A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool.

Proverbs‬ ‭17‬:‭10‬

It’s valuable to be dumb when trying to get sober.

To the extent we think we already know it all, we become callous, unteachable and difficult.

Drunkenness will easily extend to the far reaches of our willingness to not admit defeat.

And even in defeat, our pride can follow us, flagging us down, distracting us, tearing out our legs from under us. We can continue in despair even in the many first days of what we thought was a new life.

But unknowing as much as possible ends up being the unlock we need to begin progressing.

Yes, it may get worse before it gets better in terms of feelings. But shedding our pride to trade our pain for relief has to happen.

If we don’t, we rarely make it. If we don’t, nothing much changes. If we don’t, we don’t last long in a program that insists on transformation.

We will either become a voice in the noise of temporary sobriety or will fade away into our previous selves—looking for a way to both control and enjoy our vices.

Luckily, though, if we are willing to get dumb, there is plenty of room for us in recovery. We will find camaraderie and peace after the tumult we used to insulate ourselves with.

Change is smart; we just have to get dumb enough to follow directions that we don’t like and can’t make sense of.

Evidence comes later in our own life, but if we honestly look for it, we can see it up front in the quiet lives of those who’ve gone before us and marked the way.

God, keep me teachable, reachable and dumb enough to learn.