THE PERILS OF THE LIMELIGHT

November 27 – Daily Reflections

In  the  beginning,  the  press  could  not  understand  our refusal  of  all  personal  publicity.  They  were  genuinely baffled by our insistence upon anonymity. Then they got the point. Here was something rare in the world —a society which said it wished to publicize its principles and its work, but not its individual  members.  The press was delighted with this attitude. Ever since, these friends have reported A.A. with an enthusiasm which the most ardent members would find hard to match.  TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 182

It is essential for my personal survival and that of the Fellowship  that  I  not  use  A.A.  to  put  myself  in  the limelight. Anonymity is a way for me to work on my humility. Since pride is one of my most dangerous shortcomings, practicing humility is one of the best ways to overcome it. The Fellowship of A.A. gains worldwide recognition by its various methods of publicizing its principles and its work, not by its individual members advertising themselves. The attraction created by my changing attitudes and my altruism contributes much more to the welfare of A.A. than self-promotion.