From the books ... Alcoholics Anonymous (Big Book) and Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions (12 & 12)
Click
to display the full page from the Big Book1.
... why.
BB p.87,
Into Action
2.
... why.
BB p.110,
To Wives
3.
... why?
BB p.122,
The Family Afterward
And why?
4.
... why A.A.
functions as a society.
12&12 p.16,
Foreword
5.
... why alcohol
disagrees with you.
BB p.102,
Working With Others
6.
... why all
this concern for everyone in ...
BB p.128,
The Family Afterward
If he means to right his past wrongs, why all this concern for everyone in the world but
his family?
7.
Why all
this insistence that every A.A. ...
12&12 p.24,
Step One
8.
... "Why can't
'God as we understand Him' ...
12&12 p.59,
Step Five
9.
Why can't
he?"
BB p.20,
There Is A Solution
Why can't he?"
10.
Why can't
he stay on the water ...
BB p.22,
There Is A Solution
11.
... "Why can't
we take a specific and ...
12&12 p.103,
Step Eleven
Of course, it is reasonable and understandable that the question is often asked: "Why can't we take a specific and troubling dilemma straight to God, and in prayer secure from Him sure and definite answers to our requests?"
12.
Why could
they not see that drink ...
BB p.107,
To Wives
13.
Why did
A.A. finally drop all its ...
12&12 p.141,
Tradition Three
14.
Why did
we dare to say, contrary ...
12&12 p.141,
Tradition Three
Why did we dare to say, contrary to the experience of society
and government everywhere, that we would neither punish nor deprive any A.A. of membership, that we must never compel anyone to pay anything, believe anything, or conform to anything?
15.
Why did
we leave it to each ...
12&12 p.141,
Tradition Three
Why did we leave it to each newcomer to decide himself whether he was an alcoholic and whether he
should join us?
16.
... why do
I lack the ability to ...
12&12 p.52,
Step Four
Or, if my disturbance was seemingly caused by the behavior of others, why do I lack the ability to accept conditions I cannot change?
17.
Why do
we have to think of ...
12&12 p.79,
Step Eight
18.
Why do
we need to bring anyone ...
12&12 p.59,
Step Five
19.
Why does
he?
BB p.35,
More About Alcoholism
Why does he?
20.
Why does
he behave like this?
BB p.22,
There Is A Solution
21.
Why don't
we make our admissions to ...
12&12 p.59,
Step Five
22.
... "Why don't
you choose your own conception ...
BB p.12,
Bill's Story
23.
"Why don't
you drink like a gentleman ...
BB p.20,
There Is A Solution
24.
... why don't
you have a go at ...
12&12 p.152,
Tradition Five
25.
... why don't
you move your work in ...
12&12 p.136,
Tradition Two
26.
"Why don't
you try beer and wine?"
BB p.20,
There Is A Solution
27.
Why don't
you try some more controlled ...
12&12 p.23,
Step One
Why don't you try some more controlled drinking, bearing in mind meanwhile what we have
told you about alcoholism?"
28.
Why, he
argued, should he lose the ...
BB p.155,
A Vision For You
Why, he argued, should he lose the remainder of his business, only to bring still more suffering to his family by
foolishly admitting
his plight to people from
whom he made his livelihood?
29.
... why he
could not recover.
BB p.26,
There Is A Solution
30.
... why he
need not follow all of ...
BB p.94,
Working With Others
31.
... why he
should believe in a Power ...
BB p.48,
We Agnostics
32.
... why he
started on that last bender, ...
BB p.23,
There Is A Solution
If you ask him why he started on that last bender, the chances are he
will offer you any one of a hundred alibis.
33.
... why he
took that first drink than ...
BB p.23,
There Is A Solution
And the truth, strange to
say, is usually that he has
no more idea why he took that first drink than you have.
34.
... why his
own convictions have not worked ...
BB p.93,
Working With Others
But he will be curious to
learn why his own convictions have not worked and why yours seem to work so well.
35.
... why, in
the face of expert opinion ...
