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Traditions which guarantee A.A.'s unity contain not a single
"Don't." They repeatedly say, "We ought..." but never "You
must!"
"Though it is traditional that our Fellowship may not coerce
anyone, let us not suppose even for an instant that we are
not under constraint. Indeed, we are under enormous
coercion -- the kind that comes in bottles. Our formertyrant,
King Alcohol, always stands ready again to clutch us to him.
"Therefore, freedom from alcohol is the great `must' that has
to be achieved, else we go mad or die."
Victory in Defeat
Convinced I never could belong, and vowing I'd never settle
for any second-rate status, I felt I simply had to dominate in
everything I chose to do: work or play. As this attractive
formula for the good life began to succeed, according to my
then specifications of success, I became deliriously happy.
But when an undertaking occasionally did fail, I was filled
with resentment and depression that could be cured only by
the next triumph. Very early, therfore, I came to value
everything in terms of victory or defeat -- "all or nothing."
The only satisfaction I knew was to win.
Only through utter defeat are we able to take our first steps
toward liberation and strength. Our admissions of personal
powerlessness finally turn out to be firm bedrock upon which
happy and purposeful lives may be built.
Giving Up Defects
Looking at those defects we are unwilling to give up, we
ought to erase the hard and fast lines that we have drawn.
Perhaps in some cases we shall say, "This I cannot give up
yet...." But we should not say to ourselves, "This O will never
give up!"
The moment we say, "No, never!" our minds close against
the grace of God. Such rebellion my be fatal. Instead, we
should abandon limited objectives and begin to move
towards God's will for us.
TWELVE AND TWELVE, PP. 68-69
Beyond Agnosticism
We of agnostic temperament found that as soon as we were
able to lay aside prejudice and express even a willingness to
believe in a Power greater than ourselves, we commenced to
get results, even though it was impossible for any of us to
fully define or comprehend that Power, which is God.
"Many people soberly assure me that man has no better
place in the universe than that of another competing
organism, fighting its way through life only to perish the end.
Hearing this, I feel that I still prefer to cling to the so-called
illusion of religion, which in my own experience has
meaningfully told me something very different."
Two Roads for the Oldtimer
The founders of many groups ultimately divide into two
classes known in A.A. slang as "elder statesmen" and
"bleeding deacons."
The elder statesmen sees the wisdom of the group's decision
to run itself and holds no resentment over his reduced
status. His judgment, fortified by considerable experience, is
sound; he is willing to sit quietly on the side lines patiently
awaiting developments.
The bleeding deacon is just as surely convinced that the
group cannot get along without him. He constantly connives
for re-election to office and continues to be consumed with
self-pity. Nearly every oldtimer in our Society has gone
through this process in some degree. Happily, most of them
survive and live to become elder statesmen. They become
the real and permanent leadership of A.A.
TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 135
Basis of All Humility
For just so long as we were convinced that we could live
exclusively by our own individual strength and intelligence,
for just that long was a working faith in a Higher Power
impossible.
This was true even when we believed that God existed. We
could actually have earnest religious beliefs which remained
barren because we were still trying to play God ourselves. As
long as we placed self-reliance first, a genuine reliance upon
a Higher Power was out of the question.
That basic ingredient of all humility, a desire to seek and do
God's will, was missing.
TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 72
Defects and Repairs
More than most people, the alcoholic leads a double life. He
is very much the actor. To the outer world he presents his
stage character. This is the one he likes his fellows to see.
He wants to enjoy a certain reputation, but knows in his heart
he doesn't deserve it.
Guilt is really the reserve side of the coin of pride. Guilt aims
at self-destruction, and pride aims at the destruction of
others.
"The moral inventory is a cool examination of the damages
that occurred to us during life and a sincere effort to look at
them in a true perspective. This has the effect of taking the
ground glass out of us, the emotional substance that still
cuts and inhibits."
"Restore Us to Sanity"
Few indeed are the practicing alcoholics who have any idea
how irrational they are, or, seeing their irrationality, can bear
to face it. For example, some will be willing to term
themselves "problem drinkers," but cannot endure the
suggestion that they are in fact mentally ill.
They are abettet in this blindness by a world which does not
understand the difference between sane drinking and

Traditions which guarantee A.A.'s unity contain not a single

"Don't." They repeatedly say, "We ought..." but never "You

must!"

