Contempt Prior To Investigation (The Daily Trudge)
Contempt Prior To Investigation (The Daily Trudge)

RAW Recovery Podcast

Dion talks about “contempt prior to investigation”, linking it to Step Six, ego, and the need for willingness, honesty and open-mindedness in recovery. With humour and Big Book references, he questions common excuses and stresses curiosity as a key tool for moving forward in sobriety.

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39:04•3 Jun 2026

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Contempt Before Investigation: How Ego Trips Up Sobriety

Episode Overview

Contempt prior to investigation shows up when people reject meetings, steps, sponsors or spiritual ideas before giving them an honest try.
Step Six is about willingness, and if that willingness is missing, the suggestion is to pray specifically for the willingness to let go.
Honesty, open-mindedness and willingness are described as essentials of recovery, without which growth and change stall.
Curiosity is encouraged over instant judgement, including looking up unfamiliar words in the Big Book and checking whether opinions are based on experience or assumption.
Ego-driven excuses like “AA isn’t for me” or “this is just how I am” are called out as barriers that can block useful solutions and long-term sobriety.

“Contempt prior to investigation is often my ego just wearing a disguise.”

What can we learn from those who have battled addiction? RAW Recovery’s Daily Trudge edition takes a hard look at “contempt prior to investigation” and how it quietly wrecks growth in sobriety. Dion keeps things loose and funny – there are cat toys on the floor, grandkids tattling, and a bit of nose-blowing – but the message is anything but light-weight.

Using AA’s Step Six and the Big Book as his anchor, Dion shows how willingness, honesty and open-mindedness are “indispensable” if you’re going to move past stuck points. He reads directly from the Big Book, then breaks it down in plain language, asking what many people in recovery secretly think: am I really willing to let go of *everything* I’ve admitted is a problem?

He talks about ego as the master excuse-maker – “I already know that,” “AA isn’t for me,” “this is just how I am” – and calls out how often people reject solutions they’ve never really tested.

As he puts it, “contempt prior to investigation is often my ego just wearing a disguise.” There’s also a candid chat about tools like naltrexone and older meds like Antabuse, showing how his first reaction was resistance, then shifted after he actually looked into it. He keeps circling back to curiosity: look up the words you don’t understand in the Big Book, question your assumptions, and give ideas a fair try instead of deciding in advance they won’t work.

This episode speaks straight to anyone in recovery who’s stuck, restless, or convinced they “already know.” With humour, a few gentle rants, and plenty of Big Book references, it nudges you to ask: what if the thing you’ve already written off is exactly what might help you next?

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