Month: January 2020 | the Wakefield Doctrine

Finish the Sentence Friday -the Wakefield Doctrine-

January 10, 2020 By clarkscottroger

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

Today we join our old friends (ok, lets rephrase that) our friends of many years, them folks over at the Finish the Sentence Friday bloghop.

They have a positive genius for devising prompts, (aka ‘sentences in need of finishing), that never fail to incite participants to find new and interesting insights, observations and ‘Wait, did I really say that?!’ No, seriously, these guys is dangerous; if, that is, you’re a writer who prefers to believe that you show very little to the world, (real or virtual), that isn’t on purpose. Something about the incomplete sentences that they invite you to complete and, more than likely, because of the skillful writing of Kristi and them, just makes a blogger want to dig deeper, ya know what I mean?

This week’s prompt is and sentence to be completed: “Word of the Year for 2020…”

“… is Identification.”

This is used as a verb, to designate a certain way to relate ourselves to the world around us and the people who make it up. There are many definitions and descriptions of the act of identifying with another; it, (the process of identification, identifying with another), is about the effort to appreciate how another person feels. It is about striving to see the world through another’s eyes. In fact, it is only when we manage to stop trying to match realities and compare ourselves to another and search for the commonalities, do the benefits kick in.

Not easy. We, most of us, are conditioned to respond to the familiar and reject, (or worse, hate, disregard, denigrate), the different and unfamiliar. But its totally worth the effort. The simplest of acknowledgements, ‘I know how that person feels’ returns so much more than we would have otherwise.

An interesting thing about identifying with people, at least from the personal reality of a clark*, is that all of the real benefits of identifying with another are available without necessarily directly interacting with the other person. It is a non-transactional relationship. I don’t have to ask if you mind if I identify with you. And, if, as usually results, I find my own self enhanced, as a result of identifying, I don’t ‘owe you one’. (Which is not to say I’m not grateful whenever I am able to identify with another person, its almost always a positive thing.) I began to encounter this effect when I first got to the virtual world. I met a variety of people and with some, I recognized them. Mostly other clarks, of course. But the whole value (imo) is that, by trying to appreciate how they feel, I realized that many things about myself are not as ‘unique’ as I was lead to believe.**

So, thanks to Kristi and the others participating in the FTSF ‘hop, I can remind myself that its all about trying to understand how the other person is experiencing a situation, a problem, an opportunity.

Even better, the effort to identify with others is good for me no matter what. By virtue of my attempt to see the world as the other person is experiencing it, I reinforce and strength my own appreciation of the belief that there is always more than one perspective.

* clarks are one of the three worldviews (aka personality types) of the Wakefield Doctrine. They are also referred to as Outsiders. There’s a ton of info in this blog, suffice it to say, ‘We not big on the normal social interactions and transactions that the other two types (scotts/Predators and rogers/Herd Members) take as the normal give and take of interpersonal life. But then again, that’s kinda what it is to be an Outsider.

** “Why do you have to be so weird all the time?” “You know, if you just didn’t mumble, people could hear you and would pay more attention.” “Don’t worry, you’ll grow out of it.” “Everyone wants to belong, its the natural order of things.”

Filed Under: Featured, Psychology, the Wakefield Doctrine Tagged With: the Wakefield Doctrine

Six Sentence Story -the Wakefield Doctrine-

January 8, 2020 By clarkscottroger

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

This is, of course, the Six Sentence Story.

Denise is still the host.

This week, the prompt word is

EPIC

A sudden memory of childhood in Kerioth, caused the quietly-reserved man to tug at his robes, while awkwardly leaning against the man he’d devoted his life to, “It’s not how much they’ll hate me, I can live with that, but are you totally sure this is the only way?”

“Sorry, man, it’s got to be this way,” his friend and teacher spoke with a self-consciousness rarely observed by the other eleven men gathered for a late night meal; with the exception of the two men talking quietly, the others shared a boisterous camaraderie more common to members of the military than men of the cloth.

“Its just seems so unnecessary,” his eyes betraying a passionate devotion, pitched his voice low enough to achieve the illusion of privacy with the man to his right, “I mean you’re here to get things back on track, just the simplest of lessons, to do unto others as you would; why go up against the local establishment when we could just head out on the road, preaching by the village, an epic confrontation seems so wasteful, not to mention, dangerous.”

“Sorry, man, you know I don’t have sole editing authority on this story; I hate to do this to you, but other than John, there’s no one in our group who has what it takes to do what I need you to do.”

From one end of the long table, in a volume that pushed aside the other conversations, came, “Yo, Iscariot, don’t go spending all our collection money; hey, Jesus, you know I’m your boy, right?”

