The Little Purple Notebook On How To Escape From This Universe
Copyleft � 1999 by Maximilian J. Sandor
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Website:
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This article, written by Frank Gordon,
http://www.worldtrans.org/fgordon/ , is from Part II of TERRA
INCOGNITA, a series of articles entitled "Another Look at Basics"
which have been published in International Viewpoints (IVy) and
which examines many of the fundamentals of Hubbard's popularized
epistemology.
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Another Look at Basics #21
by Frank Gordon
AFFINITY
I have not previously discussed affinity, because I have been
deeply puzzled by Hubbard's treatment of it. He considers it the
weakest corner of the ARC triangle, and at the same time seems to
equate affinity with beingness or theta itself.
Affinity as subordinate
"Looking all around now, I would say that the weakest corner of
the ARC triangle is 'A'-Affinity. This has the least monitoring
effect upon a preclear but is the most strongly demonstrated
(NOTE: I assume this is by emotional manifestations). It is NOT a
good entering point.(1) C and R run out A or re-establish A."(2)
Since Hubbard defined Affinity in Scn Axiom 25 as "a scale of
attitudes(3) which falls away from the co-existence of static ...
down to close proximity but mystery," this makes it the weak
corner of the triangle and neglects its dynamic quality as an
impetus to action.
Affinity as beingness (theta)
But in Hubbard's alignment of ARC with the elements of theta and
MEST, he has the following table,(4) which equates affinity with
theta itself:
Affinity - space - beingness (theta)
Reality - matter - havingness
Communication - energy - doingness
This makes affinity, like theta, a "nothingness" in MEST terms,
and therefore very difficult to process directly. Nevertheless,
as an underlying urge to create what one has an affinity for, it
is definitely a "somethingnss."
Affinity's early importance
Let's go back and review the development of this concept.
Affinity is first mentioned in Dianetics:MSMH: ".. the law of
affinity, as applicable to psychosomaic illness, was more
powerful than fear and antagonism by a very wide margin ...
chronic psychosomatic ills existed only when they had a sympathy
engram behind them. The law of affinity might be interpreted as
the law of cohesion; affinity might be defined as 'love' in both
its meanings. Deprivation of or absence of affection could be
considered as a violation of the law of affinity.(5)
"A pre-clear is only placed in apathy by ally computations.(6)
... The law of afinity has been aberrated into an entrance into
the reactive engram bank. And that law, even when twisted ...
still works." p.293
Affinity as a dynamic vector
The next mention of affinity is that: "The A-R-C triangle
consists of dynamic vectors."(7) If affinity is viewed as a
dynamic vector or directed desire, it becomes much more
important.
Affinity as a dynamic vector appears in life and art-forms
(romantic fiction, movies, true confessions - "sin, suffer and
repent") as tremendously important and an ever-favorite topic.
Boy meets girl, they fall in love, encounter impediments (or
engrams) to the flow of their love and mutual moral support,
overcome these complications and "live happily ever after."
Affinity as a driving force or motivation
This aspect of Affinity as a driving force or motivation is given
a central place in The Technique of SCREEN WRITING by Eugene
Vale(8) in his discussion of motives. He says: "We speak of the
cause for the action of an object, and of the motive for the
action of a human being ...what constitutes a motive? ... A human
being will act to remove pain ... The human being feels pain,
when he wants something and does not have it or when he does not
want something and has it ... These two .. motives might be
called affinity and repulsion. Affinity is the desire to be
united with something, and repulsion is the desire to be
separated from something. Afffinity means that the human being
wants something and repulsion means that the human being dos not
want somehing. Affinity could be described as 'love,' and
repulsion as 'hatred.'"(9)
Affinity as cohesion or coherence
Later, in Science of Survival, it is described as: "There is in
Dianetics a triangle of great importance. Theta, the energy of
thought and life, has as primary manifestations affinity, reality
and communication ... This is the peculiarity of theta; in lieu
of the cohesion, matter, and force laws of the physical universe
(MEST), thought (theta) has to have affinity, reality and
communication to survive."(10)
Cohesion with coherence would be "sticking together" with a
common underlying theme or principle. In an art-form, this
manifests as an internal affinity. In a group it manifests as
"gung-ho,"(11) an "esprit de corps"(12) or morale.
In chemistry, affinity is the attractive force exerted in
different degrees between atoms, which causes them to enter into
and remain in combination. E.g., if you add a solution of silver
nitrate to a solution of sodium chloride (table salt), silver
chloride will precipitate out because of the strong bond
(affinity) between silver and chloride ions, resulting in a kind
of chemical love-affair. Linus Pauling considers these affinities
in his The Nature of the Chemical Bond.(13)
In metallurgy, cohesion and coherence become very important when
one wants a metal to "stick together" and resist being pulled or
broken apart.
