‘I don’t know if I’ll make it, but watch how good I’ll fake it’ …the Wakefield Doctrine (our clark goes to the Calypso Club!) | the Wakefield Doctrine ‘I don’t know if I’ll make it, but watch how good I’ll fake it’ …the Wakefield Doctrine (our clark goes to the Calypso Club!) | the Wakefield Doctrine

‘I don’t know if I’ll make it, but watch how good I’ll fake it’ …the Wakefield Doctrine (our clark goes to the Calypso Club!)

Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)

a clark goes to a party.

But before we start, a little background for the newer Readers:

the Wakefield Doctrine maintains that we all live in one of three characteristic worldviews (personal realities) and that it is the nature of these realities and how we relate ourselves to (them) that produces what others refer to as personality types. Here at the Doctrine, we have 3 personality types: clarks, scotts and rogers because there are three worldviews: the existence of the Outsider, the world of the Predator and the life of the Herd member. The Doctrine says, ‘observe the behavior, correctly infer the worldview that is being experienced and you will know more about the other person than they know about themselves.’

You will know that:

  • clarks spend a lot of time inside their own heads, in a good faith effort to understand the world they find themselves in. Their intent is simply to figure out the course of action that will be in their best interest and is least likely to make them the object of derision
  • scotts act, they relate to most situations as does a predator, (metaphorically) identifying the immediate threats to their well-being, the  situations where they will be able to dominate and force others into submission, their drive is to live life to the fullest…now
  • rogers feel that, with the proper approach, everything can be made to fit in, that everyone is a part of the herd, except those that are not and they don’t count, except to illustrate the value of belonging to the herd
There you have it. A brief outline of the principles of the Wakefield Doctrine. What follows is a continuation of a story that follows 3 people (a clark and a scott and roger) who go to a party after work.

Sam drives past the Calypso Club and can see that the parking lot is already half full, “early arrivals and the people who never leave” is the thought that goes through Sam’s mind. Still not a surprise, as the invitation said 8:30 pm the clock in the dashboard is showing  8:50 pm. Continuing past the lot,  Sam is looking for the best place to park the car. It needs to be a parking space that will be easy to drive away from, even if it is not in the actual lot. The important thing (about the parking space) is that Sam doesn’t try to leave and find that a late arrival has blocked the exits. Sam decides to park on the street, half a block away.

…sitting in the car. Sam smiles and laughs, not being a person who socializes  with people from work ( Sam’s thinking is, “8 hours every day with these people is not enough? The thought of leaving the office after a full workday only to spend another 3 or 4 hours in a bar talking about the people at work, with the people at work…nah… too much to do to waste time like that…)
The smile leaves Sam’s face, “Then why am I here, in the car, dressed like it matters, going to a party for someone I barely know?”
Sam’s life hasn’t been all that bad, for the last few years, it’s even been kind of  …stable, with a job that has lasted more than a year!  Sam’s degree is in Early Childhood Education and has almost a Masters Degree,  but there was that interruption that required leaving 2 semesters and somehow never got back to finish. Sam honestly believed that you had to explore all of life’s options early, when you were still young, because eventually real life would appear and then everything would become predictable, reliable and possibly even boring. Sam knew that when the right job came along or the right opportunity or the right person, then everything would make sense. But until then, there was so much to do….

“...so why“, the voice in Sam’s head, a voice that never, ever stopped observing (and commenting), assessing (and commenting) judging (and commenting), hoping (and criticizing) fearing (and trying to explain), “am I still sitting in the car?”
There was a party going on at this very moment in the Calypso Club (Sam has over heard the Monday Morning tales at work… “he was so drunk that they had to carry him to…and the police showed up”). But Sam was still sitting in the car, waiting for the (hoped for) enthusiasm to appear.

Sam sits back in the driver’s seat, eyes closed and relaxes,
“You could go home, it’s not as if anyone in there is watching the door for your arrival. Hell, by not showing up, either no one notices and then you can let it go or they do notice and there will be something to talk about at work. Plus…. this isn’t really your style, a ‘birthday party’ the new Intern is giving for himself! Who does that kind of thing? But everyone was all excited about the idea, no one said anything about it being lame… wouldn’t be surprised if there is a stripper hired… oh shit! I saw something on youtube, where it is supposed to be real funny to get the party goers up on stage, be a part of the show… this new guy seems like the type who would think that would be fun
Looking in the rearview mirror one last time, Sam gets out of the car and walks towards the Calypso Club, pointing the remote back towards the car hearing the arming beep. (Sam smiles thinking of the scene in  the movie ‘Desperado’ where Antonia Banderas and Salma Hayek walk in slow motion towards the camera with a huge explosion behind them, never slowing their pace, not even turning around.)

A half-smile appears on Sam’s face at the image…”Just like Antonio and Selma…” laughing, the nervousness is replaced by a cautious excitement and Sam steps through the doors of the Calypso Club.

