Spirituality: The Less Said the Better, by Peter V.

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Spirituality: The Less Said the Better

By Peter V.

During my time in AA, I was forced to contemplate my spirituality -- something I'd never done before. As I've drifted away from that formal program, I continue to develop my own spirituality and believe that -- for me -- the connection to something bigger than myself is a crucial element of my sobriety. Spirituality is not the only thing that keeps me sober, but I'd never deny its importance for me.

The problem comes when there are large groups of people (as in AA) trying to talk about their spirituality. This talk often involves comparisons and one-upmanship.

I find that in order not to cheapen my own spirituality, it's best not to talk about it. It's an inherently personal and subjective thing, and the less said to others (in most cases), the better.

My own sense of the spiritual becomes mundane and is in some important way corrupted by public discourse. Further, when people try to talk about the spiritual with one another, it starts resembling one of those AA meetings like the one described below. Nobody knows what the speaker is talking about.

I thought that this strategy might be helpful to others.

Posted April 18, 1999

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