Affinity in TROM
Dennis Stevens states in TROM (The Resolution of Mind): "Once you
grasp the truth about the subject of postulates and reasons why
you will also learn to cut through the smoke screen of reasons
why that others throw up to justify their postulates, and be able
to see their naked desire and postulates clearly exposed. The
brush salesman may give you a thousand convincing reasons why you
ought to buy his brush, but all of them come later than the fact
that he desires to sell a brush to you.
"Life gets very simple when you realize that the correct sequence
is: Desire - Postulate - Reasons why (invented) for postulate."
TROM, p.53
One desires what he feels an affinity for as an ideal scene,(14)
postulates its achievement (or reality), then communicates this
with the intention of getting it duplicated and understood.
Considering that Dennis has desire (or affinity) as basic to any
postulate, the question arises as to whether it would be helpful
to use this in some form of: "to be desired, to desire, not to
desire, and not to be desired?"
Using this form gives a connection to the Buddhist idea that
desire (especially as greed, jealousy, etc.) leads to suffering
on the "wheel of Samsara;" and could illuminate and be
illuminated by these Buddhist concepts.
Many fiction stories or "vicarious(15) games for the reader"
invented by an author are about achieving desired affinities. As
far as I know, Hubbard never wrote an explicit love story.
Synonyms of attraction
Attraction, affinity, sympathy mean the relationship existing
between things (sometimes persons) that are involuntarily or
naturally drawn together. Attraction implies the possession of
one thing by a quality that pulls another thing to it. E.g.,
attraction is the force by which a magnet draws iron to it.
Affinity implies the possession of the thing that is drawn of a
susceptibility (a predisposition) for it that forces it to
approach or come into contact with the other. E.g., iron is one
of the few metals that have an affinity for the magnet. Sympathy
implies a reciprocal relation between things that are susceptible
to the same influence. E.g., the tides rise and fall in sympathy
with the moon.
Synonyms of likeness
Likeness, similarity, resemblance, similitude, analogy, affinity
mean agreement or correspondence in details, qualities, or the
like brought out by comparison. Affinity adds to resemblance the
implications of a relationship, such as kinship or common
experiences or influences responsible for the similarity.(16)
Affinity as the reason why
These two definition clusters above show the two sides of
affinity, attraction and likeness. In life, these two sides are
manifested by the order which theta actively brings to life
through its agent, mind. A mind which abhors confusion and seeks
to bring order and coherence to life's randomities.
Theta has a natural affinity for rational thought, coherence,
perspicuity (clarity) and elegance (beauty). And although these
natural affinities are difficult to access directly, they are the
creative driving force in back of action.
To the question, "Why do you do that?" there is a simple answer.
"Because I like doing it."
***
1 Not being a good entering point does not imply unimportance.
You begin: "Start of session. Tell me about your love life." What
would probably happen?
2 Tech Vol III, p.139.
3 attitude. posture, position or bearing as indicating action,
feeling or mood. Also, a fixed or habitual emotional response.
4 I have so far been unable to locate this exact reference, and
would appreciate help on this.
5 Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health by L. Ron
Hubbard, pb., 1981, Bridge Publications, p.126. The next pb.
edition of 1985 omits the appendices on the philosphic and
scientific methods. A mistake. It cuts off important roots.
6 "The ally computation is little more than the idiot calculation
that anyone who is a friend can be kept a friend only by
approximating the conditions wherein the friendship was
realized." p.295.
7 Notes on the Lectures of LRH, Hubbard Dianetic Foundation,
Wichita, Kansas, 1951. p.17. A dynamic vector could be defined as
a directed active force or energy which produces change. Dynamic
as one of the eight dynamics is an urge to survive as the result
of an underlying affinity for that state of survival.
8 Crown Publishers, NY, 1945. In the section on "Motive,
Intention, Goal," pp.113-14.
9 Since Hubbard at one time wrote screenplays, he may have
adopted this term from Vale's book, and expressed it more
abstractly as: "Affinity is a consideration of distance." The
desired distance could be either spacial or psychological.
10 Science of Survival by L. Ron Hubbard, Pubs Org, 1976, Book I,
p.35.
11 gung-ho, Chinese for "pull together."
12 esprit de corp, the common spirit existing in the members of a
group and inspiring enthusiasm, devotion, and strong regard for
the honor of the group.
13 This could be paralleled with a study of human affinities in a
book called The Nature of the Human Bond.
14 Ideal scene, "the entire concept of an ideal scene for any
activity is really a clean statement of its purpose." (HCO PL 5
Jul 70) Mod. Manag. Tech., 1976.
15 Vicarious, sympathetic participation in the experience of
another, as a reader or observer.
16 Web Coll Dic 1961.
