Mentor
July 10, 2022
While Odysseus was away, his wife faced an onslaught of suitors wanting to take his place, and his son Telemachus was placed under the guidance of a man named Mentor. Mentor was a bumbling fool, so Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, disguised as Mentor, advised Telemachus to kill all of the suitors. He did, and he was able to retain the power of the throne.
Not exactly a story that inspires confidence. Athena’s advice is supposed to represent a victory over the weakness of Mentor, but is it really? It sounds like a cautionary tale against blindly following the advice of those with undisclosed motives. What exactly was Athena after? Telemachus was ripe for manipulation, if you ask me.
Telemachus bent to the will of everyone but himself. Perhaps a certain amount of blind faith is necessary when trusting someone to cover your blind spots. Besides the focus on agency and free will, what makes a good mentor? They should inspire confidence and help you stand on your own feet, not simply act as a puppeteer.
I suppose that’s the danger of seeking out mentors when you don’t yet trust or know yourself. I feel as though I’m at that point now, where I know just enough about myself to seek help and be able to evaluate the veracity of the advice I get.
I’m learning improv, sign language, singing, pick-up gaming, and diet. It’s getting to be a bit much because I’ve no time left for anything else. The banal nature of cooking and laundry can unsuspectingly demand a large chunk of your time if you’re not set up properly.
That’s what I’m working towards at the moment … setting up my life in a way that I can work on the things that are actually important. Check back in with me in two months, and again in a year. I’ll get there.
Why though? I’m not obsessed with any particular girl anymore. My mind is untethered in that regard. It’s my will. I want to make my life as efficient as I can, and gain the skills to conquer the challenges I encounter so that one day I can be the mentor.
To help. To Heal. I imagine the River Styx was formed slowly, one drop at a time. We’ve now developed jet boats to travel to the underworld and back in record time.
The world is backwards. Just in terms of what we’re eating … it’s making us sick. I don’t know if I can convince the entire world, but it’s obviously the primary roadblock we have to progress. That’s the first group.
The second group are those who are directionless. The wanderers of the world. Those on a path with nefarious destinations, simply because they don’t know any better. They’ve been led there by those with questionable compasses. False prophets, they’d be dubbed if I was writing with a more religious flair. These are kids … kids who are disillusioned and feel that there’s something wrong with the world but only end up in a state of confusion, like I did.
The third group are the voiceless. The partially voiceless. Those who are struck with debilitating anxiety when faced with strangers. The selectively mute. That’s what I was. I need to be for them what I desperately needed back then. A mentor … someone who went through it all. Someone who crossed into the underworld, survived, and came back. Someone who then went back into the underworld because he wasn’t taking notes the first time, and then came back out stronger.
To move people. To influence and bring them together. What does it take? A simple schedule and a meeting place? A common vision? Napoleon once said that a leader is a dealer in hope. A leader inspires. A leader listens and let’s people speak. A leader leads from the back, and allows others to shine.
This is my next journey, the next skill I need to learn.
As I become more competent and as I gain confidence, I can’t help but notice the pitfalls of pride. There are often many more ways to fail than you realize. For someone who cares about others, there’s a lot to lose from making the wrong decision. I think that’s why many narcissists ascend to positions of power. They aren’t hindered by the consequences of their actions, nor the pain they cause along the way. But, the same thing that propels them forward ultimately holds them back.
Only someone who cares deeply about people is capable of becoming truly great. I won’t suck it up and get over it. I won’t apologize for caring. And the chips on my shoulder will lay the foundation for a better world.