aa Spoken Here Community Group
Fellowship Where you can share your thoughts, feelings, stories and get support to gain and continue sobriety.
It came up on another post how important this is -
"Most of us sense that the real tolerance of others people's shortcomings and viewpoints and a respect for their opinions are attitudes which make us more useful to others." (BB pg 19/20).
I dont always succeed but i do try to share my own experience, beliefs and opinions rather than argue directly with other people's. However, often my viewpoints etc are different from other peoples. Often this is taken as disagreement or argument or intolerance or lack of respect rather than someone just presenting an alternative. I respect other peoples viewpoints but i also respect my right to share my own even if they are different.
Apart from sticking to sharing my experience/opinion rather than attacking someone else's, how best to demonstrate tolerance and respect in situations such as AA meetings or forums such as this?
"Most of us sense that the real tolerance of others people's shortcomings and viewpoints and a respect for their opinions are attitudes which make us more useful to others." (BB pg 19/20).
I dont always succeed but i do try to share my own experience, beliefs and opinions rather than argue directly with other people's. However, often my viewpoints etc are different from other peoples. Often this is taken as disagreement or argument or intolerance or lack of respect rather than someone just presenting an alternative. I respect other peoples viewpoints but i also respect my right to share my own even if they are different.
Apart from sticking to sharing my experience/opinion rather than attacking someone else's, how best to demonstrate tolerance and respect in situations such as AA meetings or forums such as this?
imo
I agree with you all that one to one is essential, I had an amazing session with a newbie yesterday. It is so wonderful to see the understanding come.
For me here, the question is what does "tolerance" mean? The answer for me is that it is an attitude whereby I will respect the autonomy of others.
I will point out to them where I feel they may be going wrong. Specifically with the newcomer, I will tell them straight out to go and get a sponsor, even when they say they don't need one. I don't think that is intolerant.
What I do find intolerant is the "it's my way or the highway" attitude that some AA members seem to have! As a sponsor I will be tolerant of the views of my sponsees, just so I can show them where they are going wrong - by allowing them to argue themselves into a corner - and then the penny drops. It works every time! ;o)