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

So, we were taking part in an interview, courtesy of our Six Sentence Story friend, D. Avery, earlier in the week. It was both challenging and fun. (Read it here.) The challenging part was over quickly enough, i.e. overruling my natural inclination to respond to the invitation with a brusque, “Err…no thank you”*.

That being said, it was fun to ‘get out’, and the members of the blog that hosted the interview, ‘the Carrot Ranch‘ are a genuinely accomplished and interesting group of writers. Ostensibly an interview with us as a writer, along with a ‘set up’ (of) an interview with a character (Ian Devereaux), the Wakefield Doctrine naturally came up. Not so odd, as many of the questions were about writing and approaches to writing.

So, as often happens when it is the topic, one of the participants asked about the Doctrine. Rebecca Glaessner, a participant at ‘the Ranch’, wrote a comment on the interview, which included the words, “… your theory of Clarks(sic) resonates deeply.”

….well!

The Wakefield Doctrine is a perspective on the world and the people who make it up. We are, all of us, born with the potential to experience reality in one of three distinctly (but secretly interrelated) separate ways, as would an Outsider(clarks), a Predator(scotts) or a Herd Member(rogers). At an early age we settle into one (and only one) of these three personal realities. The social styles, the interpersonal strategies we develop (our personality types) are in response to the world we experience it.

A clark lives in the world of the Outsider and so learns to stay out of the spotlight (while contending with a insatiable curiosity), a scott starts running and only stops when necessary, the world of the Predator not being kindly disposed to introspection and, the Herd Member, well, they’re at home the minute they look around; rogers, living the life of the Herd, belong and looking, receive confirmation there is a Right Way to do things and it’s merely a matter of completing the list for all to be right in the world.

While we have only one predominant worldviews, we never lose the capacity to experience the world as do ‘the other two’. (This will explain why sometimes, usually under duress, we find ourselves acting like someone else. Example: I’m a clark with a significant secondary scottian aspect. I know about a personality theory and will tell you at the slightest provocation. lol)

clarks think, scotts act and rogers feel.

clarks live in their minds, scotts in their bodies and rogers in their hearts.

The highest accomplishment one can achieve employing the Wakefield Doctrine is to fully appreciate how we relate ourselves to the world around us. The guiding ambition behind learning and employing the perspective made available by the Doctrine is be able to see the world as the other person is experiencing it.

(Pro-tip: Search youtube for: ‘the pen scene’ in ‘Casino’ and ‘I’m gonna get you Stewart’ in ‘Wolf’ and bar scene in ‘Maddog and Glory’ (the one with David Caruso in the thumbnail).

You will be treated to a scene(s) of: a roger and a scott, a scott and a roger and a clark and a scott, respectively. Language advisory (well, one them has Joe Pesci in it, after all! lol)

So let’s end this with a simple warning: Once you’ve learned the characteristics of the three worldviews** Well, at least enough to spot the clarks, scotts and rogers in your world, you may be unable to not see them.

With the Wakefield Doctrine as an additional perspective, you will know more about the other person than you should. Use this power wisely. …and discreetly.***

* lol so, what, exactly would a brusque, ‘errr’ sound like? I’d say, ‘Once a clark, always a…’ however, as the old saying reminds us, “Awareness is nine-tenths of change”

** any clark will betray their own worldview by the quickness they accomplish this. Not such a surprise, seeing how we (clarks) are all trying to make sense of the world around us.

*** no! serially! in the early days, given half a chance, I’d say to people…”Yeah, it’s like a personality theory, except better! For instance, even though we met only a few minutes ago, I can tell you what shoes you have in your closet…  hey! Where you going?!”

lol