self-improvement | the Wakefield Doctrine

Six Sentence Story -the Wakefield Doctrine-

November 8, 2018 By clarkscottroger

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

So here we are again. Wednesday sliding towards Thursday, like the seemingly stable shore of a small, woodland stream; plenty of time left before having to publish this week’s Six Sentence Story, right?

Maybe.

This is Denise’s bloghop, the Six Sentence Story. Each week she provides a prompt word and charges us with writing a story that involves this word and is of a length no more, (nor no less), than six sentences.

This week I’m heading to Crisfield, Delaware. Gonna stop in an catch up with some people I know who live in a convent on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay.

Knee

The dark rectangle blocking the view of Chesapeake Bay told me she was surely in deep thought, or, if my flash-prayer was answered, dozing; I channelled whatever ninja DNA might be lurking under my habit and slipped towards the single chair facing the Mother Superior’s desk, when I heard,

“You are, what, three-quarters the way through your novitiate, Sister Margaret?”.

Sister Bernadine has talents not possessed by the average middle-aged woman, nun or non-nun; more than once I’ve watched her transform an auditorium full of child-noisy grade school pupils into a state remarkably similar to sea anemones embraced by the gently waving tide; she is also capable of cloaking her strength in velvet, her words as personal as if she were standing behind you, whispering into your ear; I almost resisted the impulse to turn and look.

When I turned back, she was facing me, elbows resting on the desk, her face the glowing brown of a recently fallen chestnut, her eyes smiling, “I won’t insult you with advice to be careful, I will remind you that the people you’re going up against will do anything to defeat you and, unlike the Sunday football games our sister Cletus so enjoys watching, there are no referees or ruling body to restrain them from doing anything to defeat you.”

With the slightest of nods, she turned back to the window and I stood up to leave; before I reached the door I said, “I hear Sister Cletus talk about the controversy in the NFL over what some quarterbacks are doing before the games starts, if Cyrus St. Loreto cheats too obviously, I seriously doubt anyone will criticize me for taking a knee.”

My left hand was still on door handle when Sister Bernadine burst into laughter, it was the un-restrained celebration of her surprise at my joke and enjoyment of the humor, the sound of her laughter poured out into the corridor around me, like the hugs and high-fives of teammates after crossing home plate with the winning run.

Filed Under: Featured, Psychology, the Wakefield Doctrine Tagged With: self-improvement, Six Sentence Story, the Wakefield Doctrine

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.)

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

Monday -the Wakefield Doctrine- (this space reserved for interesting topic suggested in comments from weekend)

October 29, 2018 By clarkscottroger

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

While we wait for the questions to begin, consider the concept of ‘fluency’.

No, wait. How about this?

Totally advanced Doctrine discussion followed by an easy, fun and rudimentary* description of the (principles) of the Wakefield Doctrine.

* the use of this word will help illustrate the three worldviews, in two contrasting contexts:

as the writer:

a clark will, should the word come up, take a moment to look it up (including the inevitable comparison to ‘elementary’) and enjoy every minute of the process.
a scotts already done with the post and is out the door; if that particular word was handy it went in, of not, he/she assumes we’ll figure it out
a roger, with a core vocabulary already in place before sitting down, will use the word if it fits (think: jigsaw puzzle piece); they will, in all likelihood get upset if you ask him/her if they’d considered ‘rudimentary’ as opposed to what they did use*

as the reader:

a clark will breeze past it, confident in their ability to apply the context which will serve to smooth out the comprehension process. (think: the chain on a bicycle, maybe it has a shiny-new link that’s not as broken-in as the original links. Not to worry, as you pedal, (the new link), will make the journey over the sprocket or hub or whatever-the-hell the round-toothy part on the wheel is and, soon as pie** any roughness or hesitancy is immediately eliminated
a scott will actually remember (your use of the word) and, (when you finally caught up them), would laugh and (probably) punch you playfully on the shoulder “You fricken clarks you!”
a roger will worry, and, depending on whether or not they thought anyone was ‘watching’ they might go look it up. (Those ‘watching’ can, and often do, include the 3,290 other people who ‘the Kindle’, says have read and possibly highlighted the word).***

* almost for sure ‘fundamental’

** a semi-rogerian expression

*** In keeping with ‘the Everything Rule’ in the matter of intellectual confidence¹: a clark is to a roger or a scott as

a scott is to clark or roger in matters of personal, one-on-one nose-to-nose dominance or
a roger is to a clark or scott in comprehending the precise interaction of small parts that make up larger mechanisms (this, by the way, includes culture and society).

1) for our advanced Doctrine discussion: it is accepted that a male scott is not intimidated by intellectual prowess however, quite frequently, a scottian female is.

