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

Quick follow-up on the reference, in yesterday’s post, to the use of the Wakefield Doctrine in self-improvementhood.

The core idea to the Doctrine is personal reality. Specifically one of three: the reality of the Outsider(clarks), the world of the Predator(scotts) and the life of the Herd Member(rogers). These comprise the context against which we develop strategies and learn how best to negotiate the path of our lives.

• Outsiders(clarks) come to realize they’re apart from and otherwise, (apparently), different from those around them. Being a reality of the rational, (clarks, think) they set out to discover what it is that everyone else appears to know that bestows membership. clarks suspect they missed the class on belonging, (class on belonging motto: ‘Welcome to the Club’)
• Predators(scotts) listen to their bodies, as the world doesn’t encourage reflection and self-examination. They’re not disappointed. The joy of the chase leaves no extra energy for introspection, and it, (introspection), providing no added speed or power, is set aside for the moment. (scotts act) They don’t feel exception for being the way they are, instinct focuses the mind quite sufficiently. Life is… well, it is. Anyway, there’s no time to waste, only time to chase and avoid being caught. (scottian world motto: ‘Hey! What’s that? Chase it!)
• Herd Members(rogers) feel good. The world around them makes sense. Besides being full of things, (and people, principles and institutions), they accept their membership and take satisfaction that their Club Member jacket has neither a number nor an expiration date. rogers gladly accept the charge in life to discover the Right Way and instruct all others in what they’ve discovered. (rogerian worldview motto: ‘Life is Good’)

So, what does this have to do with self-improvoisity?

Hold on… one more concept (or two)

So, for the Wakefield Doctrine, personality type is simply a label for the style, set of strategies, a person has learned and practiced in on of the three personal realties. In a sense, each of us have the best and most effective of personality types, given the reality in which we exist.

The thing is, we never lose the potential to experience the world as do ‘the other two’. (We grow up in one and only one of the three personal realities.)

…time’s up for this Wednesday. Check back in a couple of days.

Tomorrow is Six Sentence Story day and we get to read the latest installment from ‘the Whitechapel Interlude‘