Misunderstoods - a good idea taken too far

The concept of misunderstood words as the root of all evil is - dare I say it? - sinister.

There's a common misconception that LRH has incorporated into everything he wrote on misunderstood words:

Understanding = Agreement

In other words: If you understood, you would agree.

If you don't agree, it's because there's a word you don't understand.

Get it? It may seem inocuous, a small point, but everything else in Scientology hinges on you buying into this.

Not sure you agree with something LRH wrote? The course supervisor may smile at you indulgently (after all, you're still new) and say, "That's because you have misunderstood words! Let's clear those up!"

When you've been around a while, though, they're a little less indulgent. Actually, a lot less indulgent.

So how seriously do Scientologists take misunderstoods?  They're obsessive - and with good reason.

From a Policy Letter dated 23 December 1965:

Any repeated or continued violation of the five points of out study tech listed below, after two Courts of Ethics for violation of these points, subjects the person to a Committee of Evidence on the charge of committing an act or omission undertaken to knowingly suppress, reduce or impede Scientology or Scientologists, and if found guilty
beyond reasonable doubt, the person may be declared suppressive and expelled with full penalties:

1. A person may be summoned to a Court of Ethics or Executive Court of Ethics if it be found that he has gone past a word he does not understand when receiving, hearing or reading an order, HCOB, policy letter or tape, any and all LRH written or printed
materials including books, PABs, despatches, telexes and mimeo issues which resulted in a failure to do duties of his post, without his at once making an effective effort to clear the words on himself, whether he knew he was missing them or not, as the source of his inaction or damaging actions.

The charge is neglecting to clarify words not understood.

Because to understand is to agree!