relationships | the Wakefield Doctrine

Six Sentence Story -the Wakefield Doctrine-

January 10, 2019 By clarkscottroger

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

Denise invites all to join in with her weekly writing…. exercise? practice, jamboree?

She provides a new prompt word each week. We write a story employing/using/otherwise referencing the word. And we limit ourselfs to six sentences. (Unlimited semicolons are permitted. Can I get an Amen!)

Habe sie funzen

( Writers note. That video at the bottom? Came across it earlier this week. As I watched and listened, I was all, ‘Damn! I could write a Six on this alone.’ I didn’t quite find the story to match the vid. But it, (the video), was so cool, I figured I just had to share the funzen.)

Prompt word:

Material

“Did Sister Cletus really tell her she was not suited to the Order?” Sister Margaret Ryan, glancing at the dining room door, held the red dish towel with both hands and made a pass to her right, a Bed, Bath and Beyond Verónica as Sister Bernadine stood at the sink washing the dinner dishes; the window over the sink provided a subtle reflection of amusement in the large woman’s eyes.

“Tell me what?” Sister Cletus asked as she stepped into the kitchen with the last of the dinnerware.

“Send someone famous away… from the convent, a postulate, back in the early eighties,” Sister Margaret turned, her mulata once again an ordinary dishtowel.

“Back then, the parish priests knew that if any girls expressed an interest in the Order they could arrange for them to spend a weekend here at St. Dominiques, at the time I was the one to help them explore their spiritual nature.”

“So, you knew right away this girl was not meant to be a nun?” looking past the young nun, Sister Cletus’ pale blue eyes went to the woman standing at the sink, whose eyes glowed like twin stars in her ebony reflection.

” Oh no, I’m afraid Miss Ciccione was much, too much a material girl.”

Filed Under: Featured, Psychology, the Wakefield Doctrine Tagged With: relationships, self-development, the Wakefield Doctrine

9.5 years later…. -the Wakefield Doctrine-

January 1, 2019 By clarkscottroger

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

This being New(est) Year Day, on behalf of the Wakefield Doctrine, best wishes to all Readers in the coming, (and seriously non-balanced) year, 2019.

Know that the Wakefield Doctrine will be available to all those who might benefit from the experience of identifying with another person. It is an article of faith here that, by identifying with another person who has over-come a challenge, one can draw a special kind of strength. (OK, quick example, then back to the platitudes. Early in this blog there came a generation of clarks that, stumbling across this site, immediately understood what we had. More importantly, these readers extrapolated the principles and were able to apply the Doctrine in their own lifes. On the basis of the posts and comments and such. That was important. What was invaluable was when we could see other clarks experiencing certain aspects of the Outsider worldview (decidedly non-pleasant aspects) and coming through the experience. By the magic of identification, I, personally, have benefitted from seeing other clarks deal with life. So big thanks out to Lizzi and Cynthia and Denise and the other second generation Doctrinaires. Made a difference in my life, yo.)

Anyway.

This very same benefit is available to rogers and scotts, of course. For those inclined.

(Trying to encourage my rogerian aspect* I will include in our New(est) Year Day post, this quote from Blake.**)

To see a World in a Grain of Sand

And a Heaven in a Wild Flower

Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand

And Eternity in an hour

* It is a given that, for some, the Wakefield Doctrine is useful in the effort to self-develop oneself. And, given the central idea, I look to develop my scottian secondary and rogerian tertiary to work in balance with my clarklike predominant worldview. …. Like balance is likely in 2019

** shoutout to Cynthia for starting a train of thought that reminded me of one of the few poems I can remember (a part of….lol). courtesy of Poetry Foundation

Filed Under: Featured, Psychology, the Wakefield Doctrine Tagged With: relationships, self-development, self-improvement, the Wakefield Doctrine, Understanding Human Behavior

Monday -the Wakefield Doctrine-

November 19, 2018 By clarkscottroger

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

Ya know, this is Thanksgiving week, aka the holiday roger gave us.

Commemorating (and otherwise commenting on) this remarkable illustration/demonstration of the efficacy of our little personality theory I thought I’d repost the second Thanksgiving post that saw the cathode-grey sun rise on a Thursday so long ago.

Enjoy.

Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine ( the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers) on this eve of Saint rogers’s Day!

Thanksgiving Day¹ is the holiday that, if we did not already know that there exists a personality type referred to as a roger, someone else would have pointed it out to us.  Perhaps the task would have fallen to an Art Professor in a land grant college somewhere in the Midwest. We can imagine the epiphany …in the middle of the night (during his sabbatical devoted to the study of the works of Norman Rockwell)
” My god! Norman’s work is not just a robust and healthy celebration of paedophilia! He has been trying to tell us to transform our culture!  …for all good Americans to come forth and show their appreciation of patriotism, consumerism and child-abuse!!”

