October 24
The Person With Less at Stake
Someone objects to a plan we favor, and we can afford to listen. Our position in the group is comfortable. The person raising the objection may not feel nearly so secure. Perhaps they are newer, have a service role they value, or depend on the goodwill of someone strongly supporting the plan. Speaking has different costs for different people.
The right to raise a concern means little if the price is quietly collected afterward. A colder greeting, a joke at someone's expense, or exclusion from the next conversation can teach the whole room what dissent costs. Concept Five's protection against reprisal asks us to notice more than whether a person was permitted to finish speaking. Those of us with less to lose have a particular opportunity to keep ordinary friendliness intact. We need not agree with the objection to refuse to make its author pay for having voiced it.
What happens to people here after they raise an unwelcome concern?
They still deserve the same welcome at the next meeting.
For the A.A. nerds: Twelve Concepts for World Service, Concept V.