DEFECTS in Big Book Alcoholics Anonymous, 12 Steps and 12 Traditions

This requires action on our part, which, when completed, will mean that we have admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being, the exact nature of our defects.

... defects all of us have in varying ... 12&12 p.48, Step Four

Now let's ponder the need for a list of the more glaring personality defects all of us have in varying degrees.

... defects and admit them. BB p.99, Working With Others

Little by little the family may see their own defects and admit them.

... defects and had really admitted them, even ... 12&12 p.59, Step Five

How could we be certain that we had made a true catalog of our defects and had really admitted them, even to ourselves?

... defects and take action toward their removal ... 12&12 p.69, Step Six

At the very least, we shall have to come to grips with some of our worst character defects and take action toward their removal as quickly as we can.

10.

... defects are. 12&12 p.48, Step Four

Human beings are never quite alike, so each of us, when making an inventory, will need to determine what his individual character defects are.

11.

... defects are probably not more numerous or ... 12&12 p.46, Step Four

They comfort the melancholy one by first showing him that his case is not strange or different, that his character defects are probably not more numerous or worse than those of anyone else in A.A.

12.

... defects as these, and few of us ... 12&12 p.67, Step Six

Nearly anyone could submit a good list of such defects as these, and few of us would seriously think of giving them up, at least until they cause us excessive misery.

13.

... defects at these rock-bottom levels. 12&12 p.66, Step Six

Of course, most human beings don't suffer these defects at these rock-bottom levels.

14.

... defects based upon shortsighted or unworthy desires ... 12&12 p.76, Step Seven

We have seen that character defects based upon shortsighted or unworthy desires are the obstacles that block our path toward these objectives.

15.

... defects based upon that alone, wouldn't be ... 12&12 p.59, Step Five

Hence it was most evident that a solitary self-appraisal, and the admission of our defects based upon that alone, wouldn't be nearly enough.

16.

... defects, both sobriety and peace of mind ... 12&12 p.50, Step Four

By now the newcomer has probably arrived at the following conclusions: that his character defects, representing instincts gone astray, have been the primary cause of his drinking and his failure at life; that unless he is now willing to work hard at the elimination of the worst of these defects, both sobriety and peace of mind will still elude him; that all the faulty foundation of his life will have to be torn out and built anew on bedrock.

17.

... defects, but in some instances this will ... 12&12 p.73, Step Seven

We will want to be rid of some of these defects, but in some instances this will appear to be an impossible job from which we recoil.

18.

... defects contributed to my financial instability? 12&12 p.51, Step Four

Surveying his business or employment record, almost any alcoholic can ask questions like these: In addition to my drinking problem, what character defects contributed to my financial instability?

19.

... defects deep down in us under thick ... 12&12 p.54, Step Four

Because our surface record hasn't looked too bad, we have frequently been abashed to find that this is so simply because we have buried these selfsame defects deep down in us under thick layers of self-justification.

20.

... defects, even though such disclosures were painful ... 12&12 p.47, Step Four

First of all, we had to admit that we had many of these defects, even though such disclosures were painful and humiliating.

21.

... defects has been self-centered fear -- primarily fear ... 12&12 p.76, Step Seven

The chief activator of our defects has been self-centered fear -- primarily fear that we would lose something we already possessed or would fail to get something we demanded.

22.

... defects, have discussed them with another, and ... 12&12 p.74, Step Seven

But when we have taken a square look at some of these defects, have discussed them with another, and have become willing to have them removed, our thinking about humility commences to have a wider meaning.

23.

... defects have not been so glaring. 12&12 p.53, Step Four

Some will object to many of the questions posed, because they think their own character defects have not been so glaring.

24.

... defects have thus demolished their security. 12&12 p.52, Step Four

But all alcoholics who have drunk themselves out of jobs, family, and friends will need to cross-examine themselves ruthlessly to determine how their own personality defects have thus demolished their security.

25.

... defects, he will ask, "Just how do ... 12&12 p.50, Step Four

Now willing to commence the search for his own defects, he will ask, "Just how do I go about this?

26.

... defects, if we think we have any ... 12&12 p.45, Step Four

We shall claim that our serious character defects, if we think we have any at all, have been caused chiefly by excessive drinking.

27.

... defects may be glaring, but the chances ... BB p.83, Into Action

Their defects may be glaring, but the chances are that our own actions are partly responsible.

28.

... defects of character. 12&12 p.48, Step Four

Some others will think of this list as defects of character.

29.

... defects of character." 12&12 p.63, Step Six

"Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character."

30.

... defects of character. BB p.59, How It Works

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

31.

... defects of character are not going to ... BB p.100, Working With Others

You should point out that his defects of character are not going to disappear over night.

32.

... defects of character" -- is A.A.'s way of ... 12&12 p.65, Step Six

So Step Six -- "Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character" -- is A.A.'s way of stating the best possible attitude one can take in order to make a beginning on this lifetime job.

33.

... defects of character removed, because we still ... 12&12 p.108, Step Twelve

At Step Six, many of us balked -- for the practical reason that we did not wish to have all our defects of character removed, because we still loved some of them too much.

34.

