Hearing What We Want To Hear
Getting this kind of letter would set any writer to twitching. What could be more encouraging or rewarding than to hear a clamoring for your work? Jane had written words I wanted to hear. My ship had finally docked. My manuscript would be published.
But as Mama used to say, "All that glitters is not gold." And there's certainly no gold in Jane's words, no matter how rich they sound. The letter is a sham, a fake to the core.
Alarms began dinging after a few readings. Inconsistencies and omissions leapt off the page. Superlatives abounded, but they were generalities--fuzzy, troublesome generalities. How could Jane be a legitimate, despite her credentials?
A little research soon uncovered the truth. I was disappointed to discover that every manuscript Jane reads apparently leaves her "intrigued with each turn of the page." She sends form letters and solicits up-front money. Caveat emptor.
Not long afterwards, a letter from "John" arrived. "I guess this letter contains some good news and some you probably weren't hoping to hear. We aren't the best place for your manuscript at this point." After so many weeks of waiting, I had expected a different outcome. And I was truly disappointed.
But John tempered the bad news: "I'd like to share some specifics about what we've seen in your work. You do have a knack for putting words together to convey something meaningful to your audience. It is very clean--what a welcome sight! I love the mountain-climbing story, especially the poem. It is thoughtfully written. I hope these comments will be encouragement to keep looking for a home for this book. I truly believe there is a place for it somewhere."
Of flattery, Josh Billings quipped, "Flattery is like cologne water, to be smelt of, not swallowed." In fact, one who flatters is setting a trap for another's feet. And had I taken Jane's sweet-smelling bait, her trap would have snapped shut on me.
Abraham Lincoln also recognized the hidden dangers of flattery: "Knavery and flattery are blood relations." Like a thug lurking in the shadows, flattery will quickly rough up the naive.
Though they may pierce and wound, honest words from a faithful friend are good, but even the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. My rejection by John dashed some expectations and perhaps toppled a little pride. But I'm still encouraged to press on--because his words were honest, even though they weren't what I wanted to hear.
Whenever praised or reproved, there's a crucial question: "Is this what I want to hear--or what I need to hear?" We don't have to step in every trap.
Copyright 2001 James McAlister
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