From the books ... Alcoholics Anonymous (Big Book) and Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions (12 & 12)
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to view the Big Book or 12&12 chapter, or Grapevine text1.
... better.
BB
More About Alcoholism, p.30
2.
... better.
BB
Into Action, p.75
3.
... better?
BB
Into Action, p.86
What could we have done better?
4.
... better.
BB
Working With Others, p.92
5.
... better.
BB
Working With Others, p.94
6.
... better.
BB
To Wives, p.109
7.
... better.
BB
To Wives, p.120
8.
... better.
BB
To Employers, p.141
If you are sure your man does not
want to stop, he may as well be discharged, the sooner the better.
9.
... better.
BB
To Employers, p.147
So, for one reason or another, they cover these men, hoping matters will take a turn for the better.
10.
... better.
12&12
Step Two, p.30
11.
... better.
12&12
Step Three, pp.37-38
Each of us has had his own near-fatal encounter with the juggernaut of self-will, and has suffered enough under its weight to be willing to look for something better.
12.
... better.
12&12
Tradition Two, p.137
13.
... better able
to understand Him.
12&12
Step Twelve, p.109
The persistent use of meditation and prayer, we
found, did open the channel so that where there had been a trickle, there now was a river which led to sure power and safe guidance from God as we were increasingly
better able to understand Him.
14.
... better and
happier.
12&12
Step Ten, pp.89-90
For these minutes and sometimes hours spent in self-examination are bound to make all the other hours of our day better and happier.
15.
... better, and
his wife would leave him ...
12&12
Tradition Five, pp.151-152
He shouts that if his partner would treat him better, and his wife would leave him alone, he'd soon solve his alcohol problem.
16.
... better, and
resolve with God's help to ...
12&12
Step Ten, p.94
Here we need only recognize that we did act or think badly, try to visualize how we might
have done better, and resolve with God's help to carry these lessons over into tomorrow, making, of course, any amends still neglected.
17.
... better, as
everyone should have a clear ...
BB
To Wives, p.112
You think he ought to know the subject better, as everyone should have a
clear understanding of
the risk he takes if he drinks too much.
18.
... better as
he tried to improve his ...
12&12
Step Eleven, pp.104-105
Almost any experienced A.A. will tell how his affairs have taken remarkable and unexpected turns for the
better as he tried to improve his conscious contact with God.
19.
... better attitude
toward him, we are still ...
BB
Into Action, p.77
It may be he has done us more harm than we have done him and, though we may have acquired a
better attitude toward him, we are still not too
keen about admitting our faults.
20.
... better basis,
since the former did not ...
BB
Working With Others, p.99
If their old relationship
is to be resumed it must be
on a better basis, since the former did not work.
21.
... better be
found out right away.
BB
To Wives, p.120
22.
... better be
postponed, when possible, to times ...
12&12
Step Ten, pp.90-91
The consideration of long-standing difficulties had better be
postponed, when possible, to times deliberately set aside for that purpose.
23.
... better bet.
BB
Working With Others, p.91
24.
... better, by
as direct contact as possible.
12&12
Step Twelve, p.108
In Step Eleven we saw that if a Higher Power had restored us to sanity and had enabled us to
live with some peace of mind in a sorely troubled world, then such a Higher Power was worth knowing better, by as direct contact as possible.
25.
... better Catholics."
BB
Appendix V, The Religious View on A.A., p.572
There is something spiritual about A.A. too, and Catholic participation
in it almost invariably
results in poor Catholics becoming better Catholics."
26.
... better chance
of getting what we really ...
12&12
Step Seven, p.72
With a proper display of honesty and morality, we'd
stand a better chance of getting what we really wanted.
27.
... better chance
of understanding and accepting what ...
BB
The Doctor's Opinion, p.xxvi
More often than not, it is imperative that a man's brain be cleared before he is approached, as
he has then a better chance of
understanding and accepting what we have to offer.
28.
... better chance
that the head of the ...
BB
Working With Others, p.97
Should they accept and practice spiritual principles, there is a much
better chance that the head of the family will recover.
29.
... better do
one thing supremely well than ...
12&12
Tradition Five, p.150
30.
Better do
one thing well than many ...
12&12
Contents (Tradition Five), p.10
31.
... better do
some Twelfth Step work.
12&12
Tradition Five, p.151
32.
... better do
Thy will.
BB
How It Works, p.63
33.
... better for
him to feel fully responsible.
BB
To Employers, p.143
34.
