Tradition 12: Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all these Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.
I went searching for a picture that would help me to relate the principle to this and this title just summed it up!! Anonymity is very hard to understand if you have never heard of it before. Often we do it without even thinking about it... but for me it was something I had to work on. You see, it was easier to put the blame on someone else than to say I did something wrong. I was always wrong and I didn't want them to have cause to believe it again. So... I would usually use someone else as a "scape goat",
Anonymity (according to Wikipedia) is derived from the Greek word ανωνυμία, meaning "without a name" or "namelessness". In colloquial use, the term typically refers to a person, and often means that the personal identity, or personally identifiable information of that person is not known. So, when we say that we choose to use it over principles and personalities, that means that what is said is more important than the person who said it.
Some people think that if they speak, that is what is the most important. Even if someone else is talking, they will interrupt or just talk after them discounting what the other person said. In OA, we need to support each other. We do this by sharing our experience strength and hope without making the other person think we are "gods". Truth is... there is only One God... our HP and He will be the one who makes the final decisions!
We need to use anonymity wherever we are. We can't go to another group and say that" so and so said this needed to be done this way not what you are saying." We just listen, use what we can use and learn from it. If the person has said something wrong, we use OA approved literature to base our statements... not another OA'er. That way we are all heard and not prejudice ever enters in. We are all the same!
I think this would be ideal to have at our homes. That would cause only one problem... I couldn't say "just wait till your father gets home!" anymore. LOL
Have a blessed day!!
Hugs...Cindy D in WV
I went searching for a picture that would help me to relate the principle to this and this title just summed it up!! Anonymity is very hard to understand if you have never heard of it before. Often we do it without even thinking about it... but for me it was something I had to work on. You see, it was easier to put the blame on someone else than to say I did something wrong. I was always wrong and I didn't want them to have cause to believe it again. So... I would usually use someone else as a "scape goat",
Anonymity (according to Wikipedia) is derived from the Greek word ανωνυμία, meaning "without a name" or "namelessness". In colloquial use, the term typically refers to a person, and often means that the personal identity, or personally identifiable information of that person is not known. So, when we say that we choose to use it over principles and personalities, that means that what is said is more important than the person who said it.
Some people think that if they speak, that is what is the most important. Even if someone else is talking, they will interrupt or just talk after them discounting what the other person said. In OA, we need to support each other. We do this by sharing our experience strength and hope without making the other person think we are "gods". Truth is... there is only One God... our HP and He will be the one who makes the final decisions!
We need to use anonymity wherever we are. We can't go to another group and say that" so and so said this needed to be done this way not what you are saying." We just listen, use what we can use and learn from it. If the person has said something wrong, we use OA approved literature to base our statements... not another OA'er. That way we are all heard and not prejudice ever enters in. We are all the same!
I think this would be ideal to have at our homes. That would cause only one problem... I couldn't say "just wait till your father gets home!" anymore. LOL
Have a blessed day!!
Hugs...Cindy D in WV
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