Speaker Chris R. Message
Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,095
Well, Chris R. comes out of that lineage of Joe and Charlie. The Dallas Primary Purpose group was the result of Cliff B. getting hooked up with those two.
I met Chris R. in SLC last year. Incredibly likeable, passionate guy. He does a ton of front line 12 Step work. His message comes across as very negative.
I happen to agree with almost everything he says, however. I'm not sure if the way he says it is all that useful.
I met Chris R. in SLC last year. Incredibly likeable, passionate guy. He does a ton of front line 12 Step work. His message comes across as very negative.
I happen to agree with almost everything he says, however. I'm not sure if the way he says it is all that useful.
problem with authority
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 870
I listened to him in early sobriety, and his talks really irked me. I didn't understand why someone had to talk that way.
Fast forward about a year and a half, for some reason I was really struggling and put one of his tapes on...perhaps one of his later talks...and a lot of what he said made sense to me and helped me out.
I do think he can come across as negative and pompous. The whole "a guy like me" real alcoholic bit still irks me. It went against everything I was hearing in the rooms and felt was good advice ("identify, don't compare"). Here he was, comparing, and telling us all why he was so special because he truly was beyond human aid, while the rest of us perhaps had some ability to make some choices about the path we followed in sobriety.
M
Fast forward about a year and a half, for some reason I was really struggling and put one of his tapes on...perhaps one of his later talks...and a lot of what he said made sense to me and helped me out.
I do think he can come across as negative and pompous. The whole "a guy like me" real alcoholic bit still irks me. It went against everything I was hearing in the rooms and felt was good advice ("identify, don't compare"). Here he was, comparing, and telling us all why he was so special because he truly was beyond human aid, while the rest of us perhaps had some ability to make some choices about the path we followed in sobriety.
M
Laozi Old Man
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Detroit, MI
Posts: 6,665
Originally Posted by tomvlll 
I don't see his message as being negative.
One of his great lines really resonated with me.
" If anything I say gets
under your skin...well maybe you just need somebody to get under your skin".
One of his great lines really resonated with me.
" If anything I say gets
under your skin...well maybe you just need somebody to get under your skin".
Member
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 1,861
" If anything I say gets under your skin...well maybe you just need somebody to get under your skin".
Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,095
Interesting responses. What I've found is that playing Chris R. for someone not very engaged in the solution elicits a defensive and offended response. But listening to Chris R. in a car full of book thumpers is really fun. The same kind of fun that standing with a bunch of thumpers putting down mainstream AA is.
Not sure that's the kind of fun I need, holding myself out as separate, different, or better, than those 'middle of the road' folks.
The AA program is what it is. Here is the book, here are the directions. If you want the results, follow the directions. I will not argue that issue and it's not up for debate in my view. But for me personally, I have to be mindful of allowing somebody else the dignity of discovering the truth contained in that book.
In no way am I implying that if you aren't a Chris R. fan, then you must not be 'in the solution.'
Not sure that's the kind of fun I need, holding myself out as separate, different, or better, than those 'middle of the road' folks.
The AA program is what it is. Here is the book, here are the directions. If you want the results, follow the directions. I will not argue that issue and it's not up for debate in my view. But for me personally, I have to be mindful of allowing somebody else the dignity of discovering the truth contained in that book.
In no way am I implying that if you aren't a Chris R. fan, then you must not be 'in the solution.'
Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Missouri
Posts: 194
I thought he was great. I think he tells it exactly how a person feels or at least how I did. I guess it goes to show you, each person is different. At this time in my sobriety, I needed to him him Thank you.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Arundel Maine
Posts: 78
Okay, here it is for me. I have been in AA a longtime. I recently became aware of the "big book" study groups. I think, great, it is wonderful people are studying the big book. I should probably do more of it myself. But lately, I have come across very devisive people, for lack of a better way of putting it, in the meetings and on websites, that say that the rest of us are a bunch of chumps, losers, what have you, because of the way we practice the AA program. I just don't get the hostility.
