Below are some powerful paragraphs from a July 1965 Grapevine article written by Bill W. This article was entitled ‘Responsibility Is Our Theme’. I find it a useful warning when I think I’ve found something that demands something from others. It’s also a warning of how difficult it is to have an open mind when I find myself believing ‘I know what’s best’. His thoughts also remind us that Bill in the 12 & 12 makes this provocative claim “the attainment of greater humility is the foundation principle of each of AA’s Twelve Steps (p.70)”.
It is a historical fact that practically all groupings of men and women tend to become more dogmatic; their beliefs and practices harden and sometimes freeze. This is a natural and almost inevitable process. All people must, of course, rally to the call of their convictions, and we of AA are no exception. Moreover, all people should have the right to voice their convictions. This is good principle and good dogma. But dogma also has its liabilities. Simply because we have convictions that work well for us, it becomes very easy to assume that we have all the truth. Whenever this brand of arrogance develops, we are certain to become aggressive; we demand agreement with us; we play God. This isn’t good dogma; it’s very bad dogma. It could be especially destructive for us of AA to indulge in this sort of thing.
…Let us never fear needed change. Certainly we have to discriminate between changes for worse and changes for better. But once a need becomes clearly apparent in an individual, in a group, or in A.A. as a whole, it has long since been found out that we cannot stand still and look the other way.
The essence of all growth is a willingness to change for the better and then an unremitting willingness to shoulder whatever responsibility this entails.
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