Rarely Have We Seen A Person Fail
Rarely Have We Seen A Person Fail

RAW Recovery Podcast

Dion unpacks the AA line “Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path,” mixing humour, Big Book reading and personal experience. The conversation focuses on rigorous honesty, small practical actions and rejecting easier, softer shortcuts in recovery.

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34:05•6 Sept 2026

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Rarely Have We Seen a Person Fail: Getting Honest About Doing the Work

Episode Overview

Thoroughly following the AA path, rather than inventing a personal version, is presented as key to avoiding relapse.
Setting tiny, manageable goals is suggested as a way to move through depression and avoid all-or-nothing paralysis.
Rigorous honesty with oneself is described as the crucial requirement, even for those with serious mental health struggles.
Relying on easier, softer options or drifting away from meetings and responsibilities is linked to painful consequences.
A less punitive, more curious view of God and higher power is offered as more helpful than fear-based beliefs.

“Half measures availed us nothing… you can’t half do things in AA, it doesn’t work.”

What can we learn from those who have battled addiction? This RAW Recovery Podcast episode drops into a live, unpolished chat where Dion breaks down one of Alcoholics Anonymous’ most quoted lines: “Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path.” Aimed at people in early recovery or anyone feeling stuck in a half-in, half-out approach, the conversation looks at what “thoroughly” really means.

Dion talks candidly about his own experiences of coming back to recovery later in life, realising that this time it had to be all or nothing. As he puts it, “Half measures availed us nothing… you can’t half do things in AA, it doesn’t work.” You’ll hear him bounce between humour and hard truth: moaning about his mischievous cat one moment, then unpacking why all-or-nothing thinking can fuel depression the next.

Using a daily reflection reading, he stresses the power of doing “just the corner of the room” instead of trying to fix an entire life in one go. Faith and higher power come up too, but in a very down-to-earth way. Dion questions rigid, punitive ideas about God and focuses instead on honesty and willingness: are you actually ready to “be fearless and thorough from the very start” and go to any length for sobriety?

He also calls out modern shortcuts like medication-only fixes or trying to form “a new relationship with alcohol”, warning that chasing easier, softer options can quietly lead people back to the edge. The style is raw, sweary, compassionate and very human – like sitting in a meeting where someone is reading the Big Book out loud, stopping to talk about what it really looks like in daily life.

If you’ve been wondering whether you’re truly giving recovery your best shot, this one might sting a bit, but it might also be exactly what you need to hear today.

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