Seeing that the host (the new Intern at work, who actually is throwing this party for himself) standing at the door of the Function Room, greeting everyone,  Sam hangs back. Not wanting to have a lot of attention, at least until it is clear how the party will play out, Sam turns and sees a woman approach, the head of the Department that Sam works, her name is Alex… Alex something. And she immediately becomes the center of attention, even as she walks through the door (that Sam is still holding open). This is the opportunity to get into the party without undue attention

(…to be continued)

 

 

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clarkscottroger About clarkscottroger
Well, what exactly do you want to know? Whether I am a clark or a scott or roger? If you have to ask, then you need to keep reading the Posts for two reasons: a)to get a clear enough understanding to be able to make the determination of which type I am and 2) to realize that by definition I am all three.* *which is true for you as well, all three...but mostly one

Comments

  1. Great setup to see how Sam or the “Clarks” deal with the party scenario. I was always up for a good party and this one sounds nothing short of it, but then again the point is the “Clarks” of the world are truly uncomfortable letting their hair down so to speak. Have trouble relating I guess, because I am not a Clark by nature, but still loved gaining a bit more insight to the way they indeed think.

    • clarkscottroger clarkscottroger says:

      @Janine

      Very good point! “…letting their hair down”, with clarks it is not really shyness thing, it is more a matter of the (perceived) level of control they believe they have…

  2. Amy says:

    I see Sam as a woman – maybe because I can relate to the behavior?

    • clarkscottroger clarkscottroger says:

      @Amy

      what behavior??! (lol just joke) so are you saying that you can identify with Sam, and is that the gender (implied) aspect or the clarklike aspect.
      This is a more telling point than you may suspect, as it has be said that there is a certain androgynous element to a (female) clarks fashion sense… which leads to further facinating insights into this personality type.

  3. …La, la, la…
    If Salma is a scott, that’s what you were implying in the caption, yes? lol, then what is dreamboat Antonio?
    Going to this party is hugely difficult for a clark but if the clark can create/access the “right” mood, it is possible to attend successfully. At least for a little while:) (picture light bulb going on) – bring out the scottian aspect. Hoo-ra!

    • clarkscottroger clarkscottroger says:

      @GirlieOnTheEdge

      oh, Salma is a scott! Antonio, suspecting a roger (with an outside chance of clark) def not a scott

      notice our (not-yet-gender-specified) clark take advantage of the scottian woman (Alex) for a way to get into the party without having to commit and energy too early.

  4. The Polldaddy choice was too hard! My androgynous self won’t let me vote. LOL

  5. Molly Molly M. says:

    Sam sounds like a man to me… The behavior really mirrors my dad’s, and as a clark female, I have never had a scottian woman not take me in with her, if we arrived at the same time. Of course, my dad would have found a back or side entrance to use, so he could slip in as though he had been there all along.

    Personally, if I am going to go, I am going to GO! Plan on having a great time, getting involved and enjoying the evening. I think parties are fun, because the masks come off and you get to see people for who they really are.

    • clarkscottroger clarkscottroger says:

      @Molly

      “…as though he had been there all along.”

      Perfect description of the thinking of Sam (at least as I was writing the character, of course, now god only knows what is going on! lol

  6. I never realized that I know so many clarks! You really have developed an interesting/revealing way of defining worldviews.

    • clarkscottroger clarkscottroger says:

      @Cari

      lol… we out there, The thing about scotts and clarks is that we are not visible unless we want to be seen or are somehow distracted. I bet you know right now, off the top of your head how many rogers you know, but then there is a special relationship between scotts and rogers, you know…lioness to wildebeest!

  7. Emily says:

    Ooh, I’m loving the cliffhanger here…I’m still wondering if he’s going to turn around and slip out the door as Alex enters (yes, you can see I think Sam is a “he”) although I do hope he stays because I want to see how it all plays out. Oh and love the reference to the explosion behind him as he was walking towards the club…

    • clarkscottroger clarkscottroger says:

      @Emily

      (as we clarks all know) once in the party, leaving is nearly as involved as entering, except for curiously clarklike reasons!

  8. Julie DeNeen says:

    Your doctrine is so fascinating to me. I’ll admit, I was too tired to figure out if Sam was a woman or a man, but you are a very good writer.

    • clarkscottroger clarkscottroger says:

      @Julie

      Thank you, I must aim any credit at the Wakefield Doctrine, in the sense that I am just trying to write a common situation (in Doctrine terms).

      This first scenario, for example, is not only consistent with the worldview (of the clarklike personality type) but that worldview includes a very strong element of ambiguity (and androgyny) so the story is only reflecting what (the Doctrine) would say about the clarklike personality.

      But, it is fun to see what happens, no?

      I’m thinking that it might be best that we pick up with the woman (‘Alex’) and see where that storyline takes us. This is another example of what I am saying about the Wakefield Doctrine getting the story credit, our probable next character, Alex, is a scott and there is nothing ambiguous about that personality type! Not that scotts are only female, but the worldview of this persoanlity type is as certain (of their world) as clarks are open to infinite possibilities (of their worlds).

