His practical father, a chemist, sent him to the University of Christiania to study for the ministry and forbade him to play his beloved violin. He promptly flunked out and, defying his father, devoted all his time and energy to the violin. Unfortunately, though he had great ability, his teachers were relatively unskilled, so that by the time he was ready to start his concert tour he wasn't prepared.
In Italy a Milan newspaper critic wrote: "He is an untrained musician. If he be a diamond, he is certainly in the rough and unpolished."
There were two ways Ole Bull could have reacted to that criticism. He could have let it make him angry, or he could learn from it. Fortunately he chose the latter. He went to the newspaper office and asked to see the critic. The astounded editor introduced him. Ole spent the evening with the 70-year-old critic, asked about his faults, and sought the older man's advice on how to correct them.
Then he canceled the rest of his tour, returned home, and spent the next six months studying under really able teachers. He practiced hours upon hours to overcome his faults. Finally, he returned to his concerts and, when only 26, became the sensation of Europe.
-Author Unknown-
*If only some politicians in our country could react positively to criticisms. Our country would be a better place to live in with more positivism, accountability, transparency and equality.
Anonymous Borrowing from your great article, I have an analogy. How a husband reacts to “criticisms” can sometimes mean the difference between a happy marriage and a potential divorce. Let me relate one (among many others) personal experience…
I was abroad shortly after I bought the first house (reference to the first person is correct as all monies were paid by the first person). My wife later emailed to say that she wanted to paint the house of a different color from what we both had earlier chosen and agreed in consultation and collaboration with the architect and ID people. I like ID schemes that have combinations of white, black, grey, stainless steel and glass. I told her that I liked the colors that we both agreed earlier but she said that after consulting with her “friends” she has now decided on some other different colors. I put my foot down.
From that day on, I could see that every email from her carried some “subtle” unhappiness and she doesn’t sign off with the usual “Kiss2”. Several months passed. One day, while still abroad, I asked her if the house was ready for household items to move in. In a one sentence reply, she said, “Can’t move in as I have not painted it yet”.
WOW! That one liner sure is loaded to the hilt!
Over the next few weeks, I revisited her color “demand” in my mind and decided that one of us will have to agree. Obviously that agreement won’t be coming from her any time soon. One day, I emailed her to say that after checking with some of my ID friends (which I did and they agreed with my earlier color choice), they all agreed that HER color choice was better and I’m beginning to like her idea after all, so go ahead and paint it with the color of your choice. Back came her response immediately!
“Darling, you’re such a sweetheart! Muahhh! I knew you’d agree eventually. Anyway, I’ve already painted it three months ago”. And signed off with a Kiss2.
When it comes to “wives”, we’ve only two options…listen and obey…or fight and you pay. *sigh*
StraightTalking