The other evening, on a request, I said members of the company could do part-time study on the Dianetics Course. This became an absolute order, an arbitrary which was put in full force. Not only that, but nobody would handle it.If anyone had bothered to trace the order that “all must study” they would have found it was a false arbitrary.

Almost every outness around is of this breed of arbitrary.

A group that insists on sitting in the glorious irresponsibility of orders and only orders will never develop into a true group.

If you want to get a real look at what you’re doing, ask yourself this question: Where do I get my orders from?

I get them from observation of the situation. And I give instructions based on a prediction of consequences.

Until you can do that, you will feel harassed, ordered around and oppressed. Not because anybody is interested in oppressing anyone. Just because they try to make a safe environment, bump into people who haven’t observed or acted, and so issue orders.

I don’t think anybody fully understands the antipathy I have to authoritarian rule. The reason you see me get cross is in no small part protest at being forced to cope with a situation which occurs by neglect of others. Why elect me to save the day? This ship, this planet and universe are the concern of others too. I have no monopoly on the ability to observe and act.

The campaign to force into a dictatorship a group which has freedom as its main objective is about as popular with me as a fire in a powder factory.

Freedom depends on ability.