Ruffling Some Feathers

I think I figured out why Scientology annoys me so much (other than the obvious farce about it, of course).

Dianetics, the precursor to Scientology, is basically L. Ron Hubbard’s alternative to psychology and metaphysical causality. He developed this system for over twenty years, and thus it is very thorough and is (seemingly) very credible. But then again, so is the Way of the Jedi. And it’s just as thorough by this point. Anyway, if Scientology had no merit, it wouldn’t recruit so many (seemingly) intelligent people. Right?

Here’s the connection: Dianetics has a lot in common with Schenkerian Analysis. That is why it bugs me so much.

Both are highly elaborate (and hard to swallow) innovations on “traditional” perspectives. Both have irritatingly elitist cult followings. Both are essentially unnecessary. I mean, really, so it took us as a race this long to finally come up with the right way of looking at things? And just out of the blue like that? No, both are innovative just for the sake of being innovative. The problem is that they caught on.

I know enough about both to know that I don’t want to know any more.

That’s right, I went there.

Thbtpbtpbt—jog on!