For extra credit: Compare and contrast the typical manifestations of the predatory character of a male scott and a scottian female. (Examples encouraged)

Times up! Pencils on your desk, please.

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

Monday -the Wakefield Doctrine- ‘clarks think‘

October 15, 2018 By clarkscottroger

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

Today we begin a three-part series. We will be looking at each of the three predominant worldviews, (aka personality types), of the Wakefield Doctrine.

(New Readers: the Wakefield Doctrine is a perspective on life, reality, the people around us and, if we have an interest, how we can best self-improve ourselfs. The Doctrine proposes that the three personality types are more a reflection of the reality of the individual than drives, interests and DNA. Everyone lives in one of three characteristic personal realities: the reality of the Outsider(clarks), the Predator(scotts) and the Herd Member(rogers). The thing is, since we’re born with the potential of all three, although everyone settles into one (of the three) at a very early age, we never lose the potential of ‘the other two’. In practical terms this explains why new readers often comment: “I can see that I’m a (clark, scott or roger) but sometimes, I’m certain I’m a (clark, scott or roger). Maybe I’m a hybrid, combination.” To which we always smile and say, “Thats just your secondary aspect showing up in times of duress. roger.” lol
Don’t worry about flashes of ‘the other two’. One person. One predominant worldview. Anything else would be, well, weird.)

clarks think.

While descriptions of behavior and styles of responses to common life situations is certainly a good place to start when learning the Wakefield Doctrine, the key is to appreciate the character and nature of the reality the person is experiencing. To that end,the Wakefield Doctrine is a toy chest full of metaphors, all useful, most fun and, like the Doctrine itself, valuable in any situation. In fact, in the interest of speedy learning and a coherent taxonomy, we will insert block-quoted Metaphor Tips, throughout the post.

The subtitle to the clarklike worldview is ‘Outsider’. That is the reality this person grew up in. And when we say, ‘grew up in’, we mean, like, before they even knew that they were growing up. Way young. Maybe three, even two years old. clarks quickly realize they are different. From everyone. While everyone else appear to know things and, of critical importance, this knowledge is shared among the other people in the clark’s world. This difference is what gives rise to most of the characteristics that identify a clark. In the wild. Not that you will ever, actually spot a clark…in the wild. That is a place where rogerian herds move the landscape like a distant iron bell and the scotts move with grace and selective invisibility.

Metaphor¹ In the primordial landscape, the rogerian brontasauri sauntered amiably through the forest to gather around the watering hole, comfortable in the immortality of numbers, caring little about the scottian predators; each to their own perch, waiting for their appetite, a life-long lover to join them and their meal-to-be. Barely visible, sharing the colors of earth and low-brush, the clarklike lemur wait, taming their appetites into submission and staring with envy at the confident nonchalance of the huge (and numerous) creatures who drank without a care in the world.

clarks(Outsider): physically tend towards the ectomorphic², of poor posture, shoulders tend to slump, as much in defense as disregard for conventional wisdom (‘if you’d stand up straight, you’d be so much more attractive‘). clarks tend to mumble when speaking outside of the relatively rare environments in which they are not ‘on defense’. The mumbling is often likened to smuggling diamonds from a miles-deep-pit-in-some-sub-tropical-jungle, by swallowing them. Even if a suspicious guard tells the clark to empty their pockets and satchel and…well, empty everything, they probably will not discover the gems. (yes, I concur… eww)

Not-really-a-Metaphor. clarks dress in a manner that tells you way more than even they are aware of. See that girl in the beautiful designer blouse and the mini skirt and the perfectly laced, shiny black Corcoran boots? And, yes there is something about her face that, while you’re not sure if it’s the eyes, you can’t tear your eyes away? clarklike female. The young man with the long hair, tee-shirt over an Oxford shirt, underneath a 50-year-old-once-high-quality-wool-overcoat wearing a pair of two hundred dollar wingtips (with mis-matched socks)? …clarks.

clarks tend to the over-intelligent people who have a ‘practicality deficit’. They are the truly creative people. Of course, when creativity is applied in the arts, clarks will be the starving artist by virtue of the fact that, in the arts, commercial success is not so much about creativity as it is re-assembly of time-worn parts, styles, memes, tropes and memory-engraved characterization.

You have a clark for a friend. He/she is someone who your ‘regular’ friends often say, ‘Really, you want to invite them to the party? they are so…. but sure, why not, we can’t all be normal.’ You, however, know that they, (your clarklike friend³), are nice people and if only they would stop being so: self-sabotaging, self-destructive, self-effacing and weird, they could be so much happier in their life/job/future.