"Though it is traditional that our Fellowship may not coerce

anyone, let us not suppose even for an instant that we are

not under constraint. Indeed, we are under enormous

coercion -- the kind that comes in bottles. Our formertyrant,

King Alcohol, always stands ready again to clutch us to him.

"Therefore, freedom from alcohol is the great `must' that has

to be achieved, else we go mad or die."

Victory in Defeat

Convinced I never could belong, and vowing I'd never settle

for any second-rate status, I felt I simply had to dominate in

everything I chose to do: work or play. As this attractive

formula for the good life began to succeed, according to my

then specifications of success, I became deliriously happy.

But when an undertaking occasionally did fail, I was filled

with resentment and depression that could be cured only by

the next triumph. Very early, therfore, I came to value

everything in terms of victory or defeat -- "all or nothing."

The only satisfaction I knew was to win.

Only through utter defeat are we able to take our first steps

toward liberation and strength. Our admissions of personal

powerlessness finally turn out to be firm bedrock upon which

happy and purposeful lives may be built.

Giving Up Defects

Looking at those defects we are unwilling to give up, we

ought to erase the hard and fast lines that we have drawn.

Perhaps in some cases we shall say, "This I cannot give up

yet...." But we should not say to ourselves, "This O will never

give up!"

The moment we say, "No, never!" our minds close against

the grace of God. Such rebellion my be fatal. Instead, we

should abandon limited objectives and begin to move

towards God's will for us.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, PP. 68-69

Beyond Agnosticism

We of agnostic temperament found that as soon as we were

able to lay aside prejudice and express even a willingness to

believe in a Power greater than ourselves, we commenced to

get results, even though it was impossible for any of us to

fully define or comprehend that Power, which is God.

"Many people soberly assure me that man has no better

place in the universe than that of another competing

organism, fighting its way through life only to perish the end.

Hearing this, I feel that I still prefer to cling to the so-called

illusion of religion, which in my own experience has

meaningfully told me something very different."

Two Roads for the Oldtimer

The founders of many groups ultimately divide into two

classes known in A.A. slang as "elder statesmen" and

"bleeding deacons."

The elder statesmen sees the wisdom of the group's decision

to run itself and holds no resentment over his reduced

status. His judgment, fortified by considerable experience, is

sound; he is willing to sit quietly on the side lines patiently

awaiting developments.

The bleeding deacon is just as surely convinced that the

group cannot get along without him. He constantly connives

for re-election to office and continues to be consumed with

self-pity. Nearly every oldtimer in our Society has gone

through this process in some degree. Happily, most of them

survive and live to become elder statesmen. They become

the real and permanent leadership of A.A.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 135

Basis of All Humility

For just so long as we were convinced that we could live

exclusively by our own individual strength and intelligence,

for just that long was a working faith in a Higher Power

impossible.

This was true even when we believed that God existed. We

could actually have earnest religious beliefs which remained

barren because we were still trying to play God ourselves. As

long as we placed self-reliance first, a genuine reliance upon

a Higher Power was out of the question.

That basic ingredient of all humility, a desire to seek and do

God's will, was missing.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 72

Defects and Repairs

More than most people, the alcoholic leads a double life. He

is very much the actor. To the outer world he presents his

stage character. This is the one he likes his fellows to see.

He wants to enjoy a certain reputation, but knows in his heart

he doesn't deserve it.

Guilt is really the reserve side of the coin of pride. Guilt aims

at self-destruction, and pride aims at the destruction of

others.

"The moral inventory is a cool examination of the damages

that occurred to us during life and a sincere effort to look at

them in a true perspective. This has the effect of taking the

ground glass out of us, the emotional substance that still

cuts and inhibits."

"Restore Us to Sanity"

Few indeed are the practicing alcoholics who have any idea

how irrational they are, or, seeing their irrationality, can bear

to face it. For example, some will be willing to term

themselves "problem drinkers," but cannot endure the

suggestion that they are in fact mentally ill.

They are abettet in this blindness by a world which does not

understand the difference between sane drinking and