  9. Cyndi says:

    Sam sounds interesting. I’m so not the “life of the party” – I’ll go. In fact, I’ll go and I’ll always hope I can make a connection with someone and do networking. But, then again, that’s very clark of me isn’t it? I wouldn’t go to a party to just socialize or work my popularity ranking. I’d go because I knew it would be a good networking tactic. Then…I’d become a wallflower, and pretend to have entertaining conversations with people that really don’t interest me much because I’m not interested in Lindsey Lohan’s latest stunt, or Katie Holmes’ estrangement from Tom Cruise. No, I’d rather talk about the existential aspects of the US influence in the world, and its role in the various civil wars that it seems to have a hand in or I would talk about freeing Tibet and the plight of the Monks in Burma…er…Myanmar…lol….went off on a bit of a tangent there…could be the wine. HAHAHA.

    • clarkscottroger clarkscottroger says:

      @Cyndi

      I know what you mean* We have a saying around the Doctrine, “everyone does everything at one time or another, it all comes down to what does (a thing) represent to a person in the context of that person’s relationship to the world at large? In other words, it is not that the experience of going to a party like the one in our story has a meaning or significance that is independent of the person we are looking at, it all comes down to the worldview of the individual.

      *a very real benefit of knowing which of the three is a person’s predominant worldview.

  10. Jennifer says:

    I have only 2 reasons to say that Sam is a female.

    First of all, she is “dressed like it matters” – the allusion of having taken the time to pick out just the right party clothes. I don’t believe that a male clark would be as concerned about what he’s wearing.

    Secondly, “…looks in the rear view mirror one last time…” Apparently she has been checking the mirror before since this is the last time. Yeah, women do that a lot.

    • clarkscottroger clarkscottroger says:

      @Jennifer

      Totally agree with the first (“…dressed like it matters”)

      don’t agree as much on the second, but not arguing with your inference (about looking in mirrors*) but I disagree on the unfair basis of thinking about another interpretation of the the act of ‘looking in the mirror one last time’… not fair ’cause I didn’t write the scene clearly enough, or better to say, not written in as comprehensive a manner as it should have been.

      I will leave ‘the other inference’ to any clarks out there to identify, it has to do with a (non)gender re-confirmation of their existence… or something

      *btw the most to look in mirrors? rogers!

  11. Jennifer says:

    Not fair? Well you didn’t preface anywhere that you wouldn’t be writing the scene clearly enough. BooHoo…

    • clarkscottroger clarkscottroger says:

      true…(my ability to express myself is fleeing)… I am characterizing my disagreement as being the thing that is ‘unfair’ this because I wrote (incompletely the scene)

  12. Jennifer says:

    Alright already. Take a deep breath. It’ll be OK.

  13. Molly Molly M. says:

    “dressed like it matters” — I took that to be a statement that reveals how clarks think. ‘If this matters, I should dress this way’ …thus the tendency to overdress, because what doesn’t matter? I think it applies to both genders.

    I know my dad always was concerned if he was ‘dressed properly’ for an event, and my husband has clothes for different types of work as well as social events — nothing fancy for either of them, but things they have bought themselves.
    Me? I’ll change three times before leaving home, if I don’t have defined ‘outfits’ for that type of event.

    • clarkscottroger clarkscottroger says:

      @Molly

      agree, and the cool thing, it is true for all three in very different ways, but for a clark it is often a matter of dressing to ‘pass’ as a real person or other times to assert our ‘Outsider Pride’

      the thing about looking in the mirror, that I did not allow for in the story, but meant in my reply to Jennifer is that a clark will often use their reflection (in a mirror) in a very odd way. (Yes, odd for a clark even) There is a challenging sense to the last look in the mirror, often to climax the ‘pep talk’ the clark might feel the need to give to themselves. definitely an affirmation of some sort, but crazy…not the Hurray for me… hear me roar! rather, for a clark it might be… WHat did you hear something? lol

  14. I think Sam is a woman…short for Samantha. I say this based on the way ‘she’ thinks about where to park and how to get out, how she’s dressed to impress people at work and generally the way she thinks. It will be interesting to see if I’m right! Love the story in this one.

    • clarkscottroger clarkscottroger says:

      @Melanie

      That sounds reasonable.. lol I am enjoying this process as well, this series does seem, increasingly, to hold the promise of being an enjoyable explanation/illustration/dramatization of how the Wakefield Doctrine is so much fun and useful when trying to understand the behavior of the people in our lives.

  15. Downspring#1 says:

    It’s funny, but not (necessarily) humorous, that clarks try and come up with justifications for going to a party. It’s no surprise really, that clarks get invited to these things, but it is a surprise when we actually show up.
    And while it may be true that, in our heads we have to come up with that justifiable reason in order to make ourselves attend (the party). Unless we know there will be more than 2 people we know in attendance, it is not a thing we like to do. It’s ALWAYS a question of “why?”.
    Uh, gee whiz. What’s so difficult about folks going to parties simply because they’re fun! Depends on your definition of “fun”. LOL