Is One Town's Gain Another's Loss?
One misperception that can persist is that if one neighboring town thrives, the other one will suffer. It's a "zero sum" mindset that assumes that resources are very limited, and if a competing town is winning, you're losing.
The folks in Ronceverte could have maintained that mindset in comparison to the nationally-recognized town of Lewisburg in Greenbrier County. But instead, several people have decided to take a risk and invest in the small town (population 1,500) just three miles from one of the top arts towns in the country.
The result? The vision and investment has drawn others to do the same. And soon, Greenbrier County will have another reason for visitors and potential citizens to consider one of the most beautiful areas in the Eastern United States.
Great post, Jeff. If I had to choose one thing to change about West Virginia it might be the "zero sum mindset" or scarcity paradigm or pie slice analogy or whatever you want to call it.
Posted by: Justin Seibert | May 23, 2008 at 10:31 PM