This article was written by L. Ron Hubbard was published in the Clearwater, Florida edition of Freedom Magazine.

The Way to Happiness is a common-sense guide to better living. A testimony to the regard in which he held men of goodwill, no matter their faith, L. Ron Hubbard wrote this moral code for use by adults and children of all faiths.

It contains 21 precepts for successful living in a modern world. The first portion of Precept 17 is included here; others will be published in future editions of Freedom.

In an age of intricate equipment and high-speed machines and vehicles, one’s survival and that of one’s family and friends depends in no small measure upon the general competence of others.

In the marketplace, in the sciences, the humanities and in government, incompetence can threaten the lives and future of the few or the many.

I am sure you can think of many examples of this.

Man has always had an impulse to control his fate. Superstition, propitiation of the right gods, ritual dances before the hunt, can all be viewed as efforts, no matter how faint or unavailing, to control destiny.

It was not until he learned to think, to value knowledge and to apply it with competent skill that he began to dominate his environment. The true “gift of heaven” may have been the potential to be competent.

In common pursuits and activities, man respects skill and ability. These in a hero or athlete are almost worshiped.

The test of true competence is the end result.

To the degree that a man is competent, he survives. To the degree he is incompetent, he perishes.

Encourage the attainment of competence in any worthwhile pursuit. Compliment it and reward it whenever you find it.

Demand high performance standards. The test of a society is whether or not you, your family and friends can live in it safely.

The ingredients of competence include observation, study and practice.

Look. See what you see, not what someone tells you that you see.

What you observe is what you observe. Look at things and life and others directly, not through any cloud of prejudice, curtain of fear or the interpretation of another.

Instead of arguing with others, get them to look. The most flagrant lies can be punctured, the greatest pretenses can be exposed, the most intricate puzzles can be resolved and the most remarkable revelations can occur, simply by gently insisting that someone look.

When another finds things almost too confusing and difficult to bear, when his or her wits are going around and around, get the person to just stand back and look.

What they find is usually very obvious when they see it. Then they can go on and handle things. But if they don’t see it themselves, observe it for themselves, it may have little reality for them and all the directives and orders and punishment in the world will not resolve their muddle.

While one can indicate what direction to look and suggest that they do look, the conclusions are up to them.
A child or adult sees what he himself sees and that is reality for him.

True competence is based on one’s own ability to observe. With that as reality, only then can one be deft and sure.