Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
To start us off on the week’s Wakefield Doctrine posts lets hit the more advanced curriculum: (WD. 205 Adv. predominant worldview determination)
a Comment on last Friday’s post from Misky:
I just read an article in the newspaper (yes, I do still read newspapers, daily) that a TikTok person having millions of followers says she always feels alone and lonely. She is busying herself all day TokToking, and then wonders why she’s alone? Where am I going with this? Well, nowhere in truth — except a personal analysis of when is a herd not a herd. (not herb, you stupid spellchecker; herd — herd)
to which we Reply:
…besides the question you post, (as to the possibly ephemeral nature of ‘the Herd’), there is the very real value (for those at your level of understanding of matters Doctrine) of seeing/hearing/taking-in-the-context of utterances as part of one’s assessment of (another’s) likely predominant worldview.
The Wakefield Doctrine has, as most creative/novel constructs/perspectives on how to relate to the world around us has an element of art to complement its science.
The thing about the Wakefield Doctrine is that the set of characteristics associated with each of the three predominant worldviews has a real world consistency that goes beyond the normal guessing. (“Your favorite color is blue and you avoid people who default to the negative/aggressive end of the spectrum.”) This is the science.
The art is our own sense of how things fit together.
so to the question: is this an example of a special-case definition of ‘Herd’ (as in Member of the Herd, aka rogers).
No. That distinction is unnecessary. The Herd, to a roger, is all that they know of the world around them (and the people who make it up). Find a zen monk who’s a roger and hold up a picture of sub-adults all enraptured by a social app on their (collective) phones. Ask: is this a part of the monk’s Herd?
The answer: It is now.
We hope that clarifies the issue.
Bonus Doctrine Insight!! So, we’re sitting around in your library discussing the Wakefield Doctrine. (the new footman of your household has already brought our afternoon tea, all under the watchful of your butler) and in response to your anecdote, we say, “Excellent Doctrine(izing)! She is clearly are roger. The two indices are her claim of ‘millions of followers’ and the somewhat boastful, if not redundant, lamentation of being alone and lonely. All the while, as you so astutely note: busying herself all day TokToking.
AP Doctrine note to the last point: that is a roger spreading her quilt-of-belonging out for all who come into range of her ‘asking for help or aid’. (Hey it beats going to all the trouble of constructing a cottage from delicious candy and bon-bons and such?)
Good question. Good eye.