... better for
us than some of our ...
12&12
Tradition Eleven, p.182
There was actually a time
when the press of America thought the anonymity of A.A. was better for us than some of
our own members did.
35.
... better get
his brand of spirituality while ...
BB
The Family Afterward, p.128
He may tell mother, who has
been religious all her life, that she doesn't know what
it's all about, and that she had better get his brand of spirituality while there
is yet time.
36.
... better go
to Canada.
BB
Bill's Story, p.4
37.
... better hang
on to it.
BB
Bill's Story, p.14
But you had better hang on to
it.
38.
... better. Having
a better time."
BB
A Vision For You, p.151
Now and then a serious drinker, being dry at the moment says, "I don't miss it at all. Feel better. Work better. Having a better time."
39.
... better, however,
that one does not needlessly ...
BB
Into Action, p.82
40.
... better husbands
and fathers than ever before.
BB
To Wives, p.108
41.
... better idea
of how you ought to ...
BB
Working With Others, p.91
42.
... better if
placed in such physical condition ...
BB
To Employers, p.143
Your man will fare better if placed in such physical condition that he
can think straight and no longer craves liquor.
43.
... better in
order to keep our balance.
12&12
Step Ten, p.92
Although these attitudes are common enough, we A.A.'s find we need something much better in order to keep our balance.
44.
... better, it
is usually safe to talk ...
12&12
Step Nine, p.85
As soon as we begin to feel confident in our new way of life and have begun, by our behavior and example, to convince those about us that
we are indeed changing for
the better, it is usually safe to talk in complete frankness with those who have been seriously
affected, even those who may be only a little
or not at all aware of what we have done to them.
45.
... better job
of living than he has.
12&12
Step Twelve, p.118
46.
... better jobs
when we deserved them; we ...
12&12
Step Twelve, p.121
We forgot that most alcoholics in A.A. have an earning power considerably above average; we forgot the immense goodwill of our brother A.A.'s who were only too
eager to help us to better jobs when we deserved them; we forgot the
actual or potential financial insecurity of
every human being in the world.
47.
... better leave.
BB
To Wives, p.108
48.
... better life
is when lived on a ...
BB
To Wives, p.116
49.
Better men
than we are using it ...
BB
Into Action, p.85
50.
... better motive,
had we not worshipfully beheld ...
BB
We Agnostics, p.54
51.
... better motive
than to be secure and ...
12&12
Step Six, p.67
And how often we work hard with no better motive than to be secure and slothful later on -- only we call that "retiring."
52.
... better next
time, but I might as ...
BB
Bill's Story, p.6
As the whisky rose to my head I told myself I would manage better next time, but I might as well get good and drunk then.
53.
... better philosophy
of life were sufficient to ...
BB
We Agnostics, p.44
If a mere code of morals or a better philosophy of life were sufficient to overcome alcoholism, many of us would
have recovered long ago.
54.
... better position.
BB
To Employers, p.146
An alcoholic who has recovered, but holds a relatively unimportant
job, can talk to a man with a better position.
55.
... better practical
use of it.
BB
The Family Afterward, p.130
Nothing will help the man who is off on a spiritual tangent so much as the wife who adopts a sane spiritual program, making a better practical use of it.
56.
... better qualified
to handle it.
12&12
Step Ten, p.90
57.
... better realization
of the gravity of the ...
BB
Working With Others, p.103
Some day we hope that Alcoholics Anonymous will help the public to a better realization of the gravity of the alcoholic problem, but we shall be of little use if our attitude is one of bitterness or hostility.
58.
... better researcher,
educator, personnel officer, then why ...
12&12
Tradition Eight, p.171
If an A.A. member acting as a citizen can become a better researcher, educator, personnel officer, then why not?
59.
... better return
and continue my work.
BB
Doctor Bob's Nightmare, p.173
When I got the fog out of my brain, I decided that quitting school was very foolish and that I had better return and continue my work.
60.
... better self.
BB
To Wives, p.108
61.
... better taught
in religious matters than I.
12&12
Tradition Five, p.153
62.
... better than
anything we could have planned.
BB
Working With Others, p.100
When we look back, we realize that the things which
came to us when we put ourselves in God's hands were better than anything we could have planned.
63.
... better than
gold.
BB
The Family Afterward, p.129
64.
... better than
most of my fellow drinkers, ...
BB
Doctor Bob's Nightmare, p.172
I seemed to be able to snap back the next morning better than most of my fellow drinkers, who were cursed (or
perhaps blessed) with a great deal of morning-after nausea.