A sad resolution pulled at the face of the guest of honor and, in a miracle visible only to his friend, he took a piece of bread, dipped it into the cup of wine, and handed it to Judas, “Like we planned, see you on the other side.”

music

Filed Under: Featured, Psychology, the Wakefield Doctrine Tagged With: Six Sentence Story, the Wakefield Doctrine

Monday’s Lesson -the Wakefield Doctrine-

January 6, 2020 By clarkscottroger

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

As I persist in my efforts to learn to write good, two bits of advice pop into my Monday head, like the orphan sock in a drawer full of equally dark pairs. (No, that wasn’t one of them. Although, I’ll be the first to admit the attraction metaphor holds for me is like oxygen to a… That being said, there is a Doctrine lesson right there. Remind me to return to it as soon as I write myself out of this section.)

One of the most common suggestions from every writing teacher is: practice. Do a lot of it. Make up words at every opportunity. (One of the stories you hear about Jimi Hendrix, something that everyone who claim the authority to describe him, is that ‘he was always playing guitar’. On stage, off stage, days off, always.)

The second advice is ‘write what you know’ (aka ‘write what you love’). One of the first things that comes to mind is the Wakefield Doctrine. I have yet to become bored with or tired of thinking/talking/writing about everyone’s favorite personality theory. So let’s have at it.

It’s Monday morning. Is there any more pervasive a morning-back-at-work conversation topic than, ‘How was your weekend/What did you do this weekend’?

Yeah, I know.

I’m thinking ’bout the weekend. And what elbows itself to the front of the conversational line is a comment from Dyanne She said… (hey! It just dawned on me! this ‘let’s talk about what someone said over the weekend’?… I do it more frequently than I’d realized! But it’s usually Friend of the Doctrine, Cynthia.)

Anyway, in this week’s TToT, I listed Una and Phyllis at Number(s) 1 and 2. In that order. Dyanne’s comment was, and I quote:

So is Phyllis cool with taking a backseat to Una?

When I mentioned the comment to Phyllis, one of us said, ‘Well that’s interesting. How ranking and status manifests in the world of a scott is clearly different than how it manifests in the personal reality of a roger or a clark.” Well, we were on a Sunday walk with Una. Who wouldn’t have immediately fallen into a thoughtful conversation about the Doctrine. More specifically, a conversation centering on ‘the Everything Rule’.

(Quick Note for New Readers: The Doctrine says that, when it comes to personality types, there are only three: clarks(Outsider), scotts(Predator) and rogers(Herd Member). It, (the Wakefield Doctrine), maintains that we grow up and develop in one of three (personal) realities consistent with these three types. They, (the three worldviews), are distinctive and consistent within themselves. Everyone has the potential for all three, but end up in only one. That said, we retain the potential to experience the world as do the ‘other two’. Finally, the ‘Everything Rule’ reminds us that, even though we live in different realities, the world is still common to all. To use this weekend’s conversation as an example: Phyllis and Dyanne and I were ‘connected’ in our conversation, yet it, (the topic of our conversation, i.e. Dyanne’s comment), manifested differently for all three of us. I’m a clark, Phyllis is a roger and Dyanne is a scott.)

Dyanne’s comment ‘meant’ something different to each of us.

How so?

Consider the core idea: by putting Una ahead of Phyllis in my post, was I designating one as having more status than the other. Sure, in the basic sense that most people would say, “Hey! You got a list and Number One is always…well, it’s always Number 1 the best, the highest ranking.”

Ah ha! (Who else said ‘Ah ha! out there!? Lizzi, Denise? Cynthia? Mimi?* Good work.)

Status and ranking, at least in a social context, totally go hand-in-hand. The trick to understanding the people in our lives through the use of the Wakefield Doctrine is to determine their predominant worldview and then remind ourselfs that a thing may manifest in their reality differently than it would in our world. In this case, the concept of ‘ranking’

scotts, as Predators, their groups are organized as a ‘pack’. (Yes, it’s quite alright to picture a pack of wolves. No, Dyanne won’t be offended. If anything, she’ll laugh.) As we all know, ranking in a pack is fundamental and…. linear.
rogers, as Herd Members group together well, as a Herd. And, as a Herd, there is a relative center, but it is prone to constant shifting. Very not linear
clarks, as Outsiders, … lol

So that’s our Monday morning, break room discussion, following our weekend.

* yeah, those of you thinking ‘they’re all clarks, what the hell!’

Music (sort of)

for those of you living in a cave (or driving a car without a radio tuned to your local Dinosaur Rock stations), here is the song Joe is explaining. Like you don’t already have it playing in your head.

Filed Under: Featured, Psychology, the Wakefield Doctrine Tagged With: psychology of personality, self-development, the Wakefield Doctrine, Understanding Human Behavior

TToT -the Wakefield Doctrine-

January 4, 2020 By clarkscottroger

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

First TToT of 2020 (Grat Item Number 3)

First TToT …ever? Hold on. lemme go look (Grat 5)

First Wakefield Doctrine post… regardless of readability? (Totally gots to be Number 4)

First Host of the TToT that’s too easy. ok, all hosts of the TToT (Grat Number Eight)

First Music (video) used in a post… Coming in at 7

First Book completed …(funny you should mention it, working on the re-write and trying to find another story to write down. Please give me your first impressions of the little excerpt at Number Six)

First Secret Rule among all Secret Rules, (‘the one, the only, Secret Rule 1.3!!’ at number 10 of course!)

