Month: June 2019 | the Wakefield Doctrine Month: June 2019 | the Wakefield Doctrine

TToT -the Wakefield Doctrine-

June 30, 2019 By

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

Kristi hosts our TToT bloghop each week. We read, write, remember and add to ourselfs by participation in this celebration of the positive things in our (individual and collective) world(s).

For this week, my contribution:

 

1) Phyllis

2) Una

3) My work (and the occasion for a quiet Open House)

4) Call in from Friend of the Doctrine Cynthia. She told of her recent travel adventures in the American Southwest. (Were this a previous generation we would have gone to Cynthia and John’s house and they would have brought out a slide projector. But… (lead in to Grat #5)*

5) …none of this would or could have existed. The era of the vacation slides were the ’60s and ’70s. More significantly, our fiends, who live in a semi-mid Atlantic state would have been totally un-met friends, were it not for the technology that gave rise to the internet. Amazing changes in our common reality, non?

6) the internets and the compulsive curiosity of clarks. This week I was working on ‘The Case of the Missing Starr’ and was trying to find whether or not there was a fancy term for inserting flashbacks(of a sort) into a story. The reward for my effort? Chekov’s Gun.  “Remove everything that has no relevance to the story. If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it’s not going to be fired, it shouldn’t be hanging there.”  How cool is this internet thing? That I should be able to stumble upon an obviously cool bit of knowledge, totally not related to why I was looking around in the first place, like that!

7) speaking of writing! Chapter 2 of ‘The Case of the Missing Starr’ is out. Publishing as a serial on ‘the Facebook‘, for god-knows what reason. Here is the link to the most recent installment. fun? sure. (For you die-hard WordPress blog fans, here is the link to the blog version)

8)THIS SPACE AVAILABLE. In case you’re not ready to dive into the deep end, with a full post and such, this is your opportunity. Send us your Grat and we’ll totally post it here at #8

9) Bonus (all have or had or can remember the energy that is available in the here and now)

10) Secret Rule 1.3

* working on Missing Starr I’m all about practicing my cliff-hangers lol

music vid (of course)

 

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


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Six Sentence Story -the Wakefield Doctrine-

June 26, 2019 By

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

Six Sentence Story

Denise provides the prompt word.

We write a story that is exactly and otherwise, precisely, six sentences in length.

This week’s prompt word:

SIMPLE

“Simple?”

“Very.”

“So tell me!”

“Once upon a time there were three fictional characters: two were perfect and one was jealous.

The couple’s perfection was spoiled, the jealous one was prevented from getting what he longed for and everyone that came afterwards bears the mark and pays the price; the End.”

“Damn!”

 

 

 

 

 

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Wednesday -the Wakefield Doctrine- “…. this just in!”

June 26, 2019 By

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

I had not intended to write a post today. Instead I thought I would spend time this morning polishing the week’s Six Sentence Story and, perhaps, work on Chapter 2 of my Facebook serial, ‘The Case of the Missing Starr’.

But then, as I was doing some research on proper capitalization of titles (i.e. is a full partner in a law firm a Full Partner or a full partner?) I read the following:

“If your firm is pruning you for a top spot,”

I laughed out-loud sitting at my computer.

Its been a while since I’ve written a post dedicated to the characteristics of the predominant worldview of the Herd Member, aka rogers.

I won’t be doing that today. Not enough time. I will, however, be talking to you about what is arguably the most distinctive (and fun) traits of our rogerian brethren/bretheria, the rogerian expression.

