Before recovery I thought I knew it all. When someone disagreed with me, I'd argue and go out of my way to set them straight. I loved the saying, "Those people who think they know it all are especially annoying to those of us who do", and in the end I was self-righteous and smug. It's no wonder I didn't have many friends left. 
  
When I began working with my sponsor, I started arguing with him too. At first he listened to me, but after a while he'd had enough. "Why don't you take the cotton out of your ears and put it in your mouth," he suggested. I was too desperate to be indignant, so I followed his advice and began listening to what others were sharing in meetings. And that's when the miracle began for me. 
  
Through listening to the experience, strength and hope of others, I not only learned that my way was not the only way; I learned that it was almost certainly not the right way for you. I learned that others had their own path, made their own mistakes and grew from their own experiences, and I came to see that your opinions were just as valuable as mine. 
  
Most of all I learned to stop arguing because I learned how to say, "You may be right."