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12-Step Program for America: Step 2

Monday Mar 08 2010

By Jim Selman | Bio

Anyone familiar with 12 Step programs knows that the literature generally characterizes the ‘ism’ or addiction as a disease of ‘self-centeredness’. This is basically a way of saying that the behavior (that is, the alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, etc.) are symptoms—not causes. The nature of the problem is that people become trapped in a ‘self-referential’ relationship with the world, live in various states of denial, and pursue increasingly self-destructive behaviors until they ‘hit bottom’. At that moment, they can begin the process of recovery—assuming they will take the first step—to acknowledge that they are out of control and powerless and that their life is ‘unmanageable’.[Read More]

Written by eldering at Wisdom in Action

Tagged with: 12-step_program america constitutional_democracy free_speech media self-centeredness wall_street

Tempests in a Tea Party

Monday Sep 14 2009

By Jim Selman | Bio

A good friend of mine is a Canadian that grew up in Lebanon. His family still owns a bit of land that is situated between two of the refugee camps. It is a bleak scene by all accounts. I asked him what he learned growing up in that kind of environment. He said, “I learned it only takes a very few people to screw it up for everybody”. I had the same impression as I watched the ‘9/12 tea party march on Washington’ this past week.[Read More]

Written by eldering at Leadership

Tagged with: free_speech martin_luther_king obama tea_party_march washington