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

(why, yes! you do see a clark and a scott and a roger)

As promised. a Doctrine post that does not consist of six (and only six) sentences and is not particularly gratified.

Quick Pop Quiz (Who Said it Category):

“I really get tired of listening to that guy talk about himself, he’s so self-absorbent”

clark or scott or roger?

So what does this have to do with self-improvement?

Hey! Chapter 23 of ‘Almira‘ is on the streets!  Smart money says this story is gonna go extra innings. (Everything I read about getting a book published is all, “maximum 90k words unless you spell your name with a ROWLING or a KING in it.) Thing of it is, I’m liking the characters and the story they’re telling. What am I supposed to say, ‘Hey! hurry the hell up! Tell us how this all comes out!…. well, no, not you Eliza… everyone enjoys your scenes… shit, don’t let Almira hear you, she mess you up!’

So I will continue as I have, writing one chapter each and every week until the story of Almira is told. There are worse ways to spend one’s non-working hours. And, of course, I get to be the first to learn things about our friends, for instance: You all knew that Almira and Sterling just happened to pass through Eminence, Missouri on a fateful day in March, 1925, right? (When I say ‘passed through’ I mean, ‘chased out of town by angry pentecostalists, right into the path of the deadliest tornado in history’) and, you ….

Wait! I’m supposed to be writing about the Wakefield Doctrine and how it can be of benefit to you in the course of your day today! Sorry. This is, in fact, the reason for my resolution to write more frequently here, take a breather from the world of 1912 and 1939.

So, here’s some very practical advice: if your boss is a roger, never ask him/her a question in public* that the answer is anything other than proof that he/she is the best of all managers. If you want or need something for real, ask in private. And when you’re doing that, don’t ask the question straight out of the box, always preface it with a, ‘Excuse me/hey, have you got a minute for a quick question?’

Where are my damn manners?!?! Here I am starting out the week with a Doctrine post without a simple statement of the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers! Pardon me, New Readers. I beg your forgiveness, I’ve been off the regular Doctrine Lecture circuit far, far too long.

The Wakefield Doctrine is a perspective on the world and how we relate ourselves to it. The Doctrine maintains that we, all of us, have the potential to live in one of three characteristic (personal) realities and, at an early age we settle into one (while retaining the potential of ‘the other two’) and grow up and develop and live. The personality types of the Doctrine reflect the strategies and coping mechanisms we develop to deal with the nature of the world that we grow up in. In other words, the behavior and characteristic views on life that identify me as a clark are, collectively, my best effort to live in the world as I found it when I was but a child.

The three worldviews:

• clarks (the Outsiders) they are odd but kind, fearful and courageous, giving and needy. clarks try to hide but hate to be ignored, you have at least one as a friend (unless you’re a clark yourself, in which case, you know several, but never hang out just with them)
• scotts (the Predators) holy smokes! you totally have a scottian friend (unless you are one, in which case, you have several, but, for the most part, they’re like the ensigns-without-a-name who are included in the away team in the beginning of the last Star Trek episode you saw (they ain’t beaming back up)…. scotts are the life of the party and cause you to say on more than one occasion, ‘…but, she’s/he’s my friend since I can remember! Sure he/she goes a little overboard at times, but, look! we got through it without the (police, ambulance, parish priest, CPR, grace-of-god)!!’ scotts are generous to a fault, brave without sense and do they ever look great in heels
• rogers (the Herd Members) the majority of the population, they are the reasons that the planes don’t fall from the sky, (as opposed to being flown into things or never leaving the runway). rogers are creative in the sense of clever use (and) re-assembly of components, wicked good musicians and are the sole reason that we’re not all still living on the savannah hunting in small packs and/or hiding in the underbrush. rogers are kind but at a price, bold (in a group) and the glue of social continuity (a quality at first so prosaic as to be disregarded, until you’re at a high school party at someone whose parents are away for the weekend and the liquor cabinet is discovered un-locked.)

Ok, that should get you started.

Questions?

*  ‘public’ being defined as anyplace that there’s more than two people, or in a location one might imagine that you’re being overheard or, hell, overseen (as in standing outside in a courtyard where no one could possibly hear you, but can see the two of you talking…. that’s being in public to a roger