BB p.20,
There Is A Solution
Doubtless you are curious to discover how
and why, in the face of expert opinion to the contrary, we have recovered from a hopeless condition of mind and body.
36.
... why is
it he takes that one ...
BB p.22,
There Is A Solution
If hundreds of experiences have shown
him that one drink means another debacle with all its attendant suffering and
humiliation, why is it
he takes that one drink?
37.
Why is
it, they ask, that in ...
12&12 p.16,
Foreword
Why is it, they ask, that in A.A. no member can be set in personal authority over another, that nothing like a central government can
anywhere be seen?
38.
... why it
is that all of us ...
BB p.20,
There Is A Solution
39.
... why it
should be to anyone else, ...
BB p.139,
To Employers
40.
Why lay
ourselves open to being branded ...
BB p.77,
Into Action
41.
... why living
was so unsatisfactory.
BB p.51,
We Agnostics
42.
... why not?
12&12 p.171,
Tradition Eight
If an A.A. member acting as a citizen can become a better researcher, educator,
personnel officer,
then why not?
43.
... why not?
BB p.150,
To Employers
But why not?
44.
Why not
at least afford him an ...
BB p.138,
To Employers
45.
Why not
bring him into contact with ...
BB p.138,
To Employers
46.
Why not
I?
BB p.2,
Bill's Story
Why not I?
47.
... why not
sit hopefully at a table, ...
BB p.154,
A Vision For You
Of course he couldn't drink, but why not sit hopefully at a table, a bottle of ginger ale before him?
48.
... why of
it.
BB p.62,
How It Works
This is the how and why of it.
49.
... why, once
a certain point is reached, ...
BB p.22,
There Is A Solution
50.
... why one
should have faith.
BB p.51,
We Agnostics
When many hundreds of people are able to say that the consciousness of the Presence of God is today the most important fact of their lives, they present a powerful reason why one should have faith.
51.
... why should
I bother?"
12&12 p.164,
Tradition Seven
Relieved of responsibility, every
alcoholic would shrug
and say, "Oh, the Foundation is wealthy --
why should I bother?"
52.
Why should
we be bothered with theological ...
12&12 p.29,
Step Two
Why should we be bothered
with theological abstractions and religious duties, or with
the state of our souls here or hereafter?
53.
Why shouldn't
I do as well as ...
12&12 p.137,
Tradition Two
Why shouldn't I do as well as
they?
54.
... why shouldn't
their membership be publicized, thereby ...
12&12 p.182,
Tradition Eleven
Provided they were willing -- and many were --
why shouldn't their membership be publicized, thereby encouraging others to join us?
55.
... why shouldn't
we laugh?
BB p.132,
The Family Afterward
But why shouldn't we laugh?
56.
... why shouldn't
we share our way of ...
12&12 p.156,
Tradition Six
57.
... why shouldn't
we start out by forgiving ...
12&12 p.78,
Step Eight
If we are now about to ask forgiveness for ourselves, why shouldn't we
start out by forgiving them, one and all?
58.
Why sit
with a long face in ...
BB p.102,
Working With Others
59.
Why --
that is perfection!"
12&12 p.68,
Step Six
Why -- that is perfection!"
60.
... why the
alcoholic reacts differently from normal ...
BB p.22,
There Is A Solution
61.
... why the
first edition of the book ...
12&12 p.22,
Step One
That is why the first edition of the book "Alcoholics Anonymous,"
published when our membership was small, dealt with low-bottom cases only.
62.
... why their
love and devotion did not ...
BB p.128,
The Family Afterward
63.
... why then
shouldn't we be able to ...
12&12 p.64,
Step Six
Having been granted a perfect release from alcoholism, why then
shouldn't we be able to achieve by the same means a perfect release from every other difficulty or defect?
64.
... why they
commenced to drink again, they ...
BB p.107,
To Wives
65.
... why they
do it.
BB p.23,
There Is A Solution
66.
... why they
fell.
BB p.73,
Into Action
67.
Why they
should be subjected to the ...
BB p.178,
Doctor Bob's Nightmare
68.
... why they
were making heavy going of ...
