Read Fred’s story (pages 39 to 43).
It reveals that Fred’s alcoholism and each episode of drinking is not due to:
- Bad circumstances (he has none)
- Bad character (his character is good)
- Mental illness (he is not mentally ill)
- Physical illness (he is not physically ill)
- Weakness (he is not weak)
- Incompetence (he is competent)
- Lack of willpower (he has considerable willpower)
- Lack of information (he has information)
- Having bad feelings (his feelings are good)
- Having bad prospects (his prospects are good)
- Having a bad day (his day is good)
Fred exemplifies someone whose alcoholism and whose drinking cannot be attributed to any circumstance or quality of the person.
Alcoholism is thus extraneous to the person but someone buried within them, like an alien presence.
It is the devil on the shoulder, whispering compellingly in the ear, persuading the person to do wrong.
The devil’s existence and motivations have nothing to do with the person.
The devil is the entire explanation for the actions.
Alcoholism is the entire explanation for the alcoholism and therefore the drinking.
Any attempt to explain it with reference to the person’s outer or inner world will fail.