The 12 Steps - Back to Basics of Recovery - Step IV
by Wally P.

In the last article, we examined the assets and liabilities checklist used by the A.A. pioneers to take newcomers through the Fourth Step during the early days of the fellowship. Together the sponsor and newcomer sat down, determined what was blocking the newcomer from the spiritual solution to his or her problem, and compiled an amends list in order to remove the blocks.

This is how Bill W. was taken through the Steps when he was at Town’s Hospital in December of 1934. On page 13 of the Big Book, Bill describes the inventory and amends process his high school friend Ebby took him through.

I ruthlessly faced my sins and became willing to have my new-found Friend take them away, root and branch.

My schoolmate visited me, and I fully acquainted him with my problems and deficiencies. We made a list of people I had hurt or toward whom I felt resentment.

Bill doesn’t say, “My schoolmate visited me and I read him my inventory of shortcomings.” He also doesn’t say, “I made a list of people . . .” Rather, Bill writes, “WE made a list of people . . .” So, Bill and Ebby talk about Bill’s “problems and deficiencies” and together make an amends list.

As previously explained, the assets and liabilities checklist was used through-out the 1940’s and 1950’s. There is no mention of the “three column inventory” in the book, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, written thirteen years after the Big Book. The eight liabilities listed in the “Twelve and Twelve” are pride, greed, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, sloth and fear. These are very close to the eight liabilities listed in the Big Book. Dr. Bob also used eight liabilities to take newcomers through the Steps (see page 363) as did the authors of the “Little Red Book” written in 1946.

In the second paragraph on page 64, the Big Book authors ask us to look at the liabilities side of our checklist first:

First, we searched out the flaws (liabilities) in our make-up which caused our failure. Being convinced that self, manifested in various ways was what had defeated us, we considered its common manifestations.

On pages 64-69, the Big Book authors list the “common manifestations” that prevent us from developing an intimate and personal relationship with “the One who has all power.” In the third paragraph on page 64, the authors ask us to look at our resentments:

Resentment is the ‘number one’ offender. It destroys more alco-holics than anything else. . . . In dealing with resentments, we set them on paper. We listed people, institutions or principles with whom we were angry.

The Big Book authors describe the fear inventory at the top of page 68:

We reviewed our fears thoroughly. We put them on paper, even though we had no resentment in connection with them.

Then on page 69, the authors present us with a list of harms that consist of selfishness, dishonesty, inconsideration, jealousy, suspicion, and bitterness:

We reviewed our own conduct over the years past. Where had we been selfish, dishonest or inconsiderate? Whom had we hurt? Did we unjustifiably arouse jealousy, suspicion or bitterness? Where were we at fault, what should we have done instead? We got this all down on paper and looked at it.

Please note the word WE is used throughout these pages. Nowhere does it say the newcomer makes a “solitary self-appraisal.”

The Big Book authors ask us to look at our assets as well as our liabilities. On page 124, they write:

We grow by our willingness to face and rectify errors (liabilities) and convert them into assets.

The Big Book authors list assets throughout the Big Book. According to them, we overcome resentment with forgiveness. On page 66, they write:

We realized that the people who wronged us were perhaps spirit-ually sick. . . . We asked God to help us show them the same tolerance, pity, and patience that we would cheerfully grant a sick friend.

According to the Big Book authors, we overcome fear with faith. On page 68, they explain:
The verdict of the ages is that faith means courage. All men of faith have courage. They trust their God. . . . We ask Him to remove our fear and direct our attention to what He would have us be. At once, we commence to outgrow fear.

We overcome harms with amends. On page 69, the authors state:

We must be willing to make amends where we have done harm, provided that we do not bring about still more harm in so doing.

In the next article, we will examine the person or persons with whom we share our Fourth Step inventories.

A full explanation of the twelve steps can be found in the AA Big Book on pagss 58-88. Another source of guidance on this subject is the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions.

Wally P is an A.A. archivist, historian and author. He was the Arizona Area archivist from 1992-1993, a member of the National Archives Study Committee from 1994-1995, and since 1999 he has been the caretaker of the personal archives of Dr. Bob and Anne Smith. He is the originator of Back to Basics, a re-enactment of a series of 1946 A.A. Beginners’ Meetings during which newcomers TAKE all Twelve Steps in four one-hour sessions. More than 300,000 people have taken the Steps using this time-tested and very effective “program of recovery.”