Tradition 10 · October 22

Joyfully Quoted

Daily Traditions · October 22

Before the Tradition

Nobody speaks for A.A. in a fight, and that includes the man who started it. Bill W. tried for years to run A.A. himself, and wrote what happened (A.A. pamphlet P-17, p. 39): "If I took sides in a controversy, I was joyfully quoted by some, while others murmured" — "And just who does this dictator think he is?" Joyfully quoted by some: his words became one side's weapon. The others stopped listening to him. A dictator is a ruler nobody chose. If the co-founder's opinion split the room when he gave it, no one else's opinion can stand for A.A. either. Bill put it in four words: "Personal power always failed." The long form makes it a principle for everyone (Big Book, p. 565): no group or member should express an opinion on outside fights "in such a way as to implicate A.A." Today the voice being quoted is the staff member or the addiction expert introduced as speaking from years in A.A., quoted on one side of a public argument. Half the audience cheers. The drinker in the other half hears that A.A. is against him. Test it tonight: when someone is quoted as knowing what A.A. thinks, ask who gave them the job.

Sit with

If the co-founder's side-taking split the room, nobody else's opinion can speak for A.A. Who have I heard quoted as if they knew what A.A. thinks?

Grounded in: P-17, p. 39 (Bill W.); long form, Tradition 10 (Big Book, p. 565).

Tradition 10

"Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy."

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 10 → Get the app →

← October 21Sober as a Judge Tradition 10All of October October 23 →Naturally Aggressive People

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).