First Principle (well, this is the Wakefield Doctrine and if you didn’t come across something oddly interesting, you’d wonder if there was a stand-in writing this post, which, for the sake of argument, might be a roger, but then, if you’ve been keeping up with your Wakefield Doctrine studies, you’d recognize the change, as the writing style of a roger is easily distinguishable from that of a clark), so First Principle here at the Doctrine? Reality is, to a small, but significant degree, personal. Lets put this bad boy right at what ever number is left over.

First canine (gracing our home with her presence) Una at Number One

First human, Phyllis at an honorable Number Two

Provide for the pack
Family of three, one spirit
Each for the other

1) Una ↓

2) Phyllis ↑

3) Thank you to Kristi for maintaining the ‘hop

4) From June 25, 2009 This post

5) From June 7th of 2013 ( “the tao of gratitude the Wakefield Doctrine (a blog hop that will not only be fun… but useful too!)”

Standing at the bay window overlooking the driveway, the real estate broker made a conscious effort to throw his shoulders back and assume a confident posture. The muffled crunch of tire-compressed shells signaled the approach of visitors to his Open House. A frown, forming above his eyes, tried to rally the rest of his body behind the certainty that the car contained nothing but open house tourists; only this and nothing more. Surely they would be unable, or, he amended, at the sight of the late model Aston Martin, unwilling to pay the price of owning the house that surrounded him.

Grey-on-white eyebrows gathered in tired conspiracy as he reminded himself why he still had the listing. He’d convinced the seller that he would a buyer before the first snow fell. Watching the the DB11 stop directly before the front entrance, he became certain these were not the next owners of ‘The Keeper’. For no reason, the thought following his assessment of the young couple approaching the door, almost as an aside, What a stupid name. This house deserves a better name than ‘The Keeper’.

A sudden impulse to stand in the open doorway and shout, ‘Go away, we’re not home!’ passed without touching the world.

Years of experience triggered a quick survey of the interior of the house. A living room that ran from the small entry hall through the center of the house. The butler’s door on the left wall, leading to the kitchen was as still as an oil painting. To the right, a broad staircase grew out of the paneled-wall and rose to the second floor.

Filled with tired and worn furnishings, the house rudely interrupted any positive first impression with the assertion, ‘No one lives here anymore’. The broker’s shadow, fleeing the disheartened light of a November afternoon, was that of a broken man. Cast behind him, as if refusing to leave the house, narrow arms and thin legs drawn in charcoal bent at unhealthy angles over the furniture.

“Anyone home?” The owner of a voice that clearly didn’t care what the answer to his inquiry was, stepped into the entry hall. Behind him, like Peter Pan’s shadow, was a young woman.

“I’m Bob Darling and this is my wife, Wendy,” with his right hand extended like a medieval knight’s lance, the man stepped forward.

The agent felt the upwards twitch of an eyebrow and glanced first at the man and then the woman. The man was looking at the interior of the house and the woman offered the slightest hint of a smile, a practiced signal to anyone appreciating the story-time echoes of her married name.

7) The first music video? Now this is what is fun about living in the world of the Outsider, aka clarks… the first use of video was in this Post. (I won’t take the fun out of it. Go see for yourself)

8) Lizzi, Josie(Wendy) and Kristi

9) Goes without saying, that leaves this item for that First Principle thing… lol jeez, the universe is about two friends shy of being weirder than we are.

10) SR 1.3

music

my all-time favorite for a rainy saturday TToT post

Filed Under: Featured, Psychology, the Wakefield Doctrine Tagged With: the Wakefield Doctrine

Six Sentence Story -the Wakefield Doctrine-

January 1, 2020 By clarkscottroger

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

This is the Six Sentence Story bloghop.

It is hosted by Denise.

It has one rule: a) use the week’s prompt word and 2) keep it to six sentences, no more and no less.

This week the word is:

CRYSTAL

He sat down, a tripod of hands and butt, rejected his surroundings and turned an almost-deaf ear to the voice in his head.

‘Don’t worry,’ the voice said, every straight-A student at the bustop, to the boy with an armload of unread textbooks, “This is either a dream or that woman you called a post-menopausal-charlatan-who-didn’t-know-her-astral-body-from-a-hole-in-the-ground, cast a spell on you.”

Ignoring the voice, he looked around and regretted it immediately; all he saw was an inward-curving sky, as featureless as a newborn’s conscience. It hurt to look look around at something that insisted it was right there, just a second ago, yet he was more afraid to close his eyes.

There was second voice, ‘Hope is a crystal ball, you can believe in it, just don’t count on seeing where it starts or where it ends.”

Something changed, the world around him flattened into an array of solid walls forming a candle-lit room and he was now facing a woman across a round pool of green felt, “That’ll be five dollars,” she smiled, “And you’re welcome.”