Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
In the spirit of all work and no play resulting in… less than happy Readers, I will interrupt the abstract theory and spend a little time on subjective Principles.
…hey!! direct and honest, (are-you-thinking-the-predominant-worldview-that-I’m-thinking?) Reader Mike (who writes the rather enjoyable blog ‘Joe Floggers‘) Commented on yesterday’s Post, asking:
“I am always so confused when I read your posts….doesn’t say much about me, does it?”
Well, Mike the answer is…. “yes, no, well in a way…hey! thank you for the Comment!” actually in my Reply, I mentioned that it, (his reaction), did say something but nothing bad and, more to the point, nothing that would make any sense outside of the context of our little personality theory here. The thing about the Doctrine, is that it is as unique in practice as it is in theory. We (sometimes) say, ‘…you can’t get this personality theory wrong.‘ and (other times) we say. ‘try it out, don’t worry, you can’t break it or prove it false or any other consequence that many of us worry about, when dealing with ideas shared among people we like and respect‘ we even on, admittedly rare occasions will be heard to mutter, “empirical validation? what part of ‘the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers’ would make you think we care about empirical validation??! get the hell out of my sight, you disgust me and have a hell of nerve coming here and telling us that we need credentials and data and that other crap…” (lol)
The thing about the Doctrine, is that it is a tool and an idea, it is a perspective and aid to understanding, it is an exercise in which the process is as valuable as the outcome, the results, the product. We use the Wakefield Doctrine to help us ‘see the world as the other person is experiencing it’. (With the descriptions of) the three worldviews of the Doctrine, we try to infer the worldview, the personal reality, of the other person and, by doing that successfully, be in a position to understand that person’s behavior.
…the ‘can’t get it wrong thing’? Sometimes when in discussions with Denise or Cyndi or Lizzi or Michelle or zoe, I’ll get all, ‘yeah??!! why? why the hell do you think that person is a roger… I think she’s a clark… come on!! prove it!!’ and while, ‘in print’, this looks like I’m challenging them, intent upon stifling opposing views, it is anything but that… the thing about this Doctrine is that a lot of it is subjective and it is only when we hear what the other person feels that they see, can we better understand (?!?! lol)
enough of the metaphysics, it’s Tuesday and I promised everyone a break…so read on this following reprint:
(from May 27, 2013)
Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
Nice day out there, so here is a quick, ‘down an dirty’ guide to getting something from the Wakefield Doctrine today.
You at a picnic and from your vantage point off to the side you hear:
- “…does that potato salad look a little… old to you?”
- “hey! theres only one can of lighter fluid!”
- “yeah, no! I’m ok… I’ll join you guys later”
- “hey! do anyone of you think this bikini is too small?”
- “I will if I want to, everyone likes their pictures taken”
- “don’t be such a shrinking violet…they all want you to join in!”
They are:
- clarks (who grew up and developed seeing the world as being ‘out there’ and everyone in it as being ‘real people’ )
- scotts ( who grew up and survived by developing strategies that let them react to threats, take advantage of weakness and recognize each other)
- roger (who are secure in the world as they know it, satisfied by seeing the history and continuity that replaces all need for validation)
Now get out there and have some fun (…a little fun won’t kill you), excitement (that’s what lets you know you’re alive) and satisfaction (cause you deserve it).
* one of my favorite persistent situational jokes (PSJ), I’m talking to someone and they ask for my cell phone number and I start, “oh!! I know this one!! it’s…. wait, I know this….can you give me the first number…it’s sounds like….”
About clarkscottroger
Here’s to my father, who never bothered with lighter fluid because he had a special small sized glass jar of straight up gasoline he threw on the charcoal when it was time to get the grill going,
Not a time waster.
And here is to him as well, teaching me to respect fire by sitting with me at a table and teaching me to light matches and blow them out, striking them, burning them every which way, watching them, and blowing them out, untii I was so awsome at it and so sick of it I never “played with matches”. Ever. Way too adept and totally uncurious about matches because of my Dad … who never said why he was doing it. It took me until I was a grown up to figure that day out.
I’m thinking scott…no?
Jim has that picture of Ali in our living room!
Only a roger would risk going out in public and saying, “does this look too small to you?” LOL. Me? I wouldn’t be caught DEAD in one of those things. But, then again, that’s my clark personality and…well…the rogers WOULD want me to join in before I assaulted them with my blank stares of refusal…
It’s not a challenge or an attempt to override – it’s a GAME – it’s fun! But then, I was always the kid who enjoyed the pop quiz in school…
I think I’m beginning to understand. But if clarks see the world as “out there’ and everyone in it as being ‘real people’” does that mean they don’t see themselves as real?
Yvonne
I think that is fair to say. (to paraphrase an ancient admonition to acolytes)…’if you can pose the question with sincerity, then you have, in fact, answered it’