Brent — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 04:45:53 +0000

Whatever you do just get it done and get on! The 4th step is ONLY 1/12th of the process and wasting a lot of time in it is only depriving the newcomers of your unique and individual experience. After all the purpose of these steps is to fit ourselves to be of maximum usefulness to God and others. We benefit few in debate and philosophizing; our assets are in action!