I try to be open minded and understanding. But they do annoy me.
I try to be open minded and understanding. But they do annoy me.
Member
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 1,861
I just don't get the hostility.
In the past when I have discussed my feelings towards his methods I received a bit of anger because I did not get it. I have even said that I believe he does what he does because he genuinely cares. But passion can turn into anger easily. I hear anger when I hear Chris, that is just what I hear.
Frothy emotional appeals...
Don't resist, allow
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: South East of England
Posts: 1,521
Where in the BB or the program does it tell us to be rude, offensive, intolerant, arrogant, judgemental?
Has this man ever done an inventory on his resentments? It seemed his whole speech was one big resentment packaged as "but I am saving AA".
I don't even remember what I/we/they had done wrong but he said "Shame on you.......shame on you.........shame on you"
Being an alcoholic I may need some blunt talking to be shown the truth but that can be done in a loving and tolerant way. I don't even remember the point he was making......all I remember is his repitition of "shame on you"
Despite wanting to hit the off button a number of times, I did persevere and listen all the way through. He actually talks a lot of sense and I agree with a lot of what he says. He taught me something about recovering as opposed to recovered.
I am just baffled by the delivery of his message. Dare I say that the word Ego springs to mind. I think he could reach a whole lot more people if he changed his approach. ......something like happy, joyous and free.
Has this man ever done an inventory on his resentments? It seemed his whole speech was one big resentment packaged as "but I am saving AA".
I don't even remember what I/we/they had done wrong but he said "Shame on you.......shame on you.........shame on you"
Being an alcoholic I may need some blunt talking to be shown the truth but that can be done in a loving and tolerant way. I don't even remember the point he was making......all I remember is his repitition of "shame on you"
Despite wanting to hit the off button a number of times, I did persevere and listen all the way through. He actually talks a lot of sense and I agree with a lot of what he says. He taught me something about recovering as opposed to recovered.
I am just baffled by the delivery of his message. Dare I say that the word Ego springs to mind. I think he could reach a whole lot more people if he changed his approach. ......something like happy, joyous and free.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,095
Originally Posted by intention
I don't even remember what I/we/they had done wrong but he said "Shame on you.......shame on you.........shame on you".
The message is nearly identical to Joe and Charlie. But the delivery is very different. Plays well to the faithful.
I do have to say, its a strange thing in our meetings when someone talks about having a spiritual awakening as the result of the Steps, and half the room groans or leaves. And conversely the shouts and hollers when someone mentions doing things their own way, nobody tells them what to do. Some of you have experienced that first hand for yourselves.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 413
Originally Posted by keithj
I didn't listen to that particular one, but I'm sure it was along the lines of imposters killing people with their BS. Which is true, as far as it goes.
The message is nearly identical to Joe and Charlie. But the delivery is very different. Plays well to the faithful.
I do have to say, its a strange thing in our meetings when someone talks about having a spiritual awakening as the result of the Steps, and half the room groans or leaves. And conversely the shouts and hollers when someone mentions doing things their own way, nobody tells them what to do. Some of you have experienced that first hand for yourselves.
The message is nearly identical to Joe and Charlie. But the delivery is very different. Plays well to the faithful.
I do have to say, its a strange thing in our meetings when someone talks about having a spiritual awakening as the result of the Steps, and half the room groans or leaves. And conversely the shouts and hollers when someone mentions doing things their own way, nobody tells them what to do. Some of you have experienced that first hand for yourselves.
I identify with his story, because when I first came to AA, I was also met with the same crap. "Keep coming back, do 90 meetings in 90 days, it works it you work it." WTF? What works if you work what and HOW???
Thank God for the Big Book. If not for that, I would have never known what AA was. The solution certainly was not shared in any of the whine-session meetings ...
So I appreciate the message.
But personally he gives me the creeps. I get the feeling that behind the "recovered alcoholic" persona, there's something else. Would not want to be stuck in an elevator with him. He might get all stabby and slashy
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