predicting human behavior | the Wakefield Doctrine

RePrint Ruesday -the Wakefield Doctrine-

March 10, 2026 By 1 Comment

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

There’s an old saying* ‘It’s immeasurably easier to continue to write than it is to begin to write. Given the fact that this skill, (as most), improves only with practice, it is good advice to keep at it.

so following is a slightly abridged RePrint from twelve or so years ago:

the Wakefield Doctrine the ego of the Introvert

April 29, 2014

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

Pandemic3

Hey!  New Readers!! Now that you’ve had time to read and understand the basic principles of the Wakefield Doctrine, lets start you off with a common comparison problem:

“…nearly every popular personality type system has a category labeled: ‘Introvert’  Here is the brief Quiz (which, if you don’t pass, may result in your not ever feeling successful …with any aspect of your life*). The Quiz:   a) why is it everyone likes to believe that they are an ‘Introvert’ and 2) why is the Wakefield Doctrine vastly superior to nearly every one of these other personality theories, on the matter of ‘Introversion’? …Times up!! (ha, ha… of course, time’s not up clark!! you will never believe that it is possible that you have only one chance!)

Answers:

  • a) nope! you have to answer this one, you’re the frickin people who run around, telling your friends that you’re an ‘Introvert’ on the basis of the results of the cool, new personality test that you found on ‘the Facebook’
  • 2) ok… this one we’ll provide, (seeing how you didn’t read down this far, to see if this Quiz was for real or not).  the Wakefield Doctrine is wonderful in it’s approach to ‘Introversion’, because it does not ask the person taking the test if they believe the description (of ‘Introversion’) applies to them. As a result, there is no problem with whether, when confronted with the questions: ‘I am sometimes reluctant to speak before a plenary session of the UN Security Council” or ‘when making love I occasionally like to be in separate beds‘ or ‘my friends often are unable to pick me out of the police lineup‘, we can answer:  ‘Never’  ‘Sometimes’ or ‘Are you kidding me?!?!’  The Wakefield Doctrine maintains that the behavior labeled ‘Introversion’ is available to and manifested by all three personality types, that it is how the individual ‘relates themselves to the world around them’, that makes a person Introverted. Now, the first time Reader of the Doctrine might say, “those clark people!! they’re Introverts because they mumble and have no eye contact and can’t seem to sit up straight in a chair and when you’re trying to put a move on one of them, even when you know that they’re totally into you, somehow you find yourself having a heartfelt conversation about the Peloponnesian War or the Secrets of the Rosicrucians!” clarks exhibit many of the characteristics of an introvert, but they will not remain un-noticed a second longer, once they decide that they have something to contribute. The first time Reader might say, “how can those scotts be introverted?? no damn way, they’re totally out in the front of the room.”  True, (most of the time), but scotts have a way of withdrawing that is indicated by the tone of their shouting/joking/hitting-upon-ing.  This is simple misdirection, much as a mother lion might leave the cubs under a bush, run at the much larger predator stalking them and then head off in entirely a different direction, drawing attention away from the bush. An injured or overly tired scott will exhibit this as a form of Introversion.  and rogers?  when they are feeling off or are suffering, they will simply find something in you to cause you discomfort, which will serve to take the attention off themselves… hiding in pain-sight plain sight,

Study up binyons, new Readers! There will be more quizzes and tests and exams and such.

Experienced Readers? yeah, we ran out of time yesterday…and we’re kinda up against it again today!  But, seeing how you guys are so damn adept, here’s a couple of insights:

do not be concerned with the questions: is this worthwhile, will anyone notice that I have done this, does this make up for… (anything)

do be (very) concerned with the questions: is this something that I can feel satisfied with, does this satisfaction start and end with me, do I care if anyone notices

No! yeah, I’ll definitely make you experienced people the priority tomorrow for sure. As a matter of fact, as a test to see who’s still reading:  send in questions.

 

 

* ha ha  just kidding, you’ll be successful with some aspect of your life…. you know, if you’re a roger, you’ll always be successful (as far as what you’ll tell anyone in earshot.. of course, at night, when you can’t smother your mind in reading, coerced love-making and/or compulsive stamp-collecting, you might wish you had studied harder, but then you’ll recall how poorly the blog appeared to be written and relax with a session of grading the quality of wool of sheep jumping a fence.  scotts? satisfied with their lives?  ha! ain’t no time to go looking for some kind of standard to measure up to!! gotta keep moving!)

 

 

*well, as old as anything can be in the first Quarter(ish) of a century.

