Anonymity
12 Step Recovered Alcoholic
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 6,613
Anonymity
So now it is the twelfth month so around AA you may hear tradition 12 being discussed a bit. It talks about anonymity being the spirtual foundation, and principles before personalities.
Anonymity has a great depth of meaning in AA that goes beyond the idea that no one knows who I am, no one will know I have been here.
One aspect I experienced on arrival in AA was equality. Anonymity meant that everyone left their wordly status at the door. Me, the bum from the park, found myself mixing with all kinds of people on an equal footing (spiritually).
I later discovered that among those welcoming me was the chairman of one of our biggest companies, a famous architect, a couple of doctors and lawyers, other professionals, a media personality. I never would have guessed from the way they sat down to talk to me.
These folks became my friends and invited me into their lives. They never spoke down to me, just treated me the same as everyone else in AA. There were no big shots, no demanding celebrities, no personalties. Instead all the folks were doing their best to lead a principle based life, and they treated me as an equal.
Anonymity has meant that we are all equal spiritually.
Anonymity has a great depth of meaning in AA that goes beyond the idea that no one knows who I am, no one will know I have been here.
One aspect I experienced on arrival in AA was equality. Anonymity meant that everyone left their wordly status at the door. Me, the bum from the park, found myself mixing with all kinds of people on an equal footing (spiritually).
I later discovered that among those welcoming me was the chairman of one of our biggest companies, a famous architect, a couple of doctors and lawyers, other professionals, a media personality. I never would have guessed from the way they sat down to talk to me.
These folks became my friends and invited me into their lives. They never spoke down to me, just treated me the same as everyone else in AA. There were no big shots, no demanding celebrities, no personalties. Instead all the folks were doing their best to lead a principle based life, and they treated me as an equal.
Anonymity has meant that we are all equal spiritually.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 10,912
Originally Posted by Gottalife 
I later discovered that among those welcoming me was the chairman of one of our biggest companies, a famous architect, a couple of doctors and lawyers, other professionals, a media personality. I never would have guessed from the way they sat down to talk to me.
On the anonymity thing tough... I think AA and other f2f recovery communities are only partially anonymous though given that we go there in person and people often end up interacting about highly personal matter in 3D reality. The equality is extremely important in a recovery community of course... if hierarchies and power structures related to where we come from in terms of societal or professional background were allowed on a general basis, I doubt it would work. In a way, I feel that participating in these communities (in 3D life or online, given that the participation is authentic) is also a great opportunity for all to learn and practice humility and equality regardless of where we come from. I personally benefited from this aspect I think because when I was younger, I was somewhat prone to arrogance and was a bit of a snob. All these, in my mind, were just manifestations of insecurity, whether related to drinking or not.
12 Step Recovered Alcoholic
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 6,613
Personal anonymity is a vital part of the deal for the newcomer. Usually they want to check things out without making any committments, and without anyone outside discovering they are getting help for a problem which usually everyone except the alcoholic has known about for years. And the extent to which anyone takes their anonymity is an entirely personal matter.
But when we come to the traditions, we ought to maintain anonymity at the level of press, radio, films, TV and probably internet. Dr Bob ince said to maintain it at any other level would also be a breach of that tradition. Why did he say that?
Well, I could be so anonymous that I can't help anyone. I have been to hospitals and hospices to visit members. Sometimes I have to give up because a description -"you know? Bob with the hair?" doesn't always identify the person. If I am in hospital, I would like my AA buddies to be able to visit.
When I kick the bucket I hope some of my AA buddies will come to my funeral, but they will have to see the notice in the paper.
But most of all, when anyone needs my help, I want them to be able to find me. That is people in the fellowship, and friends outside. In my life I have helped several people through referral from employers and friends outside the fellowship who I had told of my membership. Several others who I knew when drinking and who found out about my membership in AA when I went back with step nine, were later inspired to come to AA with their own problems.
A reported converstaion which still makes me smile was a discussion between some old workmates about whether one of them they should to try AA. One of the guys said "Well, it worked for Mike ... and he was f$**n baaad!"
It would seem anonymity as as much a check on ego as anything else. No fame, no celebrity, no status. Just a sincere desire to be helpful.
But when we come to the traditions, we ought to maintain anonymity at the level of press, radio, films, TV and probably internet. Dr Bob ince said to maintain it at any other level would also be a breach of that tradition. Why did he say that?
Well, I could be so anonymous that I can't help anyone. I have been to hospitals and hospices to visit members. Sometimes I have to give up because a description -"you know? Bob with the hair?" doesn't always identify the person. If I am in hospital, I would like my AA buddies to be able to visit.
When I kick the bucket I hope some of my AA buddies will come to my funeral, but they will have to see the notice in the paper.
But most of all, when anyone needs my help, I want them to be able to find me. That is people in the fellowship, and friends outside. In my life I have helped several people through referral from employers and friends outside the fellowship who I had told of my membership. Several others who I knew when drinking and who found out about my membership in AA when I went back with step nine, were later inspired to come to AA with their own problems.
A reported converstaion which still makes me smile was a discussion between some old workmates about whether one of them they should to try AA. One of the guys said "Well, it worked for Mike ... and he was f$**n baaad!"
It would seem anonymity as as much a check on ego as anything else. No fame, no celebrity, no status. Just a sincere desire to be helpful.
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