“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?
Step 3 · Surrender