Wranglers and Stranglers
Many years ago there were a group of students at the University of Wisconsin.
The group of young men seemed to have an amazing creative literary talent and were extraordinary in their ability to put their literary skills to their best use. These promising students met regularly to read and critique each other’s literary works.
They were merciless when they criticized one another.
They dissected the most minute of the expressions and offered tough and even mean criticism of each other’s work. Their meeting sessions became arenas of literary criticism and the members of this exclusive club called themselves the “Stranglers.”
Not to be excluded from the opportunity to level up their literary skills, the women of literary interest in the university started a club of their own, one comparable to Stranglers.
The members called themselves the “ Wranglers.”
The member of the club too presented their literary pieces in front of each another. But the feedback from the members was much softer, more positive and more encouraging. Every effort from a member, even the most feeble one, was encouraged by all.
After twenty years, a university alumnus was doing a study of his classmates’ careers when he noticed a huge difference in the literary accomplishments of the Stranglers and the Wranglers.
Among all the brilliant young men in the Stranglers, none had made any significant literary achievement. But the Wranglers had several successful writers and some renowned national literary talents.
The talent and education between the two groups were almost the same. There was not much difference.
The Stranglers strangled each other while the Wranglers gave each other a lift. The stranglers created an atmosphere of contention and self-doubt while the Wranglers brought out the best in each other.
This is a story worth reflecting upon as the New Year approaches.
Are you going to surround yourself with Stranglers, or even be a Strangler yourself?
OR
Are you going to be a Wrangler and be as creative in your support as you are in your own life?
Have a Happy New Year
Alan /||