“Cheery platitudes are not much help to newcomers in really desperate straits.” (ODAT, 3 October)
Depends on how willing the newcomer is. I’ve seen plenty of
newcomers who done with how they have been living, are open to new ideas, take
on a new idea as an overriding principle, put it into practice, and then show
extraordinary results. After all, that’s what the Al-Anon slogans are. It’s
perhaps a little patronising to say to an adult, “You’re not smart enough or
capable enough to take an idea and use it.” Whatever skills are required to implement
a platitude, these are precisely the skills required to implement the rest of
the programme. What are we going to do? Leave them to get better through
osmosis and then give them the programme once they’re already well? If that
worked, the programme would not be necessary. Where to start is the simple
points, not the complex ones.
I think it’s the other way round: start with the platitudes,
but explain them if necessary, which does not take long.
For instance, one can explain the 3 Cs, the 4 Ms, the idea of
keeping it in the day, of letting go and letting God, and asking ‘How important
is it?’ perfectly easily. Some people can take on the platitude without
explanation; others require an explanation. But the latter are merely 5 minutes
behind. Any resistance means that they’re not ready for new ideas, but then
they’ll not be ready for anything.
I would say it is precisely being in really desperate straits that necessitates immediate treatment, and what’s the simplest treatment? The platitude.