Communication is life. Without it we are dead to all.
Gradually the importance of Communication has evolved since July 1950 when I first evolved the ARC triangle. The corners are Affinity, Reality and Communication.
The triangle has many fascinating aspects. If one corner of it is lowered, the other two are dropped as well. If one corner is raised the other two are raised.
But the full use of this triangle, no matter how much Scientologists refer to it, has never been established.
Let us see some ways the triangle is used.
Estimation of the quality or ability of a person is at once established by his tone. Tone is established by his ARC. The whole of the book Science of Survival is devoted to this.
Actually, tone is established by his Affinity and Reality. It is most directly
observed by his Communication.
One easy, quick way to ascertain a person’s tone would be as follows: What does he try to do to your ARC? If he discovers something with which you have good ARC, does he attempt to increase or decrease your communication with it?
The whole theory of games conditions as contained in Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought, when applied to A-R-C opens up volumes of understanding. Obsessive selection of opponents is obsessive cut of communication. In a game, one seeks to cut the communication of an opponent. When one is in an obsessive games condition one obsessively cuts everyone else’s communication.
This can be done in two ways with the same end result. He or she insists on communication with hurtful things so that one will know better than to communicate (as a nation does to youth with war) or the communication cut is direct.
Lower affinity with things and communication is cut. Raise affinity with things and communication is improved.
An example of this would be the contrast between the end results achieved by (1) a parent who warns the child about things and (2) a parent who lets the child get acquainted with things. The child handled the first way will go awry; the child handled the second way will become the better child.
You notice I have said “warns the child about things.” This could be expressed also as “lowers the affinity of the child about reality.”
One determines, then, the actual character of a person by observing his intent concerning communication.
If a person wants Communication to be knowingly raised (and all good Communication is knowing Communication), his intent to another is good. There is no games condition here.
If a person wants Communication to be unknowing or lowered, his intent to another is bad.
Communication is the clue that is always in sight. By it one sees the true Affinity and Reality of the person.
When another tries to chop your ARC with something, it is a good thing to decoy him into believing you have ARC with something else and see how he handles that. He, by cutting away, seeks to make you a victim of his game. It becomes an amusing game when you fully understand ARC. The difference will be — you will be playing a knowing game — the other person will only be dramatizing.
Many a budding Scientologist has been squelched by someone chopping his ARC with Scientology when in actuality it was merely someone chopping his ARC.
Communication is the clue. If you can handle communication in or out, you can win.