Confused Ideas (HCOB 710831)

Whenever a person has a confused idea of something or believes there is some conflict of ideas IT IS ALWAYS TRUE THAT A MISUNDERSTOOD WORD EXISTS AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT CONFUSION.

Example: "I just don't understand this idea of opposing force:. I think it all ought to be rewritten and ....."

Method 2 Word clearer: "Is there any word there you don't understand?" READ! STUDENT: "Oh no, I understand all the words. It's...." "What word is this that's reading on the meter?" "Er.. ..... . Forces?" "Yes, that reads and blows down. Let's look it up." "Oh no, I know what it means. It's the idea .... . ." "Let's look it up!" "Well, all right. Let's see D... E... F... FO...FORCES. Here it is. "That which changes the motion of a body on which it acts' " WD CLEARER: "Use it in a sentence several timed." Student does. ".....er ...ah. I've got it. Hell I thought It meant police brutality! Couldn't figure out why two police forces would fight!" Word Clearer: "Now how do you feel about this idea of opposing forces?" "Oh, let's see. Why that's clear enough. Just like I'd never read it before!" METER: F/N.

Every green body of students will argue and fuss about ideas or confusions in the directions or material they are given to read.

They will generate weird ideas and erroneous concepts of what the text says. They do wrong things and say the text said to. They ask strange ideas of their instructors. They clamor for "clarifications".

AND AT THE BOTTOM OF ALL THIS IS SIMPLY WORDS.

There is not also misunderstood ideas. There is only the misunderstood word which breeds, then, huge towering wrong ideas.

A MISUNDERSTOOD WORD BREEDS STRANGE IDEAS.

Document information

Document type: HCO Bulletin

Date: 31 August 1971

Revised: Revised

Author: L. Ron Hubbard

Place: Saint Hill Manor, East Grinstead, Sussex

Distribution: Remimeo

Issue: Word Clearing Series 16R