Lets close this with returning to the beginning of the post. Remember the thing about the (very) young clark realizing that everyone around them seemed to know something that they, the clark, did not? That is the origin of a clark(Outsider)’s two most distinctive drives: a) Insatiable curiosity, because they need to learn what it is that everyone else knows, the information that, when acquired, will allow them to become real people and 2) To avoid scrutiny; there is no telling why a clark didn’t learn what everyone else seems to know. And it can’t be for the lack of the intelligence to understand (can it?) so… if it wasn’t because they just didn’t get it, then the only other conclusion was that they, the clark, was deliberately not taught it because…

Tomorrow: scotts (be sure to have bail money ready)

1) or maybe simians**, allegory, analogy or even anaphora

** hold that laugh, that malapropism is appropriate to Wednesday when we discuss rogers, and more specifically, rogerian expression.

2) William Sheldon’s Body Type theory of personality, totally captured my attention in grad school

3) if you think in terms of ‘having friends’ then, by definition, you will only count one clark among your list of friends

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

TToT -the Wakefield Doctrine- (” why, no, we did not overlook the kitchen sink… its in there somewhere”)

August 11, 2018 By clarkscottroger

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

Saturday and all the ushers have all gone home to bed*…

Warning: the Wakefield Doctrine has always viewed the ‘strange and unusual’** as the stuff of TToT posts. This weekend’s post is no exception.

Before we begin, surely a primordial Grat Item must be Kristi, our host. As I’ve said before, the role (and job) of host to any bloghop is a daunting (and exhausting) undertaking; riding herd on the gathering of words (‘Decem Rerum Laetis”) contributed by bloggers from across the globe, is no easy task. Thanks, Kristi (lets just give you Item number…. …hmmm Chodsky Pes… spouse… ‘remarkable insight into the nature of people and the world’…. lets go with Item 4! perfect (’cause as we all know, if asked the question, “How much is 2 + 2?” rogers will answer ‘4’ every single time. With total certainty.)

1) Una (photo above)

2) Phyllis (photo above)

3) the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers). As we know, the Wakefield Doctrine is, among other things, a very useful tool for self-improving oneself. This, in part, due to a central premise that while we all live in one of the three characteristic realities (that of the Outsider(clarks), the Predator(scotts) and the Herd Member(rogers), we retain the potential inherent in ‘the other two’. The effect and benefit of this is that, unlike many other self-improvement systems, the Doctrine allows that I do not need to learn anything totally new in order to improve (whatever it is I believe I need to improve about myself). I simply need to look within. If, for instance, I wanted to be less toxically-self-effacing, I need only find my inner scott. Or, were I to seek to communicate with others on a more self-assured basis, ‘calling all rogers…calling all rogers‘. The idea is that I have those qualities that are exhibited in all three personality types, as potential. Of course I have not practiced (those ways of relating to the world), so there is much work to put in for these new behaviors to manifest. The critical point is: new and improved as these changes might be, they are not artificial and they are not a mask that I wear to convince the world I’m something that I am not. Merely another aspect of who I have been all along. ya know?

Example: This video. lol… I totally botched the ‘holding forth with a concise and compelling explanation of the Wakefield Doctrine’ intent of the video. However… that last five or six seconds made me laugh (again)… so despite my clarklike aversion to looking silly in front of people (self-improvement item 3.23.4) here is a Walk with Una.

4) Kristi blogger, Graviteer, hostinae and runner-of-remarkable-distances

5) the Writer’s Club

6) Step-almost-the-last of getting a new generator for the house. (The past year had, rough estimate, 3 weeks of no power due to downed lines from storms and wind and odd-tree-disease. Our old generator has a pull start. I’m not, despite the maturity evidenced in the above, getting any younger. Hence the automatic generator.)

7) Cynthia (and John) who may still be out there, in the world,*** stalking the frontier-lands for insight and enlightenment. Hey! guys!

8) THIS SPACE AVAILABLE (Apply Within Comments. Like to participate but feel that a list of Ten (or so) Things of Thankful is a bit too stressful, at least for the first foray? Send it on in (through Comments) and I’ll be happy to post it here with full attribution.

9) Sunday Supplement

10) Secret Rule 1.3

* a lyrics mashup of Wind Cries Mary and Bold as Love (citations below)

** Rod Serling in countless intros to Twilight Zone episodes. The show itself a perfectly preserved example of the mass-market culture’s view of the country’s tolerance for entertainment creeping in from the edge of suburbia.

*** a total indicator of a clark personality type. clarks are the only one of the three who, upon waking and considering the tasks of the coming day, put it all in the context of dealing with the world ‘out there’.

Music Mash-up:

(Disclaimer: I did not compose or record the following music (…no kidding) and do not own the rights to any of them (“well, duh… if I owned a tenth of a percent of the rights to any of these I’d be dictating this post from the deck of my boat, now wouldn’t I?) Please go to your record store and buy the music so that the composer (or whoever does own the rights) will enjoy the benefits of your… enjoyment).

Beethoven (1893)