San Francisco Sober Living & Recovery Directory

“First of all, we had to quit playing God. It didn’t work.” — Alcoholics Anonymous (1939) · Chapter 5 · How It Works

From Chapter 5, immediately before the Third Step decision — the book’s blunt summary of every self-directed plan that came before it.

“It didn’t work” might be the driest joke in the whole book. We ran the experiment for years — controlling outcomes, scripting other people, forcing solutions — and collected the data personally. Step Three isn’t about becoming religious; it’s about resigning from a job you were never qualified for. What’s one outcome you can hand back today?

Quote from the 1939 first edition of Alcoholics Anonymous (public domain). Reflection provided by Sober Network and shared across its directories. This site is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.