65.
... better than
the best he had ever ...
BB
Bill's Story, p.11
Then he had, in effect, been raised from the dead, suddenly taken from the scrap heap to a level of life better than the best he had ever known!
66.
... better than
the way you were."
BB
Bill's Story, p.14
67.
... better that
he have no relapse at ...
BB
To Wives, p.120
Though it is infinitely
better that he have no relapse at all, as has been true
with many of our men, it is by no means a bad
thing in some cases.
68.
... better, the
doctor might suggest a visit ...
BB
Working With Others, p.91
69.
... better things.
12&12
Step Twelve, p.111
These will appear as big setbacks at the time, but will be seen later as stepping-stones to better things.
70.
... better things.
12&12
Tradition Four, p.149
71.
... better things
tomorrow will be the permanent ...
12&12
Step Ten, p.95
An honest regret for harms done, a genuine gratitude for blessings received, and a
willingness to try for
better things tomorrow will be the permanent assets we shall seek.
72.
... better things,
we believe we will be ...
BB
How It Works, p.70
If we are sorry for what we have done, and have the honest desire to let God take us to better things, we believe we will be forgiven and will have learned our lesson.
73.
... better time."
BB
A Vision For You, p.151
Now and then a serious drinker, being dry at the moment says, "I don't miss it at all. Feel better. Work better. Having a better time."
74.
... better to
comfort than to be comforted, ...
12&12
Step Eleven, p.103
At these critical moments, if we remind ourselves that "it is better
to comfort than to be comforted, to understand
than to be understood, to love than to be loved," we will be following the intent of Step Eleven.
75.
... better to
forgive than to be forgiven.
12&12
Step Eleven, p.101
He thought it better to give comfort than to receive it; better to understand than to be understood; better to forgive than to be forgiven.
76.
... better to
give comfort than to receive ...
12&12
Step Eleven, p.101
He thought it better to give comfort than to receive it; better to understand than to be understood; better to forgive than to be forgiven.
77.
... better to
let our friends do this ...
12&12
Tradition Eleven, p.181
Obviously, A.A. had to be publicized somehow, so we
resorted to the idea that it
would be far better to let our friends do this for us.
78.
... better to
let our friends recommend us.
BB
Appendix I, The A.A. Tradition, p.565
79.
... better to
let our friends recommend us.
12&12
Tradition Eleven (Long), p.192
80.
... better to
let someone outside the family ...
BB
To Wives, p.113
81.
... better to
meet God alone than with ...
BB
How It Works, p.63
82.
... better to
risk it.
BB
Working With Others, p.90
The family may object to
this, but unless he is in a dangerous physical condition, it is better to risk it.
83.
... better to
take those risks than to ...
BB
Into Action, p.80
After consulting with his
wife and partner he came to the conclusion that
it was better to take those risks than to stand before his Creator guilty of such ruinous slander.
84.
... better to
understand than to be understood; ...
12&12
Step Eleven, p.101
He thought it better to give comfort than to receive it; better to understand than to be understood; better to forgive than to be forgiven.
85.
... better understand
the alcoholic.
BB
Foreword to First Edition, p.xiii
86.
... better understanding
all around.
BB
To Wives, p.115
87.
... better understanding
all around.
BB
To Employers, p.137
We think the business fabric is shot through with a situation
which might be helped by better understanding all around.
88.
... better use
everyday language to describe spiritual ...
BB
Working With Others, p.93
When dealing with such a person, you had better use everyday language to describe spiritual principles.
89.
... better way
of life will emerge when ...
BB
To Wives, p.117
90.
... better way
-- we think so.
BB
How It Works, p.68
91.
... better, we'd
be all right.
12&12
Step Four, p.45
92.
... better we'd
like it.
12&12
Tradition Six, p.156
We'd form groups of depressive and paranoid
folks; the deeper the neurosis, the better we'd like it.
93.
... better, when
possible, to stick to our ...
BB
The Family Afterward, p.125
94.
... better without
its "God nonsense."
12&12
Tradition Three, p.143
95.
... better. Work
better. Having a better time."
BB
A Vision For You, p.151
Now and then a serious drinker, being dry at the moment says, "I don't miss it at all. Feel better. Work better. Having a better time."
96.
... better work
with another alcoholic instead!
BB
Working With Others, p.102
97.
... better, you
may feel this feeling rising.
BB
To Employers, p.139
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