Published by the Church of Scientology International

Help: The Biggest of All Human Rights
by L. Ron Hubbard
Founder of the Scientology religion

Is it therapeutic to help people or is it aberrative? Is it right to help people? Or wrong to help people? Or shouldn’t you go along in your own little cocoon, sailing on the sea of idle dreams and let the rest of all of that silly nonsense going out in the world just take care of itself? Is that right, should you help it or leave it alone or what should you do about it?

Well, these are moral and ethical questions that have to do with you.

Whether you should or shouldn’t help does not at all influence this other factor: “could” or “couldn’t”.

“I can’t help him.” The person who has a bad habit is always telling you, “I can’t help it.”

Capability of help is entirely independent of the duty or obligation to help. These two things should be entirely different things. And an individual cannot make up his mind on the rightfulness or wrongfulness of help so long as he himself is not totally clear on the subject of help.

Now, there are fellows who run around and are criticized by their fellow man because they’ve got to help everybody, and they’ve got to help this and they’ve got to help that, and they’re always helping stray dogs, and they’re always helping stray cats. I think some lady who can only help stray cats is still luckier than any politician I’ve ever met who could never help anything to the end of his days.

This is the woof and warp of association. A man is alive so long as he can help things and so long as he, himself, can be helped. If he can do this, he’s alive, and he’s dead when he can no longer help anything and nothing can help him.

Now, the individual is evidently part and parcel of existence only so long as he can stay in an exchange of assistance with it; as long as he can be of use, as long as he can have a game or a goal, or something. The common denominator of all these things is help.

So, the biggest right there is, is not the right to vote, is not the right to freedom of speech, or press, or religion, or anything else. The biggest right there is in human rights is the right to help!

L. Ron Hubbard

L. Ron Hubbard Life Exhibition “One of the most interesting museums in Hollywood” — Museum Companion to Los Angeles L. Ron Hubbard has been aptly described as “a man ahead of his time, defying any simple categorization.” Fully professional in 29 different fields, his life was one of constant adventure. Millions of lives have been touched by the man known as “Ron” to his many friends; yet many know little about him beyond his name and the value of his works. You can step inside the life of Mr. Hubbard at the L. Ron Hubbard™ Life Exhibition in Hollywood, winner of the prestigious Hollywood Legacy Award. Unique among museums and exhibits, it features the life and works of only one man, in more than 30 displays and exhibits. The L. Ron Hubbard Life Exhibition is located at 6331 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, in the historic Hollywood Guaranty Building at the corner of Hollywood and Ivar. It is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Advance bookings are recommended — call (323) 960-3511. You can also visit and tour the L. Ron Hubbard Life Exhibition on the World Wide Web at: www.lronhubbardprofile.org