Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

STEP FOUR

These people often throw to the winds every chance for
legitimate security and a happy family life. Whenever a hu-
man being becomes a battleground for the instincts, there
can be no peace.

But that is not all of the danger. Every time a person
imposes his instincts unreasonably upon others, unhappi-
ness follows. If the pursuit of wealth tramples upon people
who happen to be in the way, then anger, jealousy, and
revenge are likely to be aroused. If sex runs riot, there is
a similar uproar. Demands made upon other people for
too much attention, protection, and love can only invite
domination or revulsion in the protectors themselves—two
emotions quite as unhealthy as the demands which evoked
them. When an individual's desire for prestige becomes un-
controllable, whether in the sewing circle or at the interna-
tional conference table, other people suffer and often re-
volt. This collision of instincts can produce anything from
a cold snub to a blazing revolution. In these ways we are set
in conflict not only with ourselves, but with other people
who have instincts, too.

Alcoholics especially should be able to see that instinct
run wild in themselves is the underlying cause of their de-
structive drinking. We have drunk to drown feelings of
fear, frustration, and depression. We have drunk to escape
the guilt of passions, and then have drunk again to make
more passions possible. We have drunk for vainglory—
that we might the more enjoy foolish dreams of pomp and
power. This perverse soul-sickness is not pleasant to look
upon. Instincts on rampage balk at investigation. The
minute we make a serious attempt to probe them, we are