February 1961

inferior, or in preening himself on his of course an untruth. What is the I n addition to the Twelve Step program on which the A A movement is based, outstanding mental powers, or per- truth? The exact opposite. The truth there are practical “gimmicks” which we are taught when we first come in and which make the path toward sobriety easier. One of these is carryir~ghard haps alternating between the two. can be stated in words that are the candy in pocket or purse; when the “four o’clock let-down” hits us we can get That is what he gets for his dis- exact reverse of the untruth, in this u little boost of energy from sugar rather than from n drink. Another is to get case “I did take some cookies!” a good duily ration of vitamins, especially of the B Complex group. Yet an- honest thinking. other is to keep plenty of liquid in our systems by means of coffee or soft He may try to improve his lot by . Those words represent a return drinks. Another supplementary aid to happy sobriety which has been tried by thinking constructively. In that pro- to honest thinking. a number of AAs and found irseful is a method of reversing crippling untruths Turn that line of reasoning to the which we have told ourselves during the years of our bottle with reality. This cess he may tell himself all sorts of technique, called “Hwnanerics,” was discovered by one of our non-alcoholic things. phrases of negative and positive friends, M r . Richard W . Wetherill of Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. This brief description of it, provided by him at our request, may prove helpful to many “I’m as good as anybody else.” “I thinking earlier discussed. In that readers. have to keep from letting people see case “I’m the stupidest person on W . L. G., ( a tnember of the Grapevine Editorial Board) I think I’m superior.” “I can solve my earth” becomes “I’m not the stupidproblems if I really try.” “No matter est person on earth!” And “I’m the how black things look I know that smartest person on earth” becomes somehow I will sooner or later find “I’m not the smartest person on How to Tell Yourself the Truth my way out of my troubles!” earth!” That affords a return to hon- Such thinking is about as cflective esty and also sanity. by Richard W. Wetherill as trying to follow advice which says There is a reason why the tech- “Pull yourself together,” or “Lift nique works so precisely. yourself by your bootstraps!” It Every statement of untruth be- A return t o honesty i s more presents an impossible burden. comes a lock on a mental jail, and eflective than a series of high re- What is needed is not a series of the key to release is the reversal of solves and tough-minded affirmatives high resolves and tough-minded the untruth. affirmations but a return to honesty. Apply that reasoning to some of The return must be specific. the common forms of dishonesty with self which afflict the average person. W E live in an age of exposure of dishonest practices, when many persons are deciding that a little white The conventional method of improving one’s lot by thinking is to change from something called “nega- Suppose you told yourself something that is not true, and somehow Of course nobody is dishonest induced yourself to believe it? In that because he wants to be dishonest. He lie often has a big black heart. There tive” to something called “positive” case, wouldn’t you be wise to find must have a motive that is strong is a simple definition of a little white thinking. Let us consider their rela- that particular piece of untruth and enough to cause him to desert his lie: It is “the kind I tell!” tive merits. replace it with the precise truth which principles, and he must have a cur- The special kind of dishonesty If a person tells himself “I’m the it conceals? tain over his intelligence which keeps that gets the average person into stupidest person on earth!” he is There is really only way to do that. him from detecting the trouble he is trouble is not the kind that enables engaged in negative thinking. If he The method is so simple that at first making for himself. How can those him to win $129,000 on a television tells himself “I’m the smartest person it seems unreasonable to expect that factors be created? quiz show. It is the kind by which on earth!” he is engaged in positive it would Bet startling results. A person might take part in a dishe deludes himself. And that is the thinking. In either case, he is engaged Consider an example that makes honest quiz show because his ordisubtlest kind of all. It affects his in dishonest thinking. By such think- the method unmistakable. A small nary controls are made ineffective thinking in ways he does not under- ing he deludes himself. boy steals cookies from his mother’s by the lure of large cash rewards, and stand, or he would do something to Such a person may spend his life kitchen. When accused of it, he says the small boy might lie about taking remedy matters at once. derogating his intelligence and feeling “I didn’t take any cookies.” That is cookies because the fear of sudden

matter who, can realize that not all Just reading those reversals is his plans are knocked down. No one, uplifting. at the end of a trying day on the job, They do not represent a change deserves a drink if that drink will from negative to positive thinking, lead to a drunk which imperils the but a change from dishonest to honest job. Similarly, anyone is physically thinking. able to face a roomful of people They illustrate a fundamental fact: without a couple of drinks. we get ourselves into trouble by dis- There is an easy way to restore honest thinking, and we get ourselves honesty to any process of thinking. out of trouble by reversing the dis- Just reverse the dishonesty. Why? honest thinking so that it becomes Because untruth and the truth which honest. it replaces are always exactly op- Is that what people ordinarily do? posite. No. They go from one trouble to punishment frightens him out of his ride home at night without a couple intelligence. But children are not the of good stiff hookers to loosen up the Consider a few specific reversals. another, adding more emotional and only ones who have fears, and per- tension.” “Everybody’s out to get me” becomes hence dishonest thinking. No wonder sons who take part in quiz shows are “Nobody’s out to get me!” “I never we need so many tranquilizers, sleep- There is no person-alcoholic or get anything done” becomes “1 al- ing pills and wonder drugs. The not the only ones who desire large non-alcoholic-who has not done that gain. We all have our moments of sort of thinking; only the phrases ways get something done.” “I have wonder is that we get along as well emotion and temptation. to have a few drinks at bedtime or as we do. differ in each case. And anyone who I’ll lie awake all night worrying” is Every person who systematically They come when we are angry, is too dishonest to admit to himself afraid, frustrated, or otherwise im- that he has done that sort of thinking reversed by stating, “I do not have to replaces dishonest thinking with honpelled by emotion to become illogical. is in a position that will perhaps have a few drinks at bedtime or lie est thinking in his own life improves At such times we “talk to our- become disastrous if allowed to con- awake all night worrying.” “I can’t miraculously. face that train ride home at night The startling power of honest selves.” We may speak the words or tinue. The alcoholic has a vast numwe may just think them, but they get ber of phrases which drive him in without a couple of good stiff hook- thinking teaches us that a person can us into trouble. Consider a few typi- the direction of a drink. The non- ers.” becomes “I can face that train get o u t o f trouble just by reversing ridk home at night without a couple his direction of travel. Which means cal examples of what we may say to alcoholic’s phrases may drive him first by reversing his thinking. of good stiff hookers.” ourselves under emotion: “Every- toward overeating, overworking, body’s trying to take all my oppor- quarreling with his wife, mistreating tunities away from me!” “Nothing I his children or any of the other do suits my boss!” “Whenever I get tragic life patterns which we see all things set up for action, somebody around us. else knocks them down!” “After a If we will analyze our thinking as day like this one I deserve a drink!” we go along we can see at once that “I can’t face a roomful of people it is dishonest. It is simply not true without a couple of drinks under my that “everybody” is trying to do anybelt.” “I have to have a few snorts at thing to one person. Anyone who bedtime or I’ll lie awake all night tries hard enough can find some way worrying.” “I can’t face that train he suits his boss and anyone, no