Very interesting! I enjoyed it.
I get annoyed when alcoholics describe various apects of themselves through the view point of alcoholism all the time, and the seeing themselves as completely different, referring to non-alcoholics as "normals" etc.
"Of course being an alcoholic I ate too much ice-cream", like other people don't eat too much ice-cream, lol. What I hear in meetings reinforces this type of thinking too.
I particularly liked the following...
The alcoholic who learns some of the techniques or the mechanics of A.A. but misses the philosophy or the spirit may get tired of following directions - not because he is alcoholic, but because he is human. Rules and regulations irk almost anyone, because they are restraining, prohibitive, negative. The philosophy of A.A. however, is positive and provides ample sustained emotion - a sustained desire to follow directions voluntarily.
At some point I think I understood and agreed with the spirit of the program, at that point "following directions" became pretty easy, I still struggle at times with some of it because it is challenging our old behaviours and requires change but in general being on the program has become second-nature to me now.