the Wakefield Doctrine

The Wakefield Doctrine is fun way of looking at personality types. We say there are three personality types: clarks, scotts and rogers.  If you know that your spouse is a roger, for instance, then you will understand why they act the way that they do.  If they are scottian personality types then they will behave thusly or will like to do this or do that.

Everyone  loves a good ‘personality type’ system.  Be it astrology, body types, or birth order we all have a desire to understand why the people in our lives act the way that they do.  Personality (type)  systems be it EPPS or ENTMP,  axis of civility(AOC) or the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers, are entertaining because they are mirrors.  They offer us a different way to look at the familiar.

There is an old story/fable/lesson that tells about how a traveller to a new country asks the first person he encounters what are the people in the Village like ?  He is told ‘everyone is very suspicious and hostile’.  Then, a day later, a second traveller does the same thing and this time he is told, ‘everyone who lives in the Village is warm and friendly’.  A year later these two explorers meet and talk about their adventures.  One says to the other, there was one place where everyone was really mean and distrustful’ and the other explorer, recognising the landmarks says, ‘I went to the same Village but everyone was friendly…’!

We have all heard a version of this story at some point in our lives and the lesson is, of course, that  “expectation will determine our experiences with people”.

The Wakefield Doctrine takes this morality tale a step further.  We say that each of us begins life with a predisposition or bias to what can be expected from life and that becomes the life we live.  If you believe that the world is inimical, hostile,  a place of predator and prey, then the world is like that.  The Wakefield Doctrine approaches personality types from the position that if you know the bias a person has towards the world at large, then you will know how they will act and react, without ever meeting that individual.

Here we talk about a person being a clark or a scott or a roger.  Three ways to view the nature of the world.  This is not about gender nor it is about age or culture or even race.  It is simply ‘did you start your life believing the world was like…? ‘

Then you are a roger or a clark or a scott.

Everything else you would want to know follows from that.

This blog is new, not so well organised, but the information you will find here comes from people who know about the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers) and if you read through all the pages you will come to understand and you will see the world (and the people in it) in a slightly different, but very interesting way.

Ed Note: The best place to start reading this blog all depends on which of the three personality types you are. But, you ask, how can I know which I am before I read this? Congratulations, you are a roger. If you read this previous sentence and said, ‘no kidding’ to yourself, you are a clark and everyone else is a scott. So, clarks and scotts head on over to the ‘By these names…’ Page and you rogers had best start with the ‘You might be a …’  Page, if you find the Ken Burns bit funny, your type is confirmed.

Good Luck!

Do me a favor and write some Comments. I have been told that my writing style is a bit stiff and formal, and it is taking every ounce of willpower not to use a parenthesis, but if you Comment and say, ‘Hey! Let go and use them parentheses(es)(s).‘ I really will appreciate it. And as a reward, I recommend that you go to the Post titled ‘the Wakefield Doctrine (a Prehistory)’¹ it is fun and uninformative to read.

(1) Doesn’t count as using a parenthesis, it is the Title of the Post, dammit

…for those of you just tuning-in¹here is the backstory: new to the blogosphere and hampered by limited writing skills and website design ability, the authors of the Wakefield Doctrine are struggling to shape a message that will entice visitors and readers into delving further into the content and becoming fans of the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers (aka the Wakefield Doctrine). Lets see what those scamps have come up with now…

(…So maybe the best approach to presenting the Wakefield Doctrine is to write what would be said in person.)

The Wakefield Doctrine says that all people can be divided into three types or groups. These groups are named clarks, scotts and rogers.

Is there a reason for these particular names?

Only in the sense that the Wakefield Doctrine originated from observations of three real people. But the names are not important.

The three types have clearly different ways of seeing the world and clearly different ways of reacting to situations and the characteristics of each stays consistent, from individual to individual within that type.

Could you repeat that using the English language?

Sure. Each of the 3 types act a certain way. Watch how they act or look at them or whatever and then match what you see to one of the 3 and you will know all about that person. Spot a clark by their posture or lack of eye contact and you will know a whole lot more about them, (same for scotts and rogers).

OK. This is like one of those TYPE A or you are an introvert/extrovert personality things?

Kind of.

Alright, what am I? And what can you tell me about me that you should not be able to guess?

Depends. If you are a roger, then we know that you like geneology, you think that those re-enacters (Civil War) are not overly weird. You like to believe that you behave in a way that would make your family proud. If you are a scott, you crave activity, action, competition. You love a party and are good at telling jokes and making people laugh. A clark will read this and already know where this is all going.

These are mere parlor tricks²  the Wakefield Doctrine is about  understanding those around us. Why they act the way that they do.

What? Why would I need to understand those around me. I know how I act so why would I care?

Because, you have read this far; if you did not care or were not curious, this blog would be 2 clicks behind celebritymoviearchives.com (or some other equally incisive site).

Alright, make your point. Tell me what I need to know to understand (other people).

No.

(My feelings are hurt. I know you are just humoring me. I can see you snicker and wink at your friends, when you think I am not watching…)

If you want to learn about this thing, then you, the overactive one, drumming your fingers because the computer is limited by the speed of light³ go to THIS PAGE  and read everything there, after you finish go to THIS PAGE.

You, the one with the ‘I can’t wait to tell my friends about this silly site’ smile on your face. You go to THIS PAGE and then go to THIS PAGE.

Finally, both of you go to THIS PAGE.

…Let me know how you make out.

(1) tuning-in an old persons reference to the days of radio when there was only analog and a rotary dial used to move from one station to the other.

(2) parlor  from the days when some homes (the larger ones) had a room used just for entertaining guests, pre-cursor to our modern living room (which, in turn, is being replaced by the ‘family room’).

(3) speed of light equals 186,000 mps (at least thats what everyone but the rogers think it is.)