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Monday -the Wakefield Doctrine-

March 2, 2026 By 9 Comments

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

sorry about the missed Doctrine post last Monday (and an unsteady beginning to the Week of Snow).

As we all know, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, (with an option on Friday), are days we write about the Wakefield Doctrine. Thursday, (with an option on Friday), are for our stories in the Six Sentence Story format.

We are very fortunate to have Readers who are also students of the Wakefield Doctrine. And their Comments, invaluable inspiration for these ‘What is this Doctrine’ type post, are very appreciated.

This week we have a Comment from Mimi that effectively jumpstarts our first Doctrine post of the week. Misky, Denise and Cynthia are among the others who we count on to express their reactions, responses, interpretations and general feedback,

So, last Friday, in a Comment on a Doctrine post (sub)titled: ‘Leftovers, Binyons‘ Mimi, she be sayin

Assuming you know what others are thinking is natural when almost all you do is think!

Yes. And what this observation does is serve to remind us that, by virtue of the fact that everyone exists in one of three personal realities, it would behoove us to not assume the other person is experiencing the given situation the same as do we.

Continuing with this thought* it is evident, by our own correspondent’s admission to being a clark1 she could accept the idea that the other person might (mostly likely) be a scott or a roger.

So, back to the original Post, Amy would do well, upon realization that she was dealing with either a scott or a roger, to set aside her expectations for being understood and, instead make an effort to translate what the other person is saying, in the language-mode of their predominant worldview.

Lots of opportunity to reduce stress (for clarks), enhance one’s enjoyment of the moment (for scotts) and feel more confident (as a roger always seeks to do).

That should get us started on the week.

Remember: do not assume, despite being in a direct interaction…in the same damn room! that the other person is having the same experience as you.

Program Notes: No, there are not three alien worlds competing for our attention. There is the common world of everyday reality. It is only on a small, but still significant lever that we experience the world as a clark or a scott or a roger.

*see??! See?? lol

  1. clarks think, scotts act and rogers feel

 

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Friday -the Wakefield Doctrine- ‘Leftovers, binyons!”

February 27, 2026 By 6 Comments

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

Perhaps we could interest you in a little RePrint?

Come on! You know you want to… it’s been a long week and despite knowing that a ‘proper’ original content Post is always good for the curious and discerning Reader, sometimes all a blogger wants is a bowl of cereal in front of the TV watching X-Files (or if you’re really *ld, the Man from Uncle).

Full Disclosure: This is, in fact, a rather informative post centered on a actual Doctrine Reader’s ‘question’. From back in… “Danger Will Robinson! Danger!! Depressing Calendar Mathematics ahead!”

 

(Everything Rule, Misky, your challenge is to step to the side and view this from the perspective of the Everything Rule. ha ha… look at us,  indulging in being a roger! aka assuming we know what someone else is thinking… wait.a.darn.minute! that’s not indulging in being a roger… it’s being a clark (back us up on this one Mimi? Denise? Cynthia? ;p)

 

hey, a little link-dropping ain’t such a bad way to end the wordk week, is it?

the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers) ‘…a unique, productive and fun insight into the behavior of the people in our lives’

April 23, 2013

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

As promised, we will now address the question on the minds of many Readers,  “…what the hell good is this Doctrine thing? We’ve read the Posts and freely admit that we like the sound of this theory of clarks, scotts and rogers.  It all makes sense but… enough with the allegory and theory! Lets hear what it can do to help with real life situations and such!”

 

From Friend of the Doctrine Amy:

I guess I would really like to know how to manage these scotts effectively without getting all worked up and out of whack. Do you know what I mean? I stay all calm for the most part and then they push and insist and try to tell me what I think (even though I know quite well what I think and it’s not what they want me to think)….and then I get mad and very direct and maybe a little more assertive than I am comfortable with. It takes me another two days to calm down after such a confrontation. Can you tell I just had such a confrontation? It’s three days later and I’m still thinking / analyzing / worrying about it. And I’m sure the Scott in questions never gave it a second thought!

Thanks Amy! (Amy is a Friend of the Doctrine who writes ‘Adorable Chaos’ …more than just a mommyblog, her observations and insights, while often focused on family and teaching, have a certain subtle edge (and secret humor) that you will enjoy reading it.) This is a great Question!

…next question?1

You’ve heard the saying,  ‘the Wakefield Doctrine is for you, not for them’, lets start with the second of the two questions implicit in the above scenario.