(Excerpted and edited from our page on rogers):

A rogerian expression is not simply an incorrect use of words, rather it is a deliberate use of the wrong words resulting in a statement that denies the listener the option to ignore it.. You know them when you hear them. There is a moment of disbelief, then you laugh and shake your head in  rueful admiration.  Examples:

First recorded rogerian expression. When asked at dinner one night by his wife, Camille, if he wanted more mashed potatoes, Roger replied, ‘No thanks, I think I’ll surpass on that…’

(other examples):

…looking at his paycheck, a roger was heard to say: ‘Oh man! Look at how much they deducted for aggravated security‘

…talking about  a new DVD release for a movie: ‘No, I am going to wait until they release the un-abashed edition‘

…about to talk to a client: ‘I know I have to give them the bad news with the good news, I just won’t baby-coat it‘

…writing in a blog about how egotistical certain real estate agents tend to be, an unknown roger wrote: ‘I have to say that as a professional class, most agents are much too self-absorbent…’

It’s just another example of how the perspective afforded by the Wakefield Doctrine is not merely insightful, it’s fun!

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Tuesday -the Wakefield Doctrine- ” Of time and energy, why there never seems to be enough of either in the day.”

June 25, 2019 By

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

 

Today we are out to gain a new perspective on the matter of ‘there aren’t enough hours in the day’ problem that many of us experience.

But, wait. Before we wade into the rhetorical morass of theories of reality, life and how we relate ourselves to the world around us, what’cha say I (re)tell you the story of the beginning of the Wakefield Doctrine?

In the early 1980’s, Scott* worked at a music store in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He was the only full-time salesman and (also) ran the store’s repair department. In addition to musical instruments, the store provided repair services for a wide range of electronic equipment, including  tape recorders and other audio equipment.

One day I happened to stop by the store to visit. While there, a young man walked into the store, went directly to the ‘repair department’ where Scott and I were talking and without preamble placed a ‘duel cassette recorder’ on the counter. A duel cassette recorder was designed to allow one cassette to be copied directly to another, what today we would call, making a back up. The controls on this ‘dubbing recorder’ consisted of two sets of tape recorder controls: Volume, Treble and Bass. Where it differed from a single recorder was that it also had a Master Volume control. As the name implies it controlled the volume level, for both recording and playback. The tape recorder that the customer placed on the counter appeared to be new and showed no signs of damage or abuse. I stepped back and Scott looked up and said, ‘What can we do for you’?   The customer said to Scott, “This thing is brand new, it worked for a couple of days, then it stopped working entirely. I can’t figure out what’s wrong”.

Scott looked at the device for a second, then, without a word, reached under the counter, brought out a roll of black electrical tape, and, tearing off a 2 inch piece, taped over the Master Volume control (after returning the dial to it’s highest setting). He then slid the device back over the counter and said, “There, it’s all right now.”

The guy asked to plug in the recorder. Taking a cassette from his pocket he put in the machine and ran it through it’s paces. Satisfied that his ‘broken tape recorder’ now worked like new, he thanked Scott and walked out of the store, a totally satisfied customer.

My reality shifted. For reasons not clear to this day, although I observed what scott saw as to the nature of the problem with the dual cassette recorder, I realized that the character of Scotts solution implied a reality, a ‘context’ that was clearly different from mine. At that moment I accepted that the personal reality that I experienced was not necessarily the one that of anyone else. That the manner in which Scott perceived the ‘problem’ was fundamentally different from the way I witnessed it.

From that moment, standing in a small music store in Pawtucket, I’ve been observing the behavior of others knowing that what they are experiencing is not necessarily that which I am, I try to understand, “What kind of reality does this person exist in?”

Lets return to today’s topic, the matter of ‘the curious shortage of time’. Think back to a day when you were eighteen or, even, twenty-three years old. Remember, if you can, the variety of activities you engaged in on that day. Maybe you were in school, perhaps you’d already started a family and were exploring the imagined world of adult life. I am willing to bet that the number of tasks were greater than the count from your average day last week.

Counter-intuitively or not, the older we get, the less variety in the demands on our time.

A better (and more instructive) way to say that is ‘The older we get, the demands on our time become fewer, in part because our perception of (our) capacity to meet the energy requirements of the tasks that would engage us.’ We feel we only have enough energy for what our current life demands. (No, ‘we were younger’ is not a valid response.) This is not simply physical energy we’re talking about. It is how, as we age we settle into routines. Routines for the average day, whatever they may be. And we practice these routines until we can do them in our sleep. We effectively commit all the energy we possess when we wake up in the morning to these routines.

