Love and Tolerance 

of 

Others is our Code


The AA 12 Step Spiritual Principles 

(as found in the 12 &12 and the Big Book)


Bill W. considered each step to be a spiritual principle in and of itself, however, particularly in the 12 & 12, he outlined the spiritual principles behind each step.  The most important of these is Humility.


Core Spiritual Principles Of The Program:  Willingness, Open-Mindedness, Honesty, Humility


AA's Code:  Love And Tolerance Of Others

1. We admitted that we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable. 

Acceptance, Admission of Defeat, Open-mindedness, Willingness, Honesty, Humility

2.   Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. 

Open-mindedness, Humility, Acceptance

3.   Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, as we understood him. 

Willingness, Humility

4.   Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. 

Honesty, Fearlessness, Willingness, Humility

5.   Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. 

Humility, Willingness, Honesty, Forgiveness, Open-mindedness, Acceptance, Prudence, Serenity

6.   Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. 

Willingness, Honesty, Open-mindedness, Acceptance, Humility

7.   Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. 

Humility, Willingness, Open-mindedness

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. 

Forgiveness, Calmness, Brotherhood, Thoroughness, Responsibility, Honesty, Humility,  Acceptance,Tolerance, Objective

9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 

Good Judgment, Courage, Prudence, Patience, Sincerity, Forthright, Generous, Responsibility, Avoid Harm,Willingness, Humility

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. 

Discipline, Acceptance, Patience, Persistence, Self-restraint, Honesty, Humility, Willingness, Forgiveness,Fair-minded, Tolerance, Love, Kindness, Justice, Courtesy, Understanding, Helpfulness, Gratitude

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry that out. 

Humility, Willingness, Love, Forgiveness, Harmony, Truth, Faith, Hope, Compassion, Understanding, Self-forgetting, Strength, Wisdom, Serenity

12.  Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others, especially alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs. 

Love, Honesty, Humility, Open-mindedness, Willingness, Tolerance, Unselfishness, Strength, Serenity,Giving, Fortitude, Faith, Brotherhood, Service, Understanding, Courage, Wisdom, Gratitude, Acceptance