Chapter Five

THE A-R-C TRIANGLE

     There is a triangle of considerable importance in Scientology, and understanding of it gives a much greater understanding of life and an ability to use it.

     The A-R-C triangle is the keystone of living associations. This triangle is the common denominator of all of life's activities. The first corner of the triangle is called Affinity. The basic definition of affinity is the consideration of distance, whether good or bad. The most basic function of complete affinity would be the ability to occupy the same space as something else. The word "affinity" is here used to mean love, liking or any other emotional attitude. Affinity is conceived in Scientology to be something of many facets. Affinity is a variable quality. Affinity is here used as a word with the context "degree of liking." Under affinity we have the various emotional tones ranged from the highest to the lowest, and these are, in part, serenity (the highest level), enthusiasm (as we proceed downward toward the baser affinities), conservatism, boredom, antagonism, anger, covert hostility, fear, grief, apathy. This, in Scientology, is called the Tone Scale. Below apathy, affinity proceeds into solidities such as matter. Affinity is conceived to be comprised first of thought, then of emotion which contains energy particles, and then as a solid.

     The second corner of the triangle is Reality. Reality could be defined as "that which appears to be." Reality is fundamentally agreement. What we agree to be real is real.

     The third corner of the triangle is Communication. In human relationships this is more important than the other two corners of the triangle in understanding the composition of human relations in this universe. Communication is the solvent for all things. It dissolves all things.

     The inter-relationship of the triangle becomes apparent at once when one asks, "Have you ever tried to talk to an angry man?" Without a high degree of liking and without some basis of agreement there is no communication. Without communication and some basis of emotional response there can be no reality. Without some basis for agreement and communication there can be no affinity. Thus we call these three things a triangle. Unless we have two corners of a triangle, there cannot be a third corner. Desiring any corner of the triangle, one must include the other two.

     The triangle is conceived to be very spacious at the level of serenity and completely condensed at the level of matter. Thus to represent a scale for use one would draw a large triangle with a high part of the scale and succeedingly small triangles down to a dot at the bottom of the scale.

Affinity, reality and communication are the b~MU of the Scientology Tone Scale, which gives a prediction of human behaviour as contained in "Science of Survival."

     As has already been noted, the triangle is not an equilateral triangle. Affinity and Reality are very much less important than Communication. It might be said that the triangle begins with Communication, which brings into existence Affinity and Reality.

     The most primitive Scientology definition of Communication is "Cause-Distance-Effect." The fundamental manual of Communication is the book, "Dianetics 55!"

     A-R-C are understanding.

     If you would continue a strong and able communication with someone there must be some basis for agreement. There must be some liking for the person and then communication can exist. We can see then that simple talking and writing randomly without knowledge of this would not necessarily be communication. Communication is essentially some-thing which is sent and which is received. The intention to send and the intention to receive must both be present in some degree before an actual communication can take place. Therefore one could have conditions which appeared to be communications which were not.

     Original with Scientology, as are all these concepts, the A-R-C triangle understood is an extremely useful tool or weapon in human relationships. For instance, among the A-R-C triangle laws, a communication to be received must approximate the affinity level of the person to whom it is directed.

     As people descend the tone scale they become more and more difficult to communicate with, and things with which they will agree become more and more solid. Thus we have friendly discourse high on the scale and war at the bottom. Where the affinity level is hate, the agreement is solid matter, and the communications... bullets.