kobe-ja/AsBillSeesIt · Datasets at Hugging Face

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Conviction and Compromise
One qualification for a useful life is give-and-take, the ability
to compromise cheerfully. Compromise comes hard to us
"all or nothing" drunks. Nevertheless, we must never lose
sight of the fact that progress is nearly always characterized
by a series of improving compromises.
Of course, we cannot always compromise. There are
circumstances in which it is necessary to stick flat-footed to
one's convictions until the issue is resolved. Deciding when
to compromise and when not to compromise always calls for
the most careful discrimination.
TWELVE CONCEPTS, PP. 42-43
Brain Power Alone?
To the intellectually self-sufficient man or woman, many
A.A.'s can say, "Yes, we were like you -- far too smart for our
own good. We loved to have people call us precocious. We
used our education to blow ourselves up into prideful
balloons, though we were careful to hide this from others.
Secretly, we felt we could float above the rest of folks on our
brain power alone.
"Scientific progress told us there was nothing man couldn't
do. Knowledge was all powerful. Intellect could conquer
nature. Since we were brighter than most folks (so we
thought), the spoils of victory would be ours for the thinking.
The god of intellect displaced the God of our fathers.
grace to deal constructively with whatever fears remain.
A Different Swinging Door
When a drunk shows up among us and says that he doesn't
like the A.A. principles, people, or service management,
when he declares that he can do better elsewhere -- we are
not worried. We simply say, "Maybe your case really is
different. Why don't you try something else?"
If an A.A. member says he doesn't like his own group, we are
not disturbed. We simply say, "Why don't you try another
one? Or start one of your own."
To those who wish to secede from A.A. altogether, we extent
a cheerful invitation to do just that. If they can do better by
other means, we are glad. If after a trial they cannot do better,
we know they face a choice: They can go mad or die or they
return to A.A. The decision is wholly theirs. (As a matter of
fact, most of them do come back.)
TWELVE CONCEPTS, PP. 74-75
Free of Dependence
I asked myself, "Why can't the Twelve Steps work to release
me from this unbearable depression?" By the hour, I stared
at the St. Francis Prayer: "It is better to comfort than to be
comforted."
Suddenly I realized what the answer might be. My basic flaw
had always been dependence on people or circumstances to
supply me with prestige, security, and confidence. Failing to
get these things according to my perfectionist dreams and
specifications, Ifought for them. And when defeat came, so
did my depression.
Reinforced by what grace I could find in prayer, I had to exert
every ounce of will and action to cut off these faulty
emotional dependencies upon people and upon
circumstances. Then only could I be free to love as Francis
had loved.
GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1958
Search for Motives
Some of us clung to the claim that when drinking we never
hurt anybody but ourselves. Our families didn't suffer,
because we always paid the bills and seldom drank at home.
Our business associates didn't suffer, because we were
usually on the job. Our reputations didn't suffer, because we
were certain fewknew of our drinking. Those who did would
sometimes assure us that, after all, a lively bender was only a
good man's fault. What real harm, therefore, had we done?
No more, surely, than we could easily mend with a few casual
apologies.
This attitude, of course, is the end result of purposeful
forgetting. It is an attitude which can be changed only by
deep and honest search of our motives and actions.
TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 79
Growth by the Tenth Step
In the years ahead A.A. will, of course, make mistakes.
Experience has taught us that we need have no fear of doing
this, providing that we always remain willing to admit our
faults and to correct them promptly. Our growth as
individuals has depended upon this healthy process of trial
and error. So will our growth as a fellowship.
Let us always remember that any society of men and women
that cannot freely correct its own faults must surely fall into
decay if not into collapse. Such is the universal penalty for
the failure to go on growing. Just as each A.A. must continue
to take his moral inventory and act upon it, so must our
whole Society if we are to survive and if we are to serve
usefully and well.
A.A. COMES OF AGE, P. 231
For Emergencies Only?
Whether we had been believers or unbelievers, we began to
get over the idea that the Higher Power was a sort of bushleague pinch hitter, to be called upon only in an emergency.
The notion that we would still live our own lives, God helping
a little now and then, began to evaporate. Many of us who
hadthought ourselves religious awoke to the limitations of
this attitude. Refusing to place God first, we had deprived
ourselves of His help.
But now the words "Of myself I am nothing, the Father doeth
the works" began to carry bright promise and meaning.
TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 75

Conviction and Compromise

One qualification for a useful life is give-and-take, the ability

to compromise cheerfully. Compromise comes hard to us

"all or nothing" drunks. Nevertheless, we must never lose

sight of the fact that progress is nearly always characterized

by a series of improving compromises.