We have, from time to time, been accused of indiscriminate use of hyperbole in these pages, however, just consider the astounding level of pervasiveness of the ‘Holiday of Thanksgiving’. It is not enough to close the Post Office system and all other government agencies², no it is not, this Holiday actually attempts to compel normal, rational, adult people to sit in front of the television and watch a Parade involving giant balloon representations of out-of-print newspaper cartoon characters! Who the hell watches the Macy’s Day Parade on purpose?!?  Throughout the entire morning of Thanksgiving, you simply cannot escape the pageantry and spectacle, broadcast live and has as the ’emcees’, News Anchors from the major networks morning news shows!  ( “Thats right, Matt! That’s Kenny Chesney and Taylor Swift on the Snoop Dog float… it says here that her eye makeup took 12 hours and 6 pounds of aluminum foil chips to create!!” ). Like a Hieronymus Bosch painting done in ‘live-action’, the whole country is exposed to hours and hours of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade… more than 3 hours of parade music and floats (” … hey, Anne, isn’t the next float from your hometown?” “That’s right Al, it’s my old alma mater, the East Clydesdale High School Marching Band playing a medley, ‘Straight outta Compton’, ‘Fuck tha Police’ and ‘Gangsta Gangsta'”)

Why do we say Thanksgiving is the most rogerian of all holidays? Simply because Thanksgiving is about the how, not the why. As a holiday and a cultural event, this particular holiday tells it’s participants exactly what to do; what to eat and how to cook it! Taught from childhood, every member of our culture knows precisely how (and) where they are expected to spend the Holiday! Thanksgiving is about family and if there is anything that rogers fake better than anyone, it is the joyful appreciation and celebration of the family.

But don’t just take my word for it! Following is an excerpt from a Post of the Wakefield Doctrine that was written over a year ago! (and nothing says credibility better than…age)

We all know that “the holidays” are experienced differently by each of the three (clarks, scotts and rogers) and therefore the demands of the celebrations are a very effective illustration of the nature of each. But if there was no Thanksgiving, a roger would have invented it! (Actually, they probably did). Think about it! A holiday celebration that is:

based on a factual historical event (sort of)

the protagonists (of the story) are religious refugees, persecuted and driven away, together, on boats

food, specific food, and a not-to-be-deviated-from Menu

ritual menu and a full schedule of events

shopping in herds, as the climax of the celebration (Black Friday)

a moral taught to the young: we came here, those strangers who helped us were different, (…we had a feast and wiped out their culture)

I will be so bold as to suggest that there is no more rogerian a holiday than Thanksgiving. And since we are on the subject of rogers and holidays, (sort of), is there any human activity that is more one sided, over-hyped, ‘expectations-sure-to-fall short’, ( not counting sex on the eve of a relationship breaking up), than Parades? I don’t care if you are a trombone player in the middle of the herd or someone sitting in their living room watching it on TV, nothing says roger better than Parades!

* As a result of the popularity of (Zola’s) letter, even in the English-speaking world, J’accuse! has become a common generic expression of outrage and accusation against someone powerful

1) the Day that the indigenous people of the North American continent made a gift of their lands and cultures and cuisine to their new European friends.

2) you do know about the Post Office and rogers, don’t you?

Hey! Hollowood is a wonderful resource for the clear depiction of the three personality types and such (who can forget Joe Pesci and his pen?). Here’s a vid of that most rogerian of actors (at least while he was young and his sneer muscle was possessed of Olympic Gold Medal meter…)

Filed Under: Featured, Psychology, the Wakefield Doctrine Tagged With: psychology of personality, relationships, self-improvement, the Wakefield Doctrine, three personality types, Understanding Human Behavior

TToT -the Wakefield Doctrine-

November 3, 2018 By clarkscottroger

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

The TToT, (full and original name: The Ten Things of Thankful) is the creation of Lizzi Lewis. Both demonstration of one woman’s refusal to allow outrageous fortune defeat her and a bequest to those who would follow, continuing the virtual community of people who believe good qualities are enhanced and even multiplied when shared with others of like mind.

Fast forward several years and hundreds of posts. Kristi is the host of the TToT and, true to the original intent, she provides a place where people of good intent can come and share the parts of their lives that evoke a sense of gratitude.

This week I’ll start my grat list with the photo above.

1) Una (perfect lifeform)

2) Phyllis (exceptional woman)

3) Technology: we recently had a ‘whole house’ generator installed. Big investment, however, the utility infrastructure here in Rhode Island has become very sketchy. Being on well for water means that when the electricity goes off so does the indoor plumbing. We were resigned to have un-interrupted power for at least five years because of our decision. But just a couple of hours ago the generator came on because the power went out. Nice

4) the Wakefield Doctrine. I had an opportunity to tell someone about the Doctrine this week. A clark (which you might say is kinda hedging my bet lol). And, this person immediately understood it. I sometimes forget how amazing our little personality theory is until I have the fortune to see the reaction of a person when they assemble the principles into an additional perspective. Because, as we know, not only does the application of the Wakefield Doctrine permit us to know more about the other person than they know themselves, its also really fun.

5) This writing jones of mine. I find that, although I don’t spend nearly as much time writing as I should, it’s still way fun to have imaginary people doing interesting things in the pages of two or three stories (WIPs). And, in a very practical sense, I’m grateful that they’re all willing to step up when I have to write a Six Sentence Story.

