Don't drink and drive.

Acceptance

Principles Before Personalities

From time to time, the newcomer will go to a meeting of Alcoholics
Anonymous and hear things from the so-called “old-timer” that has
them leaving the meeting more confused than when they arrive. Let
that be a reminder to us that quantity has very little to do with
quality; in other words, just because someone has been “dry” for a
long time, that does not mean that they are necessarily well.

The fact that I feel compelled to create this document may well be an
indicator of just how well, or unwell that I may be.

It so happens that there are times when a member will “need” to come
to an AA meeting and talk about how they are “feeling”. As a result
of these comments, there may be an “old-timer” who is extremely
flammable that may make a comment like: “Sometimes I think I’m at a
meeting of Emotions Anonymous”. My Big Book reminds me of one of my
greatest liabilities in Appendix II, Spiritual Experience. The
following is what it has to say:

"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which
is proof against all arguments and which can not fail to keep a man
in everlasting ignorance-that principle is contempt prior to
investigation."
--HERBERT SPENCER

Anger, apprehension, awe, bitterness, boredom, comfort, confidence,
confusion, contempt, contentment, courage, depression, desire,
despair, distress, elation, embarrassment, envy, fear, frustration,
grief, happiness, hate, hope, horror, humility, interest, jealousy,
joy, kindness, loneliness, love, nervousness, patience, peace,
phobia, pleasure, pride, remorse, self-pity, shame, shock, terror,
unhappiness, wonder, worry.

These are all words that are found in the “Big Book” of Alcoholics
Anonymous to the tune of two-hundred and sixty times. These are words
that describe emotions of which we all should be able to identify
some in our own lives, either from the past or in the present.

When encountering “fire hazards” in AA, I always try to remember:
“There are those too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental
disorders…”

So please, get a sponsor who is familiar with our literature, who has
a sponsor themselves and who lives this program so that when these
events happen in your life (and they will!), there will be someone in
it to explain, if you only ask them.