About Me

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I have recovered from the disease of Alcoholism. I believe there is only one person really,.. everybody. And that peace of mind is everything. -So treat your neighbor as you would treat yourself, because your neighbor IS yourself. I think most of recovery is what I would call common sense, but that learning to be ordinary is a true gift very few people acquire. My ambition is to accept everything unflinchingly, with compassion, and therefore be intrinsically comfortable in my own skin, no matter what. I am comfortable being uncomfortable and am willing to go to any lengths to improve my life. I believe the Big Book was divinely inspired, and is extraordinarily powerful. Unfortunately AA's best kept secret a lot of the time. (In my opinion). I just try to do what works, no matter what it is.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Arrogant versus 'Loser' mentality. Where is your 'default position' on the scale?

Think of a scale, or a long piece of string.
At one end 'BOSSY, ARROGANT, OPINIONATED' at the other, 'WRONG, LOSER, IDIOT, DON'T KNOW'

Where are you on the scale?
Where are you on the scale at work?
Where are you on the scale in relationships?
Where are you on the scale in AA?
Where are you on the scale with family?
Where are you on the scale with friends?

Can you play both ends of the scale?
If you HABITUALLY INHABIT ONE END OF THE SCALE, (lets say in the area of relationships) can you SWITCH to another 'place' on the scale WHEN THE SITUATION DEMANDS IT OF YOU?

The trick is TO LEARN TO PLAY EVERY END OF THE SPECTRUM WHEN THE NEED ARISES.
Because, THERE IS A TIME FOR EVERYTHING.

There IS a time for UNWAVERING SELF CONFIDENCE.
There IS a time for CONCEDING YOU HAVE BEEN AN IDIOT in some respect.
There IS a time for STICKING TO YOUR GUNS EVEN THOUGH EVERYBODY ELSE SAYS YOU ARE WRONG.
There IS a time for SERIOUSLY DOUBTING YOUR POSITION.
There IS a time for ALLOWING YOURSELF TO SEE YOUR LOSERNESS.
There IS a time for ALLOWING YOURSELF TO SEE ONLY YOUR WINNING STREAK.

THERE IS A TIME FOR EVERYTHING.
ALL THESE QUALITIES HAVE A 'USE' AND CAN BE USED SKILLFULLY BY A WISE PERSON.
SO DON'T DISMISS THEM AS USELESS. They all come in handy sometime.

The trick is to learn to be FLEXIBLE, and learn to SWITCH when needed.

Examples of 'Arrogant' personality.

Bossy
Confident
Speak up. A lot! As if they are right. (regardless of how much thought or research they have done)
Indignant
opinionated,
Tend to have confidence in their own judgment,
Tend to think they are RIGHT
Trust their FIRST conclusion.
No flies on me
I'm alright jack
Don't see their own potential for FALLIBILITY

Examples of 'Self doubt' personality.

Wimpy
Spineless
Doormat
Don't speak up
No confidence in their own judgment,
Tend to think they are WRONG
Tend to think other people probably know more than they do.
ALWAYS conclude they are SHIT
Always DOUBT their conclusion, even I it's REALLY WELL THOUGH OUT, always notice the FAULT in themselves,
Perfectionistic.
Doesn't feel bad about concluding they are probably mostly wrong, because they just see it as 'normal'.

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