Rampaging Seaweed

 I'm pretty sure that Bill and Dr Bob were quite familiar with the behavior of alcoholics by the time the Twelve and Twelve was written because they have a tendency to say the same things over and over.  A lot of the time they don't even bother trying to hide the fact that they're repeating themselves.  I think they had figured out that, as a group, we're resistant to change so we ignore anything that asks to do anything difficult.

For example, in Step Four a lot of time is spent discussing our normal instincts for sex, money, and prestige or power.  On the first page there's this: "Powerfully, blindly, many times subtly, they drive us, dominate us, and insist upon ruling our lives.  When thus out of joint, man's natural desires cause him great trouble, practically all the trouble there is."   

OK, that's a lot of trouble.  "All the trouble there is" is a lot of trouble.  It's all of it.  There's almost no trouble left over to get into.

Here're the parts that make me laugh each time I read them.  Try this phrase and expressions and qualifiers on for size, see if they fit you: "collision of instincts," "instinct run wild," "instincts on rampage balk at investigation," "the instincts have turned into physical and mental liabilities," and "every time an individual imposes his instincts unreasonably on others, unhappiness follows."  All that comes in the course of two pages.  I believe the expression that applies here is "Hammering your point home."  Over and over we're told that our inherent and important instincts are out of control.

Rampage: Rush around in a violent and uncontrollable manner.

Whew.