Of course, we cannot always compromise. There are

circumstances in which it is necessary to stick flat-footed to

one's convictions until the issue is resolved. Deciding when

to compromise and when not to compromise always calls for

the most careful discrimination.

TWELVE CONCEPTS, PP. 42-43

Brain Power Alone?

To the intellectually self-sufficient man or woman, many

A.A.'s can say, "Yes, we were like you -- far too smart for our

own good. We loved to have people call us precocious. We

used our education to blow ourselves up into prideful

balloons, though we were careful to hide this from others.

Secretly, we felt we could float above the rest of folks on our

brain power alone.

"Scientific progress told us there was nothing man couldn't

do. Knowledge was all powerful. Intellect could conquer

nature. Since we were brighter than most folks (so we

thought), the spoils of victory would be ours for the thinking.

The god of intellect displaced the God of our fathers.

grace to deal constructively with whatever fears remain.

A Different Swinging Door

When a drunk shows up among us and says that he doesn't

like the A.A. principles, people, or service management,

when he declares that he can do better elsewhere -- we are

not worried. We simply say, "Maybe your case really is

different. Why don't you try something else?"

If an A.A. member says he doesn't like his own group, we are

not disturbed. We simply say, "Why don't you try another

one? Or start one of your own."

To those who wish to secede from A.A. altogether, we extent

a cheerful invitation to do just that. If they can do better by

other means, we are glad. If after a trial they cannot do better,

we know they face a choice: They can go mad or die or they

return to A.A. The decision is wholly theirs. (As a matter of

fact, most of them do come back.)

TWELVE CONCEPTS, PP. 74-75

Free of Dependence

I asked myself, "Why can't the Twelve Steps work to release

me from this unbearable depression?" By the hour, I stared

at the St. Francis Prayer: "It is better to comfort than to be

comforted."

Suddenly I realized what the answer might be. My basic flaw

had always been dependence on people or circumstances to

supply me with prestige, security, and confidence. Failing to

get these things according to my perfectionist dreams and

specifications, Ifought for them. And when defeat came, so

did my depression.

Reinforced by what grace I could find in prayer, I had to exert

every ounce of will and action to cut off these faulty

emotional dependencies upon people and upon

circumstances. Then only could I be free to love as Francis

had loved.

GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1958

Search for Motives

Some of us clung to the claim that when drinking we never

hurt anybody but ourselves. Our families didn't suffer,

because we always paid the bills and seldom drank at home.

Our business associates didn't suffer, because we were

usually on the job. Our reputations didn't suffer, because we

were certain fewknew of our drinking. Those who did would

sometimes assure us that, after all, a lively bender was only a

good man's fault. What real harm, therefore, had we done?

No more, surely, than we could easily mend with a few casual

apologies.

This attitude, of course, is the end result of purposeful

forgetting. It is an attitude which can be changed only by

deep and honest search of our motives and actions.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 79

Growth by the Tenth Step

In the years ahead A.A. will, of course, make mistakes.

Experience has taught us that we need have no fear of doing

this, providing that we always remain willing to admit our

faults and to correct them promptly. Our growth as

individuals has depended upon this healthy process of trial

and error. So will our growth as a fellowship.

Let us always remember that any society of men and women

that cannot freely correct its own faults must surely fall into

decay if not into collapse. Such is the universal penalty for

the failure to go on growing. Just as each A.A. must continue

to take his moral inventory and act upon it, so must our

whole Society if we are to survive and if we are to serve

usefully and well.

A.A. COMES OF AGE, P. 231

For Emergencies Only?

Whether we had been believers or unbelievers, we began to

get over the idea that the Higher Power was a sort of bushleague pinch hitter, to be called upon only in an emergency.

The notion that we would still live our own lives, God helping

a little now and then, began to evaporate. Many of us who

hadthought ourselves religious awoke to the limitations of

this attitude. Refusing to place God first, we had deprived

ourselves of His help.

But now the words "Of myself I am nothing, the Father doeth

the works" began to carry bright promise and meaning.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 75