Question I came upon.

[ThelonleyMango]

How do I know when someone has worked step 3?
It's in the big book and is supposbly a simple answer?

[avaneesh912]

if he starts the 4th step. Otherwise one has not understood what 3rd step really mean.

[D'oh]

I call it "The It"

When one becomes content, serene, peaceful with Life on Life's terms.

You can Sense when someone has "It", I am at times Granted "It", then I give "It" away with trying to arrange my Higher Power's Will, to suite mine.

[tomsteve]

if he starts the 4th step. Otherwise one has not understood what 3rd step really mean.

where i got sober there was a detox in town and the clients would be brought to meetings. i happened to be working on my 4th step when i noticed clients from detox saying something like,"i stopped at step 4 and drank." i was a little baffled so asked a man after a meeting:" i dont get it. im rockin on my 4th step yet have noticed a few people in detox saying they got to it and drank. how come they drank yet im rockin on the 4th?"
his simple reply:
"you did the first 3 steps."

[avaneesh912]

People could get drunk anytime. My understanding is even if we did a thorough 4th step, and fail to move on to the next phase to have someone look at it and get advice on what to work on, people are going to get drunk, because they still have not worked on overcoming the short-comings. So is the case with people with long term sobriety. If they get selfish and self-centered (by not watching those like the book suggests) they are going to step on the toe of others and they are going to hurt others and themselves and eventually they will be far away from the sunlight of the spirit and get drunk.

[Blue Moon]

How do I know when someone has worked step 3?
It's in the big book and is supposbly a simple answer?

When they follow a direction. We also know when we've taken back Step 3 if we relapse (ie lapse back into old ways of thinking or doing, which ends in a drink).

Step 3 is a decision to turn our thoughts and actions over to the care of a higher power. It means nothing without doing an action (which for the Steps would be to begin Step 4).

[Mike O]

We also know when we've taken back Step 3 if we relapse (ie lapse back into old ways of thinking or doing, which ends in a drink).

I would add, that I also realise that I am in the process of trying to take back Step 3, when I find myself thinking or acting selfishly or trying to get my own way over something, even though I haven't actually drunk.

[Tosh]

if he starts the 4th step. Otherwise one has not understood what 3rd step really mean.

Yes, it's as simple as that. You know you've done your 3rd when your pen is working on your 4th (and onwards).