BB p.51,
We Agnostics
Once confused and baffled by the seeming futility of existence,
they show the underlying
reasons why they were making heavy going of life.
69.
... why this
private room?
BB p.157,
A Vision For You
70.
Why this
ready acceptance?
BB p.48,
We Agnostics
71.
Why was
it, when these dangers were ...
BB p.107,
To Wives
Why was it, when these dangers were pointed out that they agreed, and then
got drunk again immediately?
72.
Why was
this?
BB p.26,
There Is A Solution
Why was this?
73.
... why waste
time with him?
BB p.142,
To Employers
74.
... why we
are anxious that you understand, ...
BB p.121,
To Wives
That is why we are anxious
that you understand, and that you avoid these unnecessary
difficulties.(*)
75.
Why, we
cried, shouldn't bygones be bygones?
12&12 p.79,
Step Eight
76.
... why we
had them.
BB p.68,
How It Works
77.
... why we
have to do it.
BB p.75,
Into Action
78.
... why we
say our former thinking was ...
BB p.53,
We Agnostics
Hence we are at pains to tell why we think our present faith is reasonable, why we think it more sane and logical to believe than not
to believe, why we say our former thinking was soft and mushy when we threw up our hands in doubt and said, "We don't know."
79.
... why we
should do so.
BB p.72,
Into Action
We will be more reconciled to discussing ourselves
with another person when
we see good reasons why we should do so.
80.
... why we
shouldn't apply to our human ...
BB p.52,
We Agnostics
We had to ask ourselves
why we shouldn't apply to our
human problems this same readiness to change our point of view.
81.
... why we
think it more sane and ...
BB p.53,
We Agnostics
Hence we are at pains to tell why we think our present faith is reasonable, why we think it more sane and logical to believe than not
to believe, why we say our former thinking was soft and mushy when we threw up our hands in doubt and said, "We don't know."
82.
... why we
think our present faith is ...
BB p.53,
We Agnostics
Hence we are at pains to tell why we think our present faith is reasonable, why we think it more sane and logical to believe than not
to believe, why we say our former thinking was soft and mushy when we threw up our hands in doubt and said, "We don't know."
83.
Why, we
thought, our Society of Alcoholics ...
12&12 p.156,
Tradition Six
Why, we thought, our Society of Alcoholics Anonymous might prove to be
the spearhead of a new spiritual advance!
84.
... why we
thought we deserved a pile ...
12&12 p.160,
Tradition Seven
When you add to this the habitual supposition
that people ought to give money to alcoholics trying to stay sober, it can be understood why we thought we deserved a pile of folding money.
85.
... why we
were angry.
BB p.64,
How It Works
86.
... why would
we consume such great amounts ...
12&12 p.67,
Step Six
Else why would we consume such great amounts of time wishing for what we have
not, rather than working
for it, or angrily looking for attributes
we shall never have, instead of adjusting to
the fact, and accepting
it?
87.
... why wouldn't
he be ideal?
12&12 p.157,
Tradition Six
88.
... why you
are now endeavoring to be ...
BB p.94,
Working With Others
Outline the program of
action, explaining how
you made a self-appraisal, how you straightened out your past and why you are now endeavoring to be helpful to him.
89.
... why you
should neglect his family.
BB p.97,
Working With Others
90.
... why you
should starve meanwhile.
12&12 p.136,
Tradition Two
Some day this bunch of ex-drunks of yours will fill Madison Square Garden, and I don't see why you should starve meanwhile.
91.
... why yours
seem to work so well.
BB p.93,
Working With Others
But he will be curious to
learn why his own convictions have not worked and why yours seem to work so well.
Passages from the Big Book Alcoholics Anonymous
and the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
are reprinted with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.
The A.A. Preamble, copyright ©
The A.A. Grapevine, Inc., is reprinted with permission.
Permission to reprint does not in any way imply affiliation with or
endorsement by either Alcoholics Anonymous or The A.A. Grapevine, Inc.
Copyright © 2005-2012, Recovery Press LLC; All Rights Reserved.