“…It’s three days later and I’m still thinking / analyzing / worrying about it.”2

Remember the last time you got all, “…I-can-rake-the-whole-yard!-I’ve-got-it-halfway-done-already-I-can’t-stop-now!” ?
Now recall what we say about the three personality types: clarks think, scotts act and rogers feel.
What we mean by this is not just that we clarks are given to introspection or scotts go from impulsive act to impulsive act, or even that rogers change moods like a girl changes clothes… no! we mean that, (in our respective worldviews), this is how we are.

Your feeling ‘out of sorts’ for days after your successfully overcoming the attempt by a scott to dominate you, is simply being stiff and sore, just like if you raked the whole damn yard on a Saturday afternoon in October.  Now, being a clark, what you need to ease the aches (god, don’t you love metaphors stretched almost to their breaking points?),  is something rational, yet still in the realm of what got you sore in the first place.3, i.e. exerting yourself dealing with a scott.
So, next time this happens, after you have overcome the scott in question, but sooner than 3 days of reflection later, go back to them and remind them of whatever it was that you (finally) did to get them to stop and behave. Depending on how much time has passed (since) the initial confrontation, you will find yourself less and less inclined to do this, preferring to keep everything in your head, on familiar ground. You will think to yourself that it might be best to ‘let sleeping dogs lie’.  ( …lol)

Now lets consider the first question (inherent in) your most excellent scenario:

“…even though I know quite well what I think and it’s not what they want me to think… I’m sure the Scott in questions never gave it a second thought!”

You are totally correct. They did not, they do not.
That is the charm, the strength, the limitation, hell! it’s the definition of the scottian worldview. They act. They live in the here and now, they act on the basis of the immediate, not the abstract .
You do not.
However, if you keep in mind that scotts view dominance and ranking as simply the way the world is and not (this is critical and alien to a clark) … not as a statement of worth or value or anything like that, you will be able to deal with them in their context, but on your terms and everything will be a lot more better.  for you…. (they won’t understand any of this, but explanations are for clarks, not for scotts.)

I hope this helps, Amy. Thank you for the scenario, yo.

1)  ha ha come on! you didn’t see that coming? No?? you might be at the wrong blog then,  if you were looking for totally straight on, sincere- to-a-fault self-improvement advice, you might be better going somewhere else.

2) Any Reader who cannot identify with this, you better go to the section on clarks.

3)  but, like being sore after too much raking, the exercises here are most effective when done as soon after the exertion as possible.

*

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Wednesday -the Wakefield Doctrine-

February 25, 2026 By 4 Comments

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

The Doctrine, at least for the purposes of this post, can be likened to a musical instrument. It has the inherent value to produce what most of us characterize as a musical sound/tone. It responds to a certain approach/technique better than others. There are, (to some), arbitrary rules for the application of it in the service of playing music, (i.e. you should not use a clarinet as a bow on a viola, you should not blow into the f-holes of a double bass expecting to hear an alto note) and, finally, with study and practice, one might arrive at the point of being able to produce something otherwise not available any other way.

So learn your scales, (the characteristics of the three predominant worldviews), and practice until you know each note/detail by heart.

Practice your lessons: “a clark and a scott and a roger stand on the sidewalk across the street from a very popular restaurant.”

Play the clarklike part… now the scottian observation and finally, the roger’s counter response and, likely extended, coda.

Repeat.

Eventually, with practice, and, it is assumed, a certain of talent, one can play this little piece with emphasis on each of the three as the lead melody. And, if one has or develops ‘an ear’, you might bring each part to life in manner the listener has not heard before.

Technical prowess will produce a truly effective performance.

However, once you have the technique mastered, you can begin to put yourself into the music. And by doing so, produce something (insights into the life of total stranger) not heard before.

…you know, like that.

 

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Wednesday Warm-up -the Wakefield Doctrine-

February 18, 2026 By 6 Comments

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

Seeing how today is Wednesday, aka  ‘Have Something To Submit To The Six Sentence Story bloghop Day’ we thought we’d write a little ‘Soul of Wit’ post. (And apparently it’s how many quotes can you use day.)

In any event, seeing how we all know the dominant demographic here is (are?) clarks. [Or scotts or rogers with significant secondary clarklike aspects]

If we may:

clarks make the easy things hard and the hard things easy

If you want something done quickly, with little concern about precision or level of finish…call a scott

If you want something done right, with no particular deadline and don’t mind an endless demand of appreciation…call a roger

that was… simple? easy??

 

Bonus Doctrine Insight:

Quick and Easy Way to Identify Another’s predominant worldview; ask them: ‘How much is Two plus Two?’

 

Don’t Forget to visit the Six Sentence Story bloghop starting tonight!

 

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