... defects of character will be answered with ... 12&12 p.63, Step Six

Of course, the often disputed question of whether God can -- and will, under certain conditions -- remove defects of character will be answered with a prompt affirmative by almost any A.A. member.

35.

... defects of others. 12&12 p.78, Step Eight

Moreover, it is usually a fact that our behavior when drinking has aggravated the defects of others.

36.

... defects of others could be cured maybe ... 12&12 p.148, Tradition Four

The personality defects of others could be cured maybe with a loan.

37.

... defects of their frail craft, every test ... 12&12 p.131, Tradition One

And this they did find, in measure to transcend all the defects of their frail craft, every test of uncertainty, pain, fear, and despair, and even the death of one.

38.

... defects of these people, and sometimes used ... BB p.50, We Agnostics

Instead, we looked at the human defects of these people, and sometimes used their shortcomings as a basis of wholesale condemnation.

39.

... defects, or, if you wish, of our ... 12&12 p.65, Step Six

That is the measure of our character defects, or, if you wish, of our sins.

40.

... defects or theirs. 12&12 p.82, Step Eight

We must not exaggerate our defects or theirs.

41.

... defects, past and present. 12&12 p.46, Step Four

This the sponsor promptly proves by talking freely and easily, and without exhibitionism, about his own defects, past and present.

42.

... defects, representing instincts gone astray, have been ... 12&12 p.50, Step Four

43.

... defects, restitution to those harmed, helpfulness to ... BB xvi, Foreword to Second Edition

Display entire Foreword to Second Edition

Though he could not accept all the tenets of the Oxford Groups, he was convinced of the need for moral inventory, confession of personality defects, restitution to those harmed, helpfulness to others, and the necessity of belief in and dependence upon God.

44.

... defects should be called, let's take a ... 12&12 p.48, Step Four

To avoid falling into confusion over the names these defects should be called, let's take a universally recognized list of major human failings -- the Seven Deadly Sins of pride, greed, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth.

45.

... defects taken from them. 12&12 p.68, Step Six

Some people, of course, may conclude that they are indeed ready to have all such defects taken from them.

46.

... defects that have made us hard to ... 12&12 p.84, Step Nine

Almost always we want to go further and admit other defects that have made us hard to live with.

47.

... defects the objectionable questions are concerned with. 12&12 p.53, Step Four

To these it can be suggested that a conscientious examination is likely to reveal the very defects the objectionable questions are concerned with.

48.

... defects, then where do we stand? 12&12 p.66, Step Six

But when we face up to the less violent aspects of these very same defects, then where do we stand?

49.

... defects, there will be little need to ... BB p.118, To Wives

If you both show a willingness to remedy your own defects, there will be little need to criticize each other.

50.

... defects, they have finally ambushed us into ... 12&12 p.54, Step Four

Whatever the defects, they have finally ambushed us into alcoholism and misery.

51.

... defects they themselves were trying to conceal. 12&12 p.56, Step Five

They will tell how they tried to carry the load alone; how much they suffered of irritability, anxiety, remorse, and depression; and how, unconsciously seeking relief, they would sometimes accuse even their best friends of the very character defects they themselves were trying to conceal.

52.

... defects to another human being is humility ... 12&12 p.58, Step Five

Another great dividend we may expect from confiding our defects to another human being is humility -- a word often misunderstood.

53.

... defects to another human being we could ... 12&12 p.56, Step Five

Most of us would declare that without a fearless admission of our defects to another human being we could not stay sober.

54.

... defects to another person is, of course, ... 12&12 p.56, Step Five

This practice of admitting one's defects to another person is, of course, very ancient.

55.

... defects to be lifted out of us ... 12&12 p.65, Step Six

This does not mean that we expect all our character defects to be lifted out of us as the drive to drink was.

56.

... defects we are still unwilling to give ... 12&12 p.68, Step Six

Looking again at those defects we are still unwilling to give up, we ought to erase the hard-and-fast lines that we have drawn.

57.

... defects; we have ascertained in a rough ... BB p.72, Into Action

We have admitted certain defects; we have ascertained in a rough way what the trouble is; we have put our finger on the weak items in our personal inventory.

58.

... defects were still there. 12&12 p.58, Step Five

Though now recognized, our defects were still there.

59.

... defects which cause or aggravate them. 12&12 p.55, Step Five

A.A. experience has taught us we cannot live alone with our pressing problems and the character defects which cause or aggravate them.

60.

... defects while we blamed others for them. 12&12 p.59, Step Five

Or anger and hurt pride might be the smoke screen under which we were hiding some of our defects while we blamed others for them.

61.

... defects, will be obliged to admit that ... 12&12 p.68, Step Six

But even these people, if they construct a list of still milder defects, will be obliged to admit that they prefer to hang on to some of them.

62.

... defects with another person. BB p.72, Into Action

This is perhaps difficult -- especially discussing our defects with another person.

Passages from the Big Book Alcoholics Anonymous and the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions are reprinted with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc. The A.A. Preamble, copyright © The A.A. Grapevine, Inc., is reprinted with permission. Permission to reprint does not in any way imply affiliation with or endorsement by either Alcoholics Anonymous or The A.A. Grapevine, Inc.

Top

"164 and More" Home Page