As Bill Sees It - 3rd March 2026

A Different Swinging Door, p. 62

When a drunk shows up among us and says that he doesn't like the A.A. principles, people, or service management, when he declares that he can do better somewhere else–we are not worried. We simply say, “Maybe your case really is different. Why don’t you try something else?”

If an A.A. member says he doesn't like his own group, we are not disturbed. We simply say, “Why don’t you try another one? Or start one of your own.”

To those who wish to secede from A.A. altogether, we extend a cheerful invitation to do just that. If they can do better by other means, we are glad. If after trial they cannot do better, we know they face a choice: They can go mad or die or they can return to A.A. The decision is wholly theirs. (As a matter of fact, most of them do come back.)

Twelve Conceptions, p. 72