6) I have, of late, found greater appreciation for the work I do. Probably due to the fortuitous appearance of two sets of people who are exemplary clients. Makes you want to do your own job better.

7) The Book of Secret Rules, aka the Secret Book of Rules

8) THIS SPACE AVAILABLE (If you’re new to the TToT or just passin’ through, this Item is meant to allow you to get a feel for our little community. Sure, you can read the other posts, but theres something about participation in an exercise like this that adds a dimension of enjoyment. To that end I’ve left this Item on my TenList for your Grat. (sure, we talk kinda funny, but I did say that this was a community, right? what better way to enhance the feeling of belonging that sharing a group-specific language?)

9) Sunday Supplement

10) Secret Rule 1.3 (from the aforementioned BoSR/SBoR)

now I realize that we no longer burn leaves in the fall, however that very distinctive scent-memory, along with early darkness, totally creates a certain urban vibe….even here in rural suburbia

Filed Under: Featured, Psychology, the Wakefield Doctrine Tagged With: personality types, relationships

Friday -the Wakefield Doctrine- ‘of clarks and Autumn, weather and the tyranny of the mind’

November 2, 2018 By clarkscottroger

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

My second-favorite type of weather totally has me looking up the live version of Robin Trower doing ‘Bridge of Sighs’. Hold on….. all set!

Where was I?

First the weather: darker than it needs to be for 6:30 in the morning, even in pre-time change November. Windy. (For those not familiar with our location, we’re surrounded by a pine woods. As such, the wind acquires an aural presence that is most impressive. Not only do you hear the blowing, you can hear it roaming. The distant approach through the needle-ladened branches grows louder and closer, then it veers off in another direction). Very cool. And the temperature is 69 degrees with the hint of rain. ‘Wuthering Heights’ weather fer sure.

…in any event. Recently I’ve had occasion to talk to people about the Doctrine, (yeah, lol, really!), and the topic has been centered on the question, ‘Well, it sounds all sorts of interesting, but has it done you any good?”

The answer is ‘Yes* and Yes!’

Damn! Running out of time!

Hey! You’re all Readers (‘Readers’ motto: ‘I’m here of my own free will, I get this Doctrine thing. Sorta. No, mostly. Whatta got for us today?’) So I’ll skip right to the answer*.

The Wakefield Doctrine has served as an aide in my attempts to identify with others. With other clarks and, here’s an interesting-discover-something-as-one-writes, with scotts and rogers. Identifying with clarks will tempt some to say, ‘well, duh!’ The thing is, through identification, I’m in a position to share the experiences as well as the knowledge (of others).

So, with clarks, that I know and/or encounter out in the world, I root for their success and I will cringe as they proceed down a path that I may have already travelled to find disappointment or set-back. In this, the magic of identification reveals itself. I feel for the clark who is about to double-down on hope for a future that is based on a false premise; I smile in a shared-joy when I see a clark avoid a no-win encounter with a roger (or a scott). But mostly, and this is something I’ve learned is a benefit for rogers and scotts as well, I learn about myself. And that changes me.

When I see a clark descend into the dark, as all clarks (and I’m learning, some rogers and scotts) must, I feel hope for their return. And that….that! is where the benefit of the Doctrine stands out. I see a clark come up out of the dark. Not only do I know how they feel, I know that they survived. (And the true power of this ‘dark place’ is that it is the dominion of unchallengeable negativity. When caught in its embrace, there is only one voice and it brooks no resistance.)

Knowing that other clarks (and rogers and scotts) have been through this experience and come out the other side does not mean I can defeat the argument of complete nihilism. It does not. What it does do is make the power of the dark less…. all-powerful, all-encompassing. In a word, a perspective of hope.

* this single asterisk stands in for both references: the qualification to my first ‘Yes’ and the inclusion of background information for the benefit of any New Readers.

The Wakefield Doctrine is a perspective on the world, life and the people who populate it (both known, unknown, real and/or imagined). The premise of this ‘theory of personality’ is that we, all of us, are born with the potential to experience the world as having one of three distinct characters: the reality of the Outsider(clarks), the world of the Predator(scotts) and the life of the Herd Member(rogers). At a very early age, for reasons not yet understood, we settle into one of these three, where we grow and develop strategies and styles of interacting, aka personality.

The Wakefield Doctrine looks at personality types as the reflection of the world being experienced by the individual. Not a series of answers on a multiple choice test.

I have fairly poor posture, a tendency to mumble when speaking, a taste for the fringe and a ravenous, near-insatiable curiosity because those are representative of my best efforts to contend with, survive and thrive in the personal reality of the Outsider. A scott exhibits different behavior (yeah, that was for comedic effect…lol) but the fact is, the style of interaction that identifies a scott or a roger tells you about the world they are relating themselves to.

(btw, important: we have one and only one predominant worldview. we never lose the potential to experience the world as do ‘the other two’. This explains why at certain times (usually times of duress) we might exhibit behavior and interests not typical of type.)