Our True Nature and Perhaps the Root Cause of All Human Failure Revealed – Step 2

Humpty Dumpty on the therapist lounge explaining his dreams about walls. The therapist tells Humpty, "Sometimes a wall is just a wall."

Written by

Bodhi Baba

in

,

“There is but
one cause of hu-
man failure. And that
is man’s lack of faith
in his true Self.”

– William James (1842 – 1910) U.S. psychologist &
key contributor to the 12 Steps

~~~

How does believing in your true self help you with making mistakes or hitting hard times lately? 

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Pink Floyd – The Wall (3:17)

Wm James Bio & his links to the Big Book (3:16)

Hypnotic Alpha Brain for Stress Relief Meditation (Hz) (10:04)

 

Today’s SFZ explores a central concept in recovery: reconnecting with our true nature. Step 2 invites a shift in perception—from despair to hope, from powerlessness to trust. The Basic Text describes relapse not as total defeat, but as a temporary setback. This reframing removes shame and reinforces agency. Instead of being trapped in compulsive behavior, individuals regain choice. Carl Jung, whose influence helped shape the foundations of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), believed that recovery required a spiritual awakening—a return to wholeness. Step 2 aligns with this, offering a path to reclaim the self beneath the addiction.

The excerpt from the Big Book continues this theme. It describes the moment when people reach emotional or spiritual bottom. In that moment of surrender, something new enters: peace, direction, and power. Viktor Frankl, Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, noted that meaning arises in suffering when one is open to transformation. That openness is a doorway to rediscovering the true self. The recovery process, then, isn’t just about stopping harmful behavior; it’s about reclaiming a forgotten identity.

William James, a foundational figure in modern psychology and a major influence on AA, asserts that all failure stems from a lack of faith in one’s true self. This is a powerful claim. It reframes addiction not as moral weakness but as disconnection. Faith—spiritual, psychological, or both—restores that connection.

Together, these passages suggest that relapse, collapse, and despair are not endpoints. They are turning points. Recovery begins when we stop resisting our true self and start trusting it.

setbacks

Comments

4 responses to “Our True Nature and Perhaps the Root Cause of All Human Failure Revealed – Step 2”

  1. Eli Avatar
    Eli

    “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” is, in context, a black-and-white moral judgment. Taking time to make decisions is a luxury. Not always affordable.

    This quote is also just a statement: “Who can be an angel?” Absolute perfection, in this way, is not human. It may be transcendent, or achievable through the writer/speakers divinity. Functionally, it’s an aspiration at best and self-flagellation at worst. At some point everyone must make decisions. If they have a higher power, there simply isn’t a way to know it’s definitely in line with that HP’s ‘will’ for them.

    Reply
  2. E-dawg Avatar
    E-dawg

    That question kind of reminds me of a 10th step.. when I hit a wall and I’m spiritually set back by anger for example I stop what I’m doing and if it’s my fault I try to promptly admit it… most of the time it doesn’t work on the spot I have to let a little time go by… but I never leave it undone I examine my part in it and move forward

    Reply
  3. Sabrina J Avatar
    Sabrina J

    Fall down 7, stand up 8. In life, there is no destination, for me this is often a trap. My mind wants to say, “When I get to X, all will be smooth” yet, that has never happened and will not as long as I am alive. Life truly is a journey. When I think in terms of reaching a destination, I set my self up for failure, resentment and frustration.

    This is true in recovery.

    When I was recently in treatment, I made a few great friends. People that I thought would be potentially life long friends. Yet by the time I left treatment, with the exception of one person and myself, everyone I was in recovery with relapsed. Relapse is not the exception.

    Should that detour us from working on being clean or sober? No, fall down 7, stand up 8. What it should do is soften the blow and say “Hey, I recognize this path, I. know where it goes and I need to get back on the other path”. Or as one wise person said, don’t let a Lapse turn into a relapse.

    This is not to say that I recommend or even encourage a relapse, however it is wise to always have a relapse prevention and recovery plan in place. So if it should happen, it is not to define us, rather we quickly get back to the path. Fall down 7, stand up 8.

    For me, this is the power of meetings. A room full of people who get it. Who have been there before and are here now not to judge but to hug, and love the person until the person can love themself. There is healing in the rooms of recovery. There is hope, understanding and a safe environment not to judge but to heal.

    Never, ever, give up.

    Reply
  4. Adam Avatar
    Adam

    If I’m just not moving as quickly as I could in my recovery, such as lately, I just need to pick up the pace as soon as I have more time available. With set backs at work, such as failure to meet a project deadline, I’ve learned to immediately get back on it. I need to try to understand so I don’t repeat a failure, but not to dwell or feel bad about it. That just isn’t productive.

    Reply

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