…maybe, for those of us feeling like there isn’t enough time in the day, it isn’t excessive demands on our time, or even a lack of sufficient energy, rather it is an (unconscious) claim on all our energy for the routines that dominate our days.

 

 

* yes, the Scott in the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers

 

…’cause the Doctrine believes any attempt to think should have musical accompaniment.

 

 

 

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Monday -the Wakefield Doctrine-

June 24, 2019 By

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

Just so no one forgets how ambitious this here blog here is, consider this: while I recognize the benefit of writing posts more frequently, I don’t always have a theme. Which is in contrast to the first years when I wrote a post every day. The value and utility of the insights afforded by our little personality theory should not be underestimated. That being said, I had to laugh (soundlessly and to myself*) when I thought, “What can I write that will make a difference in the Reader’s day today?”

With no further ado, lets consider the following: ‘we live in a world of echoes.’

No! Wait! Don’t go! It’s not going be all secret meaning, mysterious utterances. This is a Doctrine post. Ain’t nothin mysterious about it.

…much.

The only article of faith necessary to enjoying the benefits of the Wakefield Doctrine is to allow that we, all of us, live, to a certain extent in a reality that is personal. As distinguished from the everyday reality that binds us (totally, in all senses of that word) to everyone else. This personal reality is the difference between the outside and the inside, experientially-speaking.

Example: you and I stand on the sidewalk across from a restaurant, could be a Four Star eatery, or Donovan Dining Hall at Rhode Island College. We both stare at the building as streams of pedestrians/students, on their way to work/class, flow past us like a river of possibilities. What we both see is the same. What we experience is not. This second is the realm of personal reality. It is as real as anything to us, you just can’t prove it. Hence the need for faith.

If you are willing to take the chance** then the Wakefield Doctrine says,

We’re all born with the potential to experience the world in one of three characteristic ways: as would the Outsider, the Predator or the Herd Member. At an early age we settle into one of these and it becomes our reality. Being very young, our primary efforts are to find ways to interact, resist, cooperate and otherwise negotiate with the world and its people that surrounds us. Our ‘personality types’ are simply a label for the most appropriate style, based on the nature of the world we encounter.

  • the Outsider(clarks) realize immediately that they are not only different, they are not included in the world shared by everyone around them. They learn to blend in to the background, the better to observe those who apparently know something that they do not. This curiosity is not idle, it is critical. If the clark missed a lesson that others obviously learned, then either they were excluded or they were unforgivably absent. Neither is something they want to advertise and both are reasons to devote most of their lives to learning whatever they don’t already know. clarks think.
  • the Predator(scotts) start moving as soon as the lights come on because, in the world of the predator, it is all about eating or being eaten. They notice everything in the world around them that is important and necessary. If it moves away, chase it. If it moves towards you, run or stand and fight. The world is full of life and conflict, which kinda are one of the same. To live is to be in motion. scotts act.
  • the Herd Member(rogers) feel at home, even among strangers because the world is complete. What it is is all that it is. They have the feeling that while there are many things to be learned in life, there is a Right Way to do things. They see the world and feel a part of it. Even the bad things are connected, and, provided they are allowed the time and resources, they will learn the Right Way to do things and show others what they have learned. It’s important, because in a Herd, there is no center. However, there are always others surrounding them. The only Good is to influence as many in the Herd as possible. rogers feel.

That is about all we have time for today.

…that echo thing? You know what it warns against.

Remember, the Wakefield Doctrine is not an answer, it is one more perspective on the world and the people in it. The more that we can appreciate how the other person is experiencing the world, the more effectively we can relate ourselves to the world around us.

 

 

* being a clark, of course, laughter is subject to the old westernized koan ‘If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one there to hear, does it make a sound?”

** and if there’s anything in life requires us to risk having to pay the highest of prices, i.e. being wrong about reality, it’s the fact that only through perspective are we able to see beyond our limitations.

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