From Wikipedia:

However, his official Navy service records indicate that “his military performance was, at times, substandard”, that he was only awarded a handful of campaign medals and that he was never injured or wounded in combat and was never awarded a Purple Heart.[6] Most of his military service was spent ashore in the continental United States on administrative or training duties. He briefly commanded two anti-submarine vessels, USS YP-422 and USS PC-815, in coastal waters off Massachusetts, Oregon and California in 1942 and 1943 respectively. He was removed from command of both vessels and rated by his superiors as being unsuitable for independent duties and “lacking in the essential qualities of judgment, leadership and cooperation”.[7] Although Hubbard asserted that he had attacked and crippled or sunk two Japanese submarines off Oregon while in command of USS PC-815, his claim was rejected by the commander of the Northwest Sea Frontier after a subsequent investigation. He was hospitalized for the last seven months of his active service, not with injuries but with an acute duodenal ulcer.

Thank you, Yawn.

So, scientologists wallow in Hubbard’s bullshit. Hubbard most likely believed in his own crap, yet his followers fall for it, hook, line and sinker. And they don’t even know it. They think they’re saving the world! Scientologists don’t know just how prejudice, hateful and one-sided they are on a plethora of issues–and just because Hubbard said or wrote it so.

YEs, this is great news!

Good points. I am a pragmatic type of a person and have engaged in engineering of many different types in my life. Sometimes listening to a lecture, Hubbard would say something and I had to check myself, I simply knew that can’t be right, but blew it off as I wanted to believe Scientology was actually going some place (good). It left a subtle, maybe about it, and a real gaslight effect that makes it hard and clouds the differences between fact and fiction.
I’m commenting here on your post because as a sup for quite a few years I now see the “implant” capability of enforced word clearing on something not true or workable. If you trusted Hubbard was always correct, and had no prior experience in what he was talking about, well… Look at the result of the impenetrable mindset of the die hard Scientologist. Evidence means nothing to them… Trusting that source is always right in all things is at your own peril. How blind they become!

Many people never would have thought this would be possible and I have seen many people leave Scientology including myself after twenty five years and Mike Rinder and far too many others to count!

My point is that the people who hope and pray for their loved ones and family members to leave Scientology and other cults and ultimately to return to them are not entirely without hope. Even when it seems impossible.

https://frankreport.com/2023/03/27/nicki-clyne-leaves-keith-raniere-her-statement/

Piltdown man was found to be a hoax. I guess he never got that communication. Even back then, I wondered what the rebuttal to be if anyone would ever query it. Something like “it really was not a hoax, and everyone else is just getting the story wrong” or something. I came to find out later something that I wouldn’t have believed at that time – hubbard was a liar, and a very big liar at that!!

It reminds me of a quote from psychologist Jonathan Haidt, he wrote that he figured out what confirmation bias is when he was arguing with his wife about washing the dishes and he observed his young son.

He had realized that when his young son is introduced to an idea and says “Is there any way that can be?” He is trying to confirm what he wants! Whether it’s staying up late or getting ice cream tonight!

And when he says “But, must we do that?” He is trying to deny or avoid something! Whether it’s going to bed now or putting away his toys!

When you wrestle and twist and turn to have something be true no matter what that’s confirmation bias for the idea! And when you do mental gymnastics to avoid something being true that’s confirmation bias against it!

Haidt realized that when he didn’t do the dishes or take out the garbage all of a sudden his work or other things were valid reasons why he didn’t do it, but the same arguments when used by his wife if he disagreed with her were merely insufficient excuses!

He realized he was doing the same thing as his son!

And to further complicate the issue we have lots of information that is somewhat in a grey area and can be interpreted as being on a spectrum, a spectrum of certainty sometimes, a spectrum of importance sometimes, a spectrum of relevance to another issue sometimes.

When we are subject to confirmation bias – guess what, we tend to place things at the most convenient places on these various spectrums for supporting our ideas and countering ideas we dislike! How convenient!

Lots and lots of things we call logical fallacies or a tautology get used when we are motivated by confirmation bias.

Suddenly the flimsy argument is rock solid if it confirms what we want and the strongest evidence and most sound logic is not sufficient to be believed or even considered when it conflicts with our cherished beliefs. Oh darn.

That’s the mindset a Scientologist is required to get and keep if they want to stay out of trouble!

This brings us to the sacred science that Robert Jay Lifton delineated in his eight criteria for thought reform, a belief that the doctrine of a group (usually from a guru but sometimes the doctrine itself may act as the guru as Lifton noted).

The eight criteria for thought reform are well worth knowing in and out! And Lifton noted at the end that when we understand them well we should look at our own groups to see if they display them, how, and to what degree!

He originally presented the eight criteria for thought reform as a chapter in his book Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism.

He discovered that thousands and thousands of people were tremendously helped by his model and he has put it out in the internet free, so that people may use it to understand their own cultic experiences and relationships with his model by reframing their experience and seeing what was done in truth.

First I will give you an abridged description.

Dr. Robert J. Lifton’s Eight Criteria for Thought Reform

Milieu Control. This involves the control of information and communication both within the environment and, ultimately, within the individual, resulting in a significant degree of isolation from society at large.
Mystical Manipulation. There is manipulation of experiences that appear spontaneous but in fact were planned and orchestrated by the group or its leaders in order to demonstrate divine authority or spiritual advancement or some special gift or talent that will then allow the leader to reinterpret events, scripture, and experiences as he or she wishes.
Demand for Purity. The world is viewed as black and white and the members are constantly exhorted to conform to the ideology of the group and strive for perfection. The induction of guilt and/or shame is a powerful control device used here.
Confession. Sins, as defined by the group, are to be confessed either to a personal monitor or publicly to the group. There is no confidentiality; members’ “sins,” “attitudes,” and “faults” are discussed and exploited by the leaders.
Sacred Science. The group’s doctrine or ideology is considered to be the ultimate Truth, beyond all questioning or dispute. Truth is not to be found outside the group. The leader, as the spokesperson for God or for all humanity, is likewise above criticism.
Loading the Language. The group interprets or uses words and phrases in new ways so that often the outside world does not understand. This jargon consists of thought-terminating cliches, which serve to alter members’ thought processes to conform to the group’s way of thinking.
Doctrine over person. Member’s personal experiences are subordinated to the sacred science and any contrary experiences must be denied or reinterpreted to fit the ideology of the group.
Dispensing of existence. The group has the prerogative to decide who has the right to exist and who does not. This is usually not literal but means that those in the outside world are not saved, unenlightened, unconscious and they must be converted to the group’s ideology. If they do not join the group or are critical of the group, then they must be rejected by the members. Thus, the outside world loses all credibility. In conjunction, should any member leave the group, he or she must be rejected also. (Lifton, 1989)
Here’s the entire chapter.

https://mbnest.blogspot.com/2015/06/dr-robert-j-liftons-criteria-for.html

Good one Fred.
Hubbard sure flung around the bullshit & the worst part is, imo, is that he probably believed it. Per his own so called “technical discoveries”, his natter is extreme to say the least, then it became Church policy, sheesh! Just like Miscavige has to believe he is some big being or something with his command intention crap.

Mike,

You’re welcome. Glad to be of service. I couldn’t have done it without TrevAnon’s link to the “Chronology of Publications on Scientology” which he posted on your March 25, 2023 blog, “Ex-Scientologists Who Have Spoken Out.”