Worksheet for Step 4
The exercises below, if worked thoroughly, will require an ample amount of time to complete. They have been
designed so that you can get a small taste of doing each step. If this approach helps you, please work them
thoroughly with a sponsor when possible.
Step 4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
A. Below is a list of 55 character defects. Choose one that you will focus on for Step 4. Write it on the line
below.
Cruelty
Vanity
Rage
Terrified
Disrespect
Helplessness
Idolatry
Escapism
Intimidation
Care-taking
Unforgiving
willfulness
laziness
stinginess
jealousy
manipulation
competitiveness
over-achieving
objectifying
people-pleasing
intellectualizing
anxiousness
unworthiness
selfishness
grief-avoidance
dishonesty
perfectionism
rudeness
self-absorption
arrogance
exploitiveness
grandiosity
self-abusiveness
self-promotion
over-critical
closed-mindedness
uncompromising
backbiting
critical self-talk
cold-heartedness
glory-seeking
over-dependence
image-management
control-seeking
pride
greed
envy
fearfulness
gluttony
crankiness
passiveness
hopelessness
whining
resentfulness
The character defect I will focus on for now is __________________________________.
B. Now identify ten manifestations of that character defect. (for example, if I chose greed, my list of
manifestations might include: failing to tip at restaurants, refusing to donate to charity, working overtime for the
money while ignoring my family.)
Manifestion #
1.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
3.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
4.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
5.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
6.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
7.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
8.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
9.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
10. _____________________________________________________________________________
C. Now choose one of those ten manifestations and write ten specific stories where it came into play. (Do this
in your Step notebook or an separate pieces of paper.) Following from the example of greed manifested through
refusing to donate to charity, I might write stories about: the time I refused to give to my church for a special
project and talked against it; the time I refused to buy halloween candy for trick-or-treaters; the day I sent away
Girl Scouts who came to my door because I thought the cookies were overpriced.