Know-It-All (KIAA)

Know-It-All (KIAA)

For those who believe they know it all—and are ready to recover.

12 steps

1. We admitted we had become powerless over our need to always be right — that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to true wisdom.

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our need to control over to the care of that Higher Power.

4. Made a searching and fearless inventory of our beliefs, assumptions, and false certainties.

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

6. Became entirely ready to have these defects of superiority and know-it-all-ism removed.

7. Humbly asked Him to remove our obsession with being right.

8. Made a list of all the people we corrected, dismissed, or belittled and became willing to make amends to them all.

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

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we slipped back into know-it-all behaviors, promptly admitted it.

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with true wisdom, seeking knowledge of what to share and when to simply listen.

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other know-it-alls, and to practice humility in all our affairs.

13th Step Safeguard

We guard against using our newfound humility to secretly feel superior to others who still struggle. Our growth is in continual practice, not secret pride.

12 Traditions

1. Our common welfare should come first; personal ego depends on group unity.

2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a Higher Wisdom—as expressed through our group conscience.

3. The only requirement for KIAA membership is a desire to stop being a know-it-all.

4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or KIAA as a whole.

5. Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the know-it-all who still suffers.

6. KIAA ought never endorse, finance or lend the KIAA name to any related facility or outside enterprise.

7. Every KIAA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.

8. KIAA should remain forever non-professional, but our service centers may employ special workers.

9. KIAA as such ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.

10. KIAA has no opinion on outside issues; hence the KIAA name ought never be drawn into public controversy.

11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion.

12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

12 Promises

1. We will experience the freedom of not having to control every conversation.

2. We will know peace even when we do not have the final word.

3. We will respect others' viewpoints without needing to correct them.

4. We will lose the need to always be “the smartest person in the room.”

5. We will discover the power of true listening.

6. Our relationships will heal as we practice humility.

7. We will accept that it’s okay not to know everything.

8. We will find joy in learning from others.

9. Our minds will become open to true wisdom, not just information.

10. We will let go of the fear of being seen as wrong.

11. We will be comfortable saying "I don’t know."

12. We will know serenity in being teachable and open.

Slogans

• Progress, Not Perfection.

• Would I rather be right or be happy?

• Pause, Listen, Learn.

• Humility is my superpower.

• Knowledge speaks, wisdom listens.

Acronyms

• KIAA – Know-It-All Anonymous

• EGO – Edging Growth Out

• LISTEN – Let Information Settle, Then Embrace Newness

PAUSE – Pay Attention Until Serenity Emerges

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Preamble

Know-It-All Anonymous (KIAA) Preamble

Know-It-All Anonymous is a fellowship of individuals who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other, that they may overcome the obsession to always be right, and help others to do the same. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop being a know-it-all.

There are no dues or fees for KIAA membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. KIAA is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization, or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to practice humility, to grow in wisdom, and to help other know-it-alls find freedom from the burden of needing to know everything.

Here, we learn to listen before we speak, to ask questions rather than give answers, and to find peace in not having to control every conversation. We surrender the illusion of knowing it all, and open ourselves to the gift of true learning and connection.

Opening Reading

Know-It-All Anonymous (KIAA) Opening Reading

Welcome to Know-It-All Anonymous.

Many of us came here believing we had all the answers. We spent years correcting, advising, and teaching others, often without being asked. Our need to always be right isolated us from real connection, limited our growth, and left us trapped in frustration when others did not see things our way.

In KIAA, we learn a new way of living. We admit that we don’t know it all — and that’s okay. We learn to listen with open minds, to share with humility, and to receive wisdom from others and from a Power greater than ourselves. We discover that true strength comes not from having all the answers, but from being teachable and present.

As we work these steps, we find freedom from the burden of always needing to control. We replace judgment with curiosity, arrogance with humility, and isolation with connection.

No longer bound by the fear of being wrong, we walk together — one conversation, one interaction, one moment at a time — into a life of peace, growth, and true understanding.

Keep coming back. It works when we stay open.