Tradition 2 · February 1

Never Personal Authority

Daily Traditions · February 1

The threat

Tradition Two answers one question for every A.A. group: who decides? The Long Form (Big Book, p. 563): "For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience." Ultimate authority means the last word, and in a group's business no person holds it. The threat it answers is a boss. Bill W. wrote in 1947 (A.A. pamphlet P-17, p. 37): "Time out of mind, families, friends, employers, doctors, clergymen, and judges have tried their hand at disciplining alcoholics. Almost without exception the failure to accomplish anything by coercion has been complete." Coercion means forcing. Every drunk who walks in has already been bossed by experts, and it didn't work. Put a boss over the group and he meets one more person trying to run him, and he leaves. So Bill drew the line: "the only real authority to be found in A.A. is that of spiritual principle. It is never personal authority." That tells no one what to believe. It takes power away from whoever wants it. Today the boss often comes built in: a counsellor at the front of the room, a program that sets the rules, a court that wants a signature. Test it tonight: ask who has the last word in your room, and whether the answer is a person.

Sit with

Tradition Two gives the last word in a group's business to no person at all. Who has the last word in my group?

Grounded in: Long form, Tradition 2 (Big Book, p. 563); P-17, p. 37 (Bill W., "Will A.A. Ever Have a Personal Government?", 1947).

Tradition 2

"For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern."

Read the Long Form (pp. 563–566). The short form on pp. 561–562 is the one everybody quotes — but the Long Form is where the Traditions actually say what they mean. Tradition 3's "no other affiliation" clause, for instance, exists only in the Long Form. That single clause is why no treatment centre can own an A.A. group. Most of what circulates online skips it.

And a distinction worth keeping straight: the Traditions are governance, not theology. They bind A.A. groups and the Fellowship — not individuals, and not outside businesses. They were adopted in 1950 to keep A.A. from being owned or co-opted. They are not a rulebook for your personal life.

What the Traditions actually say → The Long Form, p. 563 → Search the Big Book → Every day this month →

Ask Recovery Einstein about Tradition 2 → Get the app →

←All of February Tradition 2All of February February 2 →The Voice on the Subway

Daily Traditions is an independent educational resource from Recovery Starts — not official A.A. literature, not affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, and not medical advice. The Twelve Traditions are the property of A.A. Page references are to Alcoholics Anonymous (the Big Book), 4th Edition: short form 561–562, long form 563–566. If you're in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).