Tradition 10 · October 21

Sober as a Judge

Daily Traditions · October 21

The threat

He put it in his own advertising. Bill W. (A.A. pamphlet P-17): "We were next startled to learn that we had been drawn into partisan politics, this time for the benefit of a single individual. Running for public office, a member splashed his political advertising with the fact that he was an A.A. and, by inference, sober as a judge!" Look at what he was actually selling. Not a policy — a character reference, and the strongest one available to him. In a state where A.A. was well thought of, membership was proof that a man had faced the worst thing about himself and beaten it. Bill W. put the calculation plainly (A.A. Comes of Age): "A.A. being popular in his state, he thought it would help him win on election day." He was very likely right. That is what makes this the hardest of the early cases to feel angry about: he told no lie, injured nobody directly, and used a true fact about his own life. But the fact was not only about his own life. Every voter who read that advertisement learned that A.A. membership was something a candidate could run on — and therefore something an opponent would have to answer.

Sit with

He told no lie and hurt no one directly; he simply used a true fact about himself that turned out not to be only about himself. What true thing about me belongs partly to other people?

Grounded in: P-17, p. 55.

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 20Outvoted by the Budget Tradition 10All of October October 22